# March Mag Drive Pumps



## Justin (11/12/03)

Just tying up the thread from the other day on March pumps (under a different topic heading, sorry Fiscus). The one I was talking about was purchased by a mate for a HERMS/RIMS system from Process Pumps (www.processpumps.com.au)
This was the quote on it.

>>>The model we normally sell to the home brewers is a March
magnetic drive
centrifugal pump model: 809 HS PL

Rated to 121 deg c
Voltage 240 volt single phase
Connections are 1/2" inlet and outlet
Max flow rate 21 lpm
Max head capability 2.7 metres

Cost: $247.50 each including GST

Freight cost:	$16.50 including GST

Availability:	We have 3 units ex stock in Melbourne

Payment is accepted by cheque, Bankcard, Visa or Mastercard
<<<<

Although availability would be down by one now!

Hope it helps.

JD


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Thanks Justin,
Just what I want and the Xmas bank account does not


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## JasonY (11/12/03)

Hmmmm will be a while before I venture into the world of mag drive pumps .... anyone ever tried a dishwasher pump? Those suckers must be rated for a fair temperature.


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Same as washing machine pumps i would recond , I got one of those now


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## GMK (11/12/03)

Pumps

I bought a fountain pump as recomended by brew guru Graeme Sanders - 64.00...

It is an italian brand.....Grumpy Thomas put me onto it...


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Are you happy with it GMK?
Have seen Sanders on the site , did you buy the same model as his ?


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## GMK (11/12/03)

Batz said:


> Are you happy with it GMK?
> Have seen Sanders on the site , did you buy the same model as his ?


 Batz,

I bought the same model....

Have not had the chance to play with it yet.....

Will do when I get the AG Setup.


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Justin
Thanks for the pump info mate , had a few IPA's today and ordered one , man I am gunna be in the shit !!
Gotta spare room for a fellow brewer big d ?  :blink: :unsure:


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## big d (11/12/03)

only if you bring some full kegs batz. :chug: 
you may have to hit the o/t trail to keep her indoors happy  

yep 04 is gonna be mighty expensive on my mark 2 brewery with pumps,counterflow chillers and a few other things im thinking about. :blink:


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Used my boiler big time today big d , wort chiller brought the temp. down to the water temp. fairly quickly , still way to high , had to use some ice as the esky set up is not (set up)
Want a washing pump? Wired and with 1/2' out and inlets?


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## big d (11/12/03)

bloody oath send her up


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## Batz (11/12/03)

okey dokey


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## Batz (11/12/03)

Hey
It is a secondhand jobby


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## Justin (12/12/03)

Hey Batz, did you get the 809 HS PL model? Apparently, after reading various things on the Yank website, this pump is the "go" for homebrewing. I think you should be very happy with it. Look at it this way, you were going to buy it anyway so you might as well buy it now and get the most use out of it (this is how I've justified my Barely Crusher  . Apparently you can also get a brass one but it's dearer and in my opinion probably unnecesary (??). My mate is building a RIMS system with his, also building the controller for it from scratch. Pretty impressive actually. Just taught himself all the programming and building knowledge off the net.

Got some more hop cuttings last night. I now have 3 POR, 4 (cuttings) of Tettnanger, 4 (cuttings) of Hallertau. Beer, Beer and more beer. :chug: 

JD


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## Batz (12/12/03)

That's the one I ordered Justin , will power my RIMS as well


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## jayse (12/12/03)

your system is sounding great batz.
I want one of those pumps one day for sure, not that my pumps don't do the job well. Your gunna have one of the best systems here before you even ark it up for the first time.

cheers, jealous of Batz new pump, Jayse


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## Batz (12/12/03)

If I make it through the delivery alive , then I'll let you know what it's like
h34r:


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## Justin (12/12/03)

This is Batz peeking through the mail slot in his front door :unsure: h34r: :unsure: h34r: 

Watching for the Wife and the delivery man, hoping and praying that the gods would not be so cruel as to allow them to arrive home at exactly the same time.

just playing Batz. Your a bold man.

JD


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## Murray (12/12/03)

You had best sacrifice a glass to the ale gods, Batz.


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## JasonY (12/12/03)

Batz, you could sabotage your washing machine a few days before it arrives and then claim it is just a new pump for the washing machine  

Slim chance of it passing but ya never know.


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## Batz (12/12/03)

Man of experience taking JasonY ?

Could be worth a shot


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## JasonY (12/12/03)

can't say I've tested that one ... but you never know you could score brownie points for fixing the washing machine so fast


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## JasonY (10/7/04)

Ok so I am on the verge of buying one now! h34r: So is there anything I should be aware of before taking the leap into pump heaven? I assume the model is just the one as mentioned previously ... will email them for confirmation (maybee the price has gone down  )

Phase one will probably see me pump the boiler contents into the fermenter as my boiler sits on the ground and I usually ift it onto the bench to enable it to be gravity fed into the fermenter. (anyone see a problem with this?) 

