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What a JMS Site Assessment Actually Covers | JMS Aftermarket

Written by JMS Aftermarket Team | May 21, 2026 4:53:38 AM
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What a JMS Site Assessment Actually Covers
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A site assessment is one of our engineers walking your equipment with you, measuring it against the original drawings, and handing you back a written report. You see what's still in spec, what's close to the edge, and what's about to start costing you real money. That's it. No pitch, no upsell, no surprises in the executive summary. Just the data you need to plan the next 24 months and beyond.

Plants ask us to do these for a few reasons. Sometimes it's a budget cycle and they need a defensible plan to take to the board. Sometimes it's after a component failed and they want to know if the rest of the system is sitting in the same place. Sometimes the equipment's just old and the operator wants somebody who actually built the thing to come look at it.

Whatever the reason, the work is the same. Here's what's in it.

What we look at

Our engineer shows up with the original equipment drawings, performance specs, and a checklist built for whatever JMS equipment you have installed. The walk covers four things.

Structural condition. Basin integrity, support steel, fasteners, the load-bearing parts of the equipment. The stuff that doesn't fail often but takes a long shutdown when it does.

Mechanical wear. Shafts, bearings, gearboxes, drive couplings, paddles or flights, sealing surfaces. The parts that wear day in and day out.

Hydraulic performance. Whether the equipment is doing what it was designed to do at the flow and chemistry you're running today.

Process alignment. Whether what's installed still matches what the plant is actually treating.

That last one catches more plants than people expect. A flocculator built for 8 MGD on one chemistry can end up running at 12 MGD on different coagulants ten years later. The equipment is fine. The operating point drifted out from under it. You don't find that one from the walkway.

How it actually runs

1
Document pullBefore we get on a plane, we pull your original drawings, install records, and prior service history from our Charlotte office.
2
Pre-site callShort call with your plant manager. What's been running rough, what changed recently, where you suspect issues.
3
On-site walkOur engineer walks the equipment with you. Visual, measurements, photos, notes against the drawings.
4
Component testingVibration analysis on drives, thickness measurements on wear surfaces, hardness checks on critical parts.
5
Running observationWhere the plant can spare it, we watch the equipment run. Vibration signature, sound, performance under real load.
6
Findings sortedField notes get reconciled with the drawings. Each component gets sorted: in spec, close to the edge, or past it.
7
Written reportYou get a structured document with photos, measurements, recommendations, and a ranked action list.

The report goes straight to your budget meeting. Photos, measurements, the work that needs doing and when.

What you get back

10Business days to report
24Month maintenance plan
7Step structured process

The report covers:

  • Equipment-by-equipment condition summary
  • Photographs of every component we assessed
  • Measurements against the original engineering specs
  • Estimated remaining service life by component
  • Recommended actions ranked by priority and timeline
  • Budget ranges for each recommended action
  • A 24-month maintenance and rehab schedule

When to schedule one

Best time to do this is before you need it. Common triggers operators mention:

  • Equipment is seven years or more past install
  • You're noticing changes in performance, vibration, sound, or motor amp draw
  • Capital budget cycle is coming up and you need a real plan
  • Something failed unexpectedly and you want to know if the rest is sitting in the same place

Most plants run an assessment cycle every 24 to 36 months on critical equipment. Shorter on high-wear stuff like grit classifiers and scum systems.

How to request one

You can request through your regional JMS rep or straight through our Aftermarket team. Lead time from request to scheduled visit is usually 3 to 5 weeks. The on-site portion runs a half day for small installations and a day or two for larger plants. Written report lands in your inbox within 10 business days.

Want one on the calendar?

A JMS site assessment gives you a hands-on read of your installed equipment and a plan you can take to the budget meeting.

Request a Site Assessment →