Frame Mount

Nine-inch or 13-inch, open face or enclosed: two choices narrow the field to the right Franklin Electric frame mount centrifugal pump. Size decides which XS you need, and impeller style splits the FACT from the FAOT. All three keep the pump on its own bearing frame, so a motor, belt, engine, or tractor PTO can turn it.

Each is a single-stage, end suction pump with a cast iron volute. What changes is the impeller, the size, and the water it was built for.

Start With Your Water, Then Your Volume

Match the series to your water first: the FACT for clean water in booster, circulation, or jockey pump service, and the FAOT when sand, silt, or light debris would clog an enclosed impeller. Choose the XS when volume is the goal, on water trucks, irrigation, and municipal stations.

XS, FACT, and FAOT in the Field

XS Series: High Volume in Two Sizes

The 9-inch XS439 is the size built for water trucks, irrigation, and construction sites. Its heavy iron bearing frame has an oversized shaft, max-life bearings, and external grease fittings, so you can grease it without taking it apart.

The 13-inch models step up to larger flows for big irrigation and municipal stations. Both sizes use a back pullout volute, so the pump end comes out without disturbing the piping, and one 13-inch model adds a split volute to cut radial bearing load.

Rotation matters on the XS. The 9-inch comes in clockwise or counterclockwise facing the shaft, and the direction is set at the factory.

FACT Series: Clean Water Booster and Circulation

The FACT-8 uses an enclosed cast iron impeller with 2-inch suction and discharge. Enclosed impellers build pressure well in clean water, which is why this series shows up in booster service, cooling loops, and fire system jockey pumps.

FAOT Series: Open Impeller for Dirty Water

The FAOT has no front shroud on its impeller, so sand, silt, and plant debris pass through instead of wedging in place. Farms that pump from ponds and canals choose it for that reason. It is not a trash pump, though, and it will not pass large solids.

Franklin Electric Frame Mount Centrifugal Pump Specs Side by Side

The table uses the model numbers and build details Franklin Electric publishes for each series. Flow and head vary by model and speed, so we size each order from the performance curve.

Six Checks Before You Order

1. Water quality. Clean water points to the FACT or XS. Silt and debris point to the FAOT.
2. Flow and head. Know the gallons per minute you need and the total head, including lift, pipe friction, and nozzle pressure.
3. Power source. Belt, direct-coupled motor, engine, and PTO each set a shaft speed, and speed moves the pump along its curve.
4. Rotation. Look at the drive shaft and note which way it turns.
5. Seal. Packing adjusts in the field. A mechanical seal suits pumps that run unattended.
6. Ports. Grooved, threaded, and flanged ports each need different fittings.

Water Below the Pump? Consider Self-Priming Instead

None of these three pumps primes itself. You must fill the housing before the first start, and you need a foot valve if the pump sits above the water source.

If you would rather skip that step, our self-priming frame mount pumps keep the same bearing frame layout but add a priming chamber.

If the pump will always run from one fixed electric motor, a frame is extra hardware. A close-coupled centrifugal pump bolts the motor straight to the pump and takes less space. For hydraulic driven and water truck models, go back to our overview of all Franklin frame mount pumps.

Cost Drivers: Size, Seal, and Ports

Size drives cost more than anything else. Within a series, a larger pump end costs more than a smaller one, so a 13-inch XS is a bigger investment than a 9-inch XS.

Seal type, port style, and whether you need a motor or only the bare pump end also change the quote. Tell us what you are replacing, and we will price the exact configuration instead of a close match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a centrifugal pump be mounted vertically?

Yes, a centrifugal pump can be mounted vertically if the maker designed it for that position. All three Franklin frame mount centrifugal series, the XS, FACT, and FAOT, are rated for vertical or horizontal mounting. Their volutes also rotate, so you can point the suction and discharge ports where your piping runs. Bolt the base down on a solid surface and use isolation pads to cut vibration in either position.

What causes cavitation in a centrifugal pump?

Cavitation in a centrifugal pump happens when pressure at the impeller eye drops so low that water flashes into vapor bubbles, which then collapse and pit the impeller. It sounds like gravel in the pump. Common causes are too much suction lift, a long or undersized suction line, a clogged strainer, and running far out on the curve. On the 13-inch XS, Franklin specifies a stainless impeller configured for superior NPSH characteristics to help resist it.

What is a main disadvantage of a centrifugal pump?

The main disadvantage of a standard centrifugal pump is that it cannot prime itself. The housing must be full of water before it starts, or the impeller just spins air and the seal can overheat. The XS, FACT, and FAOT all need a primed housing and usually a foot valve on the suction line. If your water sits below the pump and you restart often, a self-priming pump avoids that step.

Send us the model number from your current pump's nameplate, or your flow, head, and drive type, and we will quote the right Franklin frame mount pump.