Phase 2 well lots of pipes and some kind of fancy temp controlled mash system  h34r: :unsure:


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## wessmith (10/7/04)

Jason, just be aware that most sealess mag-coupled pumps are virtually impossible to sanitise without dismantling. The problem is the ceramic shaft/impeller setup that is a very close fit and does not allow the free flow of liquid to get at the bearing faces of both parts. This is why they are not generally used in brewing. All the pumps we use for the micro units have a mechanical carbon/ceramic seal which leaves all the other internal parts fully exposed to the liquid.

Wes.


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## GMK (10/7/04)

JasonY

i use an Idra pond pump as do alot of brewers.
price around 65.00

SteveSA just bought one.
Alot cheaper than the March Pump.


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## JasonY (10/7/04)

Wes, do you have any links for the pumps with the seal system you describe? Are they available for a similar price in a size that would suit the homebrewer? A lot of ppl seem to be using the march pumps ... sanitising would be an issue but hopefully its not too bad.

GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp. May have to give it some serious thought as it is about 20% of the cost of the march pump ... the extra capital could go toward refurbishing the keg taps  or on a PLC for the automated brewery phase


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## dicko (10/7/04)

Jason Y,
With respect to all others views re the pumps, the March Pump seems to be the standard in brewing particularly in the US.
When making my decision I did some searching and found that many other pumps either would not handle the heat or were "very expensive".
The pond pumps seem to be popular but when I was considering pumps I didnt want something that I had to fiddle around with putting them in cold water etc.
With cleaning all I do is run boiling water through the pump and through the rest of the system and I have not had any problems after 14 AG brews.
This method of cleaning is what is recommended on the US sites and no one seems to have any trouble sanitising this way.
As with most components in home brewing there is many options and the choice is generally governed by availability and of course, price.
If you want any more info you can PM me or we could talk on the phone.
The decision finally rests with the user and the comments on forums like these all hopefully help with your decision.
Cheers


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## dicko (10/7/04)

JasonY said:


> Wes, do you have any links for the pumps with the seal system you describe? Are they available for a similar price in a size that would suit the homebrewer? A lot of ppl seem to be using the march pumps ... sanitising would be an issue but hopefully its not too bad.
> 
> GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp. May have to give it some serious thought as it is about 20% of the cost of the march pump ... the extra capital could go toward refurbishing the keg taps  or on a PLC for the automated brewery phase


 Jason Y



> GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp.



FWIW. Another thing to consider with a submersible or pond pump is that the reason it is in cold water is to keep it cold so any boiling water that is pumped by it to the CFWC or herms etc for sanitising is not really sanitising as intended because it has been cooled down in the pump.
Well that leaves the other option of pumping one shot or similar through the system and then dismantleing for cleaning.
To me this just seems like another chore!!
With my system i actually boil a small amount of water (about 4 litres) in the hlt and then pump the boiling water from the hlt through the pump and through the CFWC and after it has pumped about a litre or so it is 97 deg c and I recon that by the time I have pumped the four litres, it is enough to sanitise the pump and the CFWC.

Cheers


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## wessmith (10/7/04)

Jason, the pumps we use are the Lowara brand but even the smallest will be around $350 to $400 and probably too big for your installation. I do use March pumps - have a model 890 "hot water circulating" for moving hot wort if I need to pump out the kettle, however I would never use it to pump the boiled wort to the fermenter. Also have a couple of March 5 series pumps that came with a set of developer/fixer tanks off a colour film processing unit. They will eventually be part of my CLT and circulate a glycol mix through the heat exchanger coil and fermenter chilling coil.

For racking the finished beer into kegs I have a "Flow Jet" double diaphragm pump which runs off CO2 and is able to be sanitised simply by pumping in some Iodophor. From memeory the Flow Jet was about $250 but will only take temps up to 70C or so. You should be OK with your March as a circulating pump for a HERMS or similar system as you are preboil. Just make sure you thoroughly rinse out any wort before storing the pump.

Wes.


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## GMK (11/7/04)

Jason

Instead of doing a full hermes recirc - why not just recirc for the last 10 mins to clear up the wort.

As i have an insulated Rubbermaid Mash tun - this is what i am planning on doing....

Then - the pond pump should be fine for this and for pumping the sparge water.


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## Darren (12/7/04)

wessmith said:


> I do use March pumps - have a model 890. I would never use it to pump the boiled wort to the fermenter.


 Why is that Wes? I too was worried that there would be some unseen build-up in the head of my march pump. I pulled it apart and to my surprise it was spotless.
Wish I could say the same for my ball-lock valves.
I sanitise my March pump, CC chiller and lines by recirculating hot wort through it
for about 10 minutes before flame out.
CFC chillers are more likely to be a cause of infection problems than the head of a march pump.


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## dreamboat (12/7/04)

I use a small magdrive pump manufactured by Malcolm Thompson Pumps for my herms. iirc it cost me nothing, but probably retails around the $150 mark. It is not rated for above 90C for extended periods of time, but as I have no desire to pump boiling wort through it, it is just what I needed. The head is very easy to remove, it did have four small studs holding it on, but i replaced them with stainless threaded rod, and put wingnuts on for easy removal. Takes me around a minute to strip it down to its component parts, which can then be cleaned individually.

www.mtp.com.au

dreamboat


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## JasonY (12/7/04)

Dreamboat, do you have a brand and part number for the pump? if it is $150 then it could be a good alternative.

Got the price from processpumps today $253 +$12.50 delivery ... was hoping a strong dollar may have helped ... ahh well


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## wessmith (12/7/04)

Darren, the problem is not the pump chamber but the ceramic shaft/impeller housing. The clearances are very tight and only intended to provide liquid to lubricate the bearing surfaces. When you go to clean, it is almost impossible to reach all these surfaces - a bit like the fermenter vessel taps the you find in most locally made vessels.

But as I have said, if you are still on the hot side there is no real problem.

Wes.



Why is that Wes? I too was worried that there would be some unseen build-up in the head of my march pump. I pulled it apart and to my surprise it was spotless.
Wish I could say the same for my ball-lock valves.
I sanitise my March pump, CC chiller and lines by recirculating hot wort through it
for about 10 minutes before flame out.
CFC chillers are more likely to be a cause of infection problems than the head of a march pump.


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## dreamboat (13/7/04)

JasonY,
Sold in Australia by Malcolm Thompson Pumps, the y have about 8 offices in the country, Perth, Melb, Syd, Bris etc.
Model is Magplus MG-10R.

has a max flow of 10 Litres/minute, and a max head of 1.5 metres. ie, no flow at a pumping height of 1.5m.


Dreamboat


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## MAH (13/7/04)

I recently bought a mag-drive pump and had a look at the various models for sale in Australia. I looked at the Malcolm Thompson Pumps, and there was bugger all difference in the price between the model they recomended and the March 809 PL HS pump that I eventually bought. The reason I went for the March is that it has a lot more grunt for a few dollars more.

March 809 PL HS
Max flow = 27 liters per minute
Max head = 3.7 meters
Max temp = 121C

The March pump does everything that the Idra pond pump etc does, but doesn't need jerry riging to be effective. If you want hassle free usage from a pump I would recommend a March pump. Yep it costs more, but it is very versatile and has the capacity to grow with your brewery.

Cheers
MAH


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## JasonY (13/7/04)

Thanks dreamboat, just got a quote and it is $205 (MP-10R). Getting the datasheet faxed through. I am leaning toward the extra $50 for the higher temp rating. Will see what the datasheet is like.


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## dreamboat (13/7/04)

Hmmm... depends on who you talk to I guess, I just spoke with the bloke here in Brissy, admittedly I buy 10 or 15k worth of pumps from him each year.... but he will sell me one for $100 including GST.


Probably not making any money out of it, but they have two in the country, and they are keen to sell them.


Dreamboat


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## dreamboat (13/7/04)

Maybe if anybody is keen, I could pick them up, at my price, then send off to others?

I have a slightly smaller model than that, the MP-6R, and it is alright also, but perhaps a touch small.


dreamboat


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## Doc (13/7/04)

Dreamboat,

Is that the Model is Magplus MG-10R for $100 or the next size up ?
If it is the next size up I'll probably be keen.

Beers,
Doc


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## JasonY (13/7/04)

Dreamboat sound slike an awesome price, is there anywhere I can download a spec sheet for these suckers. I was supposed to be getting one faxed but it has not shown up


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## dreamboat (13/7/04)

There is a little pump curve that I have at work, which I could probably reproduce somehow into a format you can see. I was able to find plenty of info before I bought mine, materials, temps etc, but I can't seem to track any of that down at the moment.
Doc, that was the price for the 10R - 10 LPM max, which is a hell of a lot in a homebrew setup. The Guru recommends 1.5 LPM as being heaps iirc...


dreamboat


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## dicko (13/7/04)

dreamboat said:


> JasonY,
> Sold in Australia by Malcolm Thompson Pumps, the y have about 8 offices in the country, Perth, Melb, Syd, Bris etc.
> Model is Magplus MG-10R.
> 
> ...


 

has a max flow of 10 Litres/minute, and a max head of 1.5 metres. ie, no flow at a pumping height of 1.5m.


A maximum head of 1.5metres is hardly enough with most systems I have seen and by adopting a pump with those specifications you are placing a major restriction on your system and its future development. Couple this to the fact that it is not rated for heat and you might find that you will have problems down the track.
If a pump has a max head of 1.5 metres then you need to consider how viscous the fluid to be pumped is and even at a head of 750mm you will only need a slight air leak or bad fitting and you might find it will battle to do the job.
IMHO you only ever get what you pay for!!

Cheers


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## Doc (14/7/04)

Yes it was the maximum head of 1.5 meters that I was worried about. The flow rate is definitely enough.

Beers,
Doc


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## dicko (14/7/04)

With a Mag drive pump used in the home brewery situation the flow rate is neither here nor there as it is controlled by the ball valve on the outlet side of the pump, however if the chosen pump has a small "head" specification then it will battle to pump from say for example - a mash tun up through a Herms coil in the HLT and back.

Now I am not saying that you cant build the brewery to take into account this specification but if you do, you lose any advantage with gravity feeding for parts of your system which means that the pump has got to do all of the work and places a fair sort of a restriction on what you can and cant do.

It is hard to put this in type but if you build the system with HLT Mash Tun and Kettle on the same plane or level then you want to mash out by infusion - you cant because the pump cant take the temperature of the mash out water and if you put the HLT above the mash tun the pump with a head of 1.5 metres maximum is going to struggle to pump the mash through the HERMS.
To recirculate the wort from the mash for clearing you will find that as you draw from the outlet of the MLT there will be a restriction as the grain bed packs down and the wort starts to clear and you need to ask yourself is that restriction going to affect a pump that has a low "head" specification.

If you are going to build a system that you still need to infuse or lauter by hand then you may as well just leave all the gear sitting on the sink and balanced on boxes and the like and save the money.

I consider the pump to be the HEART of my system and after 14 AG sessions on it I still get excited when all I have to do is just turn a ball valve and all product flows exactly where I want it to without me doing anything but flicking a switch and watching it all happen.

Again, this is only my opinion but I always recon that if you need to move a 22 tonne load then you need to have a truck capable of 22 tonnes. If you opt to use a truck of lesser capacity then, sure it will move it, but for how long????

Cheers


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## MAH (14/7/04)

dicko said:


> It is hard to put this in type


Well Dicko I reckon you did a good job of explaining the pros and cons. It's clear from your posting that you've done your homework on pumps, and have well thought through reasons. You haven't just spat out some home-brewers hear-say or simply speculated on a topic you know little about. It's this type of help that we need to see more of.

Top work Dicko!

Cheers
MAH


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## JasonY (14/7/04)

Well thanks for all the input fellas. I think I may just have to go with the March after all this, main reason being that I will probably get carried away with pumping stuff everywhere and I am thinking of having my HLT & boiler at just above groud level so head capacity will be required as dicko says.

Will have to place an order, I think they are out of stock so I have a couple of weeks to wait.

Thanks for all the feedback.


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## wedge (14/7/04)

i agree Dicko. You *Always Get What You Pay For*


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## dicko (15/7/04)

dicko said:


> dreamboat said:
> 
> 
> > JasonY,
> ...





> IMHO you only ever get what you pay for!!



Your correct Wedge,  

I should have said :

"You *only* get what you pay for"  

Cheers


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## JasonY (15/7/04)

Well its ordered ... ended up getting it from morebeer.com along with a bunch of other stuff ...  too hard to resist shopping  

Now I just have to wait a couple of weeks! :angry:


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## dicko (15/7/04)

Hi Jason,
Good move IMO,
One, maybe silly question, you did specify a 240 volt model?
Cheers


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## JasonY (15/7/04)

yep sure did, don't want any of that 110V shite down under


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## wedge (15/7/04)

You won't be disappointed with the March mate. You paid a little extra but you got a fantastic pump.


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## JasonY (21/7/04)

Well my order from morebeer is sitting at the post office waiting to be collected tomorrow! Not bad since I ordered last Wed from Morebeer  couldn't have been quicker if I had ordered it from Aus  

Should be like a kid at xmas tomorrow ! :huh: :wacko: :blink: h34r: 

Just need to plan how to plumb it all up.


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## Trough Lolly (14/12/04)

Just an update from me on an old but highly informative thread...

I'm looking for a mag pump and I've spent some time looking at the alternatives. From what I've seen here and overseas, the March 809 PL-HS pump is still the best buy, from a cost/performance perspective.

I spoke to Dale at Process Pumps in Melbourne this afternoon and the cost of one of these pumps, including airbagged freight to Canberra is $270.60...Not bad for a pump that can push out up to 7 Gallons a minute and handle fluids up to 176C!

Anyway, it's definitely on my Xmas list, along with 4 Kegs from Brewers Discount!

Cheers,
TL


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## sosman (15/12/04)

Trough Lolly said:


> I'm looking for a mag pump and I've spent some time looking at the alternatives. From what I've seen here and overseas, the March 809 PL-HS pump is still the best buy, from a cost/performance perspective.


They are pretty handy. What I find though is that you will have to use some ingenuity to "mount" the pump rigidly if you are connecting it to flexible hose.

Except for the hose connections, there is no easy way to fix it to something, mine always ends up sitting on a lump of 4x2 on the ground. Since the motor windings are well ventilated there is quite a risk of liquid getting into the motor.

PS did you ask for the homebrewers discount?


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## Justin (15/12/04)

I bought my pump a couple of weeks back in the grain and grape 20% off sale, so mine cost me $215 (sorry I wasn't about to announce the sale on this site, it was a while stocks last one so I may have missed out on my pump). I got a bunch of other stuff so as a whole postage was negligible (ie. my whole order came to $11 postage and that was grains, nutrient, yeasts and hops). I wasn't going to rush out and get a pump but when this sale came up I just bit the bullet and bought it as I knew I'd want one soon enough. Now it's time to change the brewery. Had my first play with my pump last night and it works great so I'm very happy, it's very easy to prime. 

But yes, the australian pumps (even the 230V from morebeer) don't come with a mounting plate/bracket. I think I'm going to mount mine by placing mine in a plastic box to protect the windings from inevitable splashes (I saw someone do it on a website somewhere) with just the pump head hanging out. I'll then make some sort of key hole arangement so that I can hang it firmly on the brewery stand but still remove it. 

I did have elaborate plans for a metal framed two tier but a meeting with my landlord this morning means that "junk" is not allowed to be stored in view of the rest of the complex. @#$%^%^&. I was most offended, hey that's my brewery buddy! So that means I need to pack up everything after every brew. So now my brewery plans are to have three vessels on legs, like this one-but I'm still going to maintain a two tier set up.

Cheers, Justin


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## Trough Lolly (15/12/04)

sosman said:


> PS did you ask for the homebrewers discount?


 Actually as soon as I told him the model, he immediately asked me if I was a brewer! I confirmed, of course, and he told me that he's sold quite a few of these units!  

Regarding mounting the pump, does the pump body have any lugs that you can fix it to a baseplate with? I guess some strapping (eg nylon ties) might have to do the job with a spare bit of 4x2 if it doesn't...I see morebeer sells a stainless mounting plate for around US$20.

Cheers,
TL


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## Justin (15/12/04)

No, no lugs. It's just a round motor. The nylon or steel stap idea would work, that's what I was initially going to do. The more beer mounting plate is for the 110V models with the flat mounting plate attached, so you can slide it it but easily remove the pump of needed.

Grain and grape tried to sell me a mounting bracket but with out seeing it I was jubious, could probably make one easily myself. Can't remember the price (I think ~$30 or so?).


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## Batz (15/12/04)

A couple of hydraulic pipe clamps onto stainless sockets does the trick neatly and is very firm


Batz


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## JasonY (15/12/04)

Justin said:


> But yes, the australian pumps (even the 230V from morebeer) don't come with a mounting plate/bracket.


 I got mine from morebeer and it came with a mounting plate attached, from memory they talk about this on the site.

Is that clear hose in these pics just the stuff from bunnings? I am using drinking water hose and I think it reduces my flow due to the smaller ID. Thinking of upgrading to a larger ID hose.

Definately a great pump however.


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## Justin (15/12/04)

Morebeer 230V pump Quote: 
"Same polysulphone pump housing as our H315, but featuring a 230V motor for customers from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Does not come with the 6' cord or the built-in base. Has a 3' cord to which you will need to wire the appropriate plug."

The product number is H375 for the 230V one.

Hmmm. I was pretty sure it didn't come with the plate. Maybe they do now. Nice one anyway.


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## Justin (16/12/04)

Well, last night I had a break-through while looking at my pump and thinking about how I'm going to mount it and protect it from splashes.

The answer was lying right there in front of me amoungst my brew gear. The 1.7kg cans of extract fit the pump motor housing fantastic and are the perfect length to hold the motor neatly and securely with the pump head hanging out. They fit beautifully as if they were designed to go. I'm going to cut plenty of breather holes in the back and bottom of the can with my angle grinder tonight so that there remains adequate air flow through the motor but it's going to work a treat.

And best of all, everyone has a couple of tins lying around their brewery (well if you tend not to throw them out like me  ). I'll drill two holes in the side of the tin to bolt to the frame and plan on having several tins positioned around the frame of my brewery (seeing as it will be modular). The tins are cheap and easy, I have plenty of them so I can afford to place a couple around the frame and then just move the pump to each one as needed (eg. If I wan't to clean up one vessel while still pumping the others). There is just enough clearance for the cord to hang out too.

Just thought I'd recommend to anyone trying to think of a splash cover for their pump to give this a go. Just make sure there are breather holes and all shout be well.

Cheers, Justin


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## Trough Lolly (16/12/04)

Batz said:


> A couple of hydraulic pipe clamps onto stainless sockets does the trick neatly and is very firm
> 
> Batz


 Hey Batz! 
Thanks to you, I've just been spared a weekend of scribbling on notepaper in trying to design my brewery! I have had this idea for a two tiered setup using angle steel, with a pump centrally located, to push the wort and water around.
And just like that, you send this picture that answers a stack of questions that were spinning around in my head!  

I'll go to school on your brewery (as well as Pumpy's and Dicko's B) ) and I should be able to work out a cunning setup. My constraints are that I only have one three ring burner for the keg kettle and I use an electric HLT and 10 Gal Rubbermaid mashtun, and I cool the wort through a CFC so the pump is looking like it's the more critical aspect of what was initially going to be a gravity fed brew setup.

One last question for the group - does the March pump move around when it's pumping away? Is there vibration risk here if I just sit it on a timber floor panel on brew day - away from the splash zone?

Cheers,
TL


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## Trough Lolly (16/12/04)

Justin,
Nice "thinking outside the square"!
Cheers,
TL


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## GSRman (16/12/04)

my brewery is now probably 5M long.. i'll take some pics at the next trial assembly..


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## Batz (16/12/04)

Glad we could help T.L. , I too have an electric HLT , four burner gas ring that I could only use three rings of anyway.
I have up graded to a NASA , you OK for the clamps in the pic I posted , I have a few spare if you want them

Batz


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## chiller (16/12/04)

With the March pump you need to provide splash protection but they need very good ventilation as they seem to run reasonably warm. My concern with the can is you may not get efficient enough airflow to maintain the windings at the appropriate working temperature.

Steve


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## Justin (16/12/04)

Yeah I was guessing that would be the case. I'm going to have a go with cutting the slots and see how happy I am with the ventilation (I plan on putting a lot in there). I have seen on someones website where the whole pump (bar the head) was contained within a plastic box not much bigger than the pump itself, I'll have to look for the site again, but it seems they got away with it but I agree it's a concern.

Otherwise I might upgrade to a bigger tin like a milo tin or similar, but I do appreciate the warnings. I'm yet to run my pump for a good length of time as I haven't made up my final fittings yet, so I'll see how warm it gets when pumping hot liquids too before I go enclosing it too much.

Cheers, Justin


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## JasonY (15/1/05)

Just out of interest I noticed that Grain & Grape are now selling these and from the pic it looks to be the one with the mounting plate as per morebeer.

For those aspiring to own a pump h34r:


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## Hoops (2/4/05)

Batz said:


> A couple of hydraulic pipe clamps onto stainless sockets does the trick neatly and is very firm
> 
> 
> Batz
> [post="38386"][/post]​


OK help me out here Batz, what is a hydraulic pipe clamp??
Looking at ordering a March pump on Monday so considering what else I will need.
For those with March pumps what are your recommendations as far as fittings etc?
What else will I need for the RIMS/HERMS setup?

Hoops


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## Wortgames (2/4/05)

Here's how I've done mine:





The pump is screwed to the plank, which is screwed to the removable plastic stays, so it can easily be removed to clean out the tackle box.

The box catches dribbles when disconnecting hoses and the lid closes over the pump in use to protect it from splashes and while in storage.

I think you can still get the exact same tackle box in K-Mart.

I've just used garden hose connectors - they are cheap and reliable, I've had no problems with them.


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## sosman (2/4/05)

Hoops said:


> Looking at ordering a March pump on Monday so considering what else I will need.
> For those with March pumps what are your recommendations as far as fittings etc?
> [post="52287"][/post]​


Hoops, I have been slack, no mounting but I was thinking of fixing the pump via the 1/2 BSP hose connectors.

As for fittings - I use nut and tails that I pillaged from a naked easy hooker. They can be screwed up hand tight and don't leak.


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## Hoops (2/4/05)

sosman said:


> .......I pillaged from a naked easy hooker. They can be screwed up hand tight and don't leak.[post="52313"][/post]​


 :lol: Damn that sounds dodgy :excl: 

Seriously though thanks Sos


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## Wortgames (2/4/05)

I always find naked, easy hookers to be the best for pillaging.


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## jgriffin (2/4/05)

Ok, i've got to ask. What exactly is an easy hooker? I've heard the term used here before, but have no idea exactly what bit of kit is is.


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## Hoops (2/4/05)

jgriffin said:


> Ok, i've got to ask. What exactly is an easy hooker?
> [post="52327"][/post]​


I wasn't game to ask h34r:


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## sintax69 (3/4/05)

About $50 a half hour






or a hose used by plumbers to connect the mains water to you taps has a stainless braid around it which is whats used by brewers as a filter

sintax


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## Hoops (16/4/05)

Well just placed my order for a March pump so hopefully it will get here by the end of the month.  
Now I just need to concentrate on making a decent brew bench.

Hoops
the happy but now poor brewer.


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## vlbaby (16/4/05)

How much did your march pump cost hoops? is it 240v?


vlbaby.


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## Hoops (16/4/05)

It's U$155 plus postage, and yes it's a 240V one (H375)
I got a few other bits and pieces and the postage I was quoted was:
U$59.90 Air mail - 4 to 10 days.
U$30.70 Surface mail - 4 to 6 weeks.

I'm inpatient so I went air mail


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## vlbaby (16/4/05)

thanks hoops. That price seems about the same as the price grain and grape charge. I was hoping there might have been a cheaper option.
looks like a gravity system for a bit longer for me.


vlbaby.


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## roach (16/4/05)

ordered a march pump from B3 a week ago last Thursday and arrived last Tuesday. Delivered via airmail with freight cost of US$43.

Came with the base plate, just need to wire the plug

happy days!!


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## big d (16/4/05)

quick bit of internet searching reveals the total cost via air of march pump from usa on tonights money conversion comes in at $279.67.aust
from grain and grape $269.00
hope yours was a bit cheaper hoops.

cheers
big d


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## Hoops (16/4/05)

big d said:


> quick bit of internet searching reveals the total cost via air of march pump from usa on tonights money conversion comes in at $279.67.aust
> from grain and grape $269.00
> hope yours was a bit cheaper hoops.
> 
> ...


Dave

spoke to the guys at G&G but they have no 240V March pumps (have 110V sent by mistake) and are waiting for a new shipment which he said would be several weeks, so my order came down to :
1. I'm impatient
2. Comes with a base plate
3. I wanted other stuff from B3  

I prefer to shop locally/Australian if I can but the time frame was the main problem.
I was very impressed with what I heard from the guys from G&G and will definitely use them in the future.

When looking at US stuff I roughly double the price and that gives a good indication of cost, and that's also what the guy at G&G said - they can get pretty much anything from B3 at around double the price (ie U$5 = AUD$10)

Hoops


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## JasonY (16/4/05)

I purchased mine from the US, at the time G&G never had them and when you added to couple of taps, disconnects, keg seals etc that I got with the march pump the freight componnent worked out very well. 

If you are only buying the pum then yes as BigD says consider the costs but if you are grabbing some more stuff the price works in your favour as far as I can tell.


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## roach (16/4/05)

yeah i got some extra goodies from b3 at the same time, thus making the freight good value. Like Hoops I rang G&G first as I had intended getting it from them, since the price difference was stuff all. However they too confirmed that got given the 110v by mistake.

The importer G&G has used in the past gets the 230v pumps in without base plates, but if G&G get go direct to the US then they do have base plates. As Hoops said they are awaiting a shipment of 10 IIRC from the US, via surface and so will take some weeks. I wasn't prepared to wait.

I will also give a plug to G&G, as the guy was quite helpful. Mentioned he was getting conicals, IIRC.

cheers
roach


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## vlbaby (17/4/05)

Those conicals g & g sell look great but they are very expensive...around $750


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## Hoops (17/4/05)

$750 isn't too bad for a conical. Ibrew has/had them for $1800 I believe.
When I was speaking to the guys at G&G he said they are looking at getting some conicals manufactured locally so I will watch that space with great interest.

Hoops


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## vlbaby (17/4/05)

I would actually be interested if someone made a plastic conical. You'll still get the same benifits but without the cost.


vlbaby.


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## sosman (17/4/05)

Hoops said:


> spoke to the guys at G&G but they have no 240V March pumps (have 110V sent by mistake) and are waiting for a new shipment which he said would be several weeks, so my order came down to :
> 1. I'm impatient
> 2. Comes with a base plate
> 3. I wanted other stuff from B3
> ...


Has anyone tried the Australian distributor, "Process Pumps"? I picked mine up from there for $250 6 months ago.


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## vlbaby (17/4/05)

I checked out the process pumps website. Looks like they offer more than march pumps. Maybe there are other options in magnetic pumps. Is there any particular reason everyone seems to use march pumps. Found another distributer of magnetic pumps. might be worth a try.

iwaki pumps

Does anyone know the part no. for the march pumps 240v version that everyone uses?

vlbaby.


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## Wortgames (17/4/05)

Don't know if its the 'usual' one, but my March pump is # 809 HS-815.

As for plastic conicals:





Not sure where this pic came from, but they are definitely made. I think they are quite pricey though and need to be handled carefully to avoid scratching etc. Might even be possible to make something yourself if you can find the right funnel

:super:


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## voota (17/4/05)

G & G has conicals on display at the moment, they look very nice but for a price. I had a quick look on ebay (US) they are going for around $350 US but i guess postage would be at least $100. Still worth a look if you in the market for one.


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## Boots (17/4/05)

I looked at process pumps when I bought mine. In the end, there was only about $10 difference between them and G&G, so I went with the home brew store to "keep it in the industry". Did get good service from process though when I was checking for prices.


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## sosman (17/4/05)

Boots said:


> I looked at process pumps when I bought mine. In the end, there was only about $10 difference between them and G&G, so I went with the home brew store to "keep it in the industry". Did get good service from process though when I was checking for prices.
> [post="54876"][/post]​


By all means use G&G if you have a choice. But if I had to chose between ordering from the US and buying from process pumps then given the prices quoted here it is a no brainer.


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## vlbaby (23/4/05)

Just bought myself a march 809 HS for $269. I thought i'd give it a test go on some water, so i hooked up some fittings, primed it up and switched it on. Got NOTHING. Just sits there and rattles. Double checked i had the flow direction ok, and it was properly primed, but still nothing.
Needless to say I'll be taking it right back. :angry: 

vlbaby


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## Gulf Brewery (23/4/05)

vlbaby

These are a mongrel to prime. Put the inlet water above the pump and let it flow through the pump. Turn the pump on while the water is flowing through the pump.

Cheers
Pedro


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## sosman (23/4/05)

vlbaby said:


> Just bought myself a march 809 HS for $269. I thought i'd give it a test go on some water, so i hooked up some fittings, primed it up and switched it on. Got NOTHING. Just sits there and rattles. Double checked i had the flow direction ok, and it was properly primed, but still nothing.
> Needless to say I'll be taking it right back. :angry:
> [post="55998"][/post]​


VL, what Gulf said. I have opened my unit and there is virtually nothing that can go wrong but if there is lots of air in there, it just won't pump. That makes them a bit fiddly in my opinion but you get used to arranging the pipes and heights etc. On the March website they show a couple of pics of how not to set them up.


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## Goat (23/4/05)

Do you have a fully flooded suction / inlet into the pump vlbaby?

I have my pump about 250mm below the outlet from my HLT and before I turn the pump on I open the ball valves on both the HLT and the one on the outlet side of the pump to flood the pump and it works perfectly well.


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## vlbaby (23/4/05)

yer i tried all that. I actually siphoned the water throught the pump into a bucket, and when the flow began i switched on the pump. Looked for signs of pumping by lifting the outlet hose higher than the inlet, but still no sign of pumping. Just a rattling noise.

vlbaby.


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## Goat (23/4/05)

hmm - that's no good. Once you've sorted this problem you will love it though.

The pump part (as opposed to the motor) comes apart pretty easily and there's not much in there anyway, maybe something has dislodged itself. Just watch the thin O ring seal goes back in the right spot when you screw it back together - it was a bit fiddly for me (spud farmers fingers)

I have had an airlock in mine once - but that was pretty easy to clear.


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## GMK (25/4/05)

vlbaby said:


> yer i tried all that. I actually siphoned the water throught the pump into a bucket, and when the flow began i switched on the pump. Looked for signs of pumping by lifting the outlet hose higher than the inlet, but still no sign of pumping. Just a rattling noise.
> 
> vlbaby.
> [post="56010"][/post]​




just by chance - u dont have the hose that u put in the buket conected to the inlet side of the pump....

Might be worth checking....


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## dicko (25/4/05)

vlbaby said:


> so i hooked up some fittings, primed it up and switched it on. Got NOTHING. Just sits there and rattles. Double checked i had the flow direction ok, and it was properly primed, but still nothing.
> Needless to say I'll be taking it right back. :angry:
> 
> vlbaby
> [post="55998"][/post]​



vlbaby,
Even if they are not primed properly they still do not rattle, or at least mine doesn't anyway!
Sounds as tho you may have got a faulty unit.
As Goat said you will love it when it is working OK.  

Cheers


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