# Alternative To March Pumps



## brett mccluskey (27/2/11)

just wondering if anyone uses these pumps? Got a mate in the U.K currently using one for wort transfer,using a pump sprayer as the air source,and he gives them a big thumbs up.Non self priming too .http://www.creativepumps.com.au/work/a_brand/flojet/air_pumps/index_air_pumps.htm


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## Greg.L (27/2/11)

I bought a couple of 200L plastic tanks at bunnings, -rainwater butts. They came with a magnetic induction pump like the march pumps (don't know if it would be ok for boiling liquid). The tanks work well for primary fermenting and were only $100 each, they don't stock them at Bathurst anymore but it was a bargain to get 2 tanks and 2 pumps for $200.


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## Sammus (27/2/11)

they seem to cost more than a march pump...are they worth it? I prefer electricity powered ones that having to cart around pump to run it.


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## nala (27/2/11)

toper1 said:


> just wondering if anyone uses these pumps? Got a mate in the U.K currently using one for wort transfer,using a pump sprayer as the air source,and he gives them a big thumbs up.Non self priming too .http://www.creativepumps.com.au/work/a_brand/flojet/air_pumps/index_air_pumps.htm



These are also from the UK. 
http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/Solar-Project-Pumps-c-2.html

Very cheap including delivery to Astralia.
Food grade and withstand temperatures in excess of boiling.


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## ekul (27/2/11)

Has anyone seen the chugga pumps? They talk about them at homebrewtalk.com


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## mika (27/2/11)

nala said:


> These are also from the UK.
> http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/Solar-Project-Pumps-c-2.html
> 
> Very cheap including delivery to Astralia.
> Food grade and withstand temperatures in excess of boiling.



Food safe if it's only water they're moving around, bit of a different story when you're pumping sugary wort around. The shaft seal is always the issue, place for infection, that's why everyone goes for the March pump. Magnetically coupoled pump head means no shaft seal to worry about.
Not sure if their power calcs are right either. I thought the March pump was ~1.1 - 1.6 Amp under full load. Mine does ~8lpm at ~1.5m head OK, though I've never tonged it to see what current it is actually pulling, that's ~200W available, which is a shed load more than the 6W they're quoting.


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## mxd (27/2/11)

nala said:


> These are also from the UK.
> http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/Solar-Project-Pumps-c-2.html
> 
> Very cheap including delivery to Astralia.
> Food grade and withstand temperatures in excess of boiling.



they look good, not too sure if food grade (not saying that's important, I just couldn't see it) ?

I've found a lot of pumps that they refer to as circulation are for moving water through heating etc.. not drinking ?


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## jtsteel (27/2/11)

Yep and yep ..... have a read
http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtop...ilit=solar+pump

pommies use them by the truck full.


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## bignath (27/2/11)

nala said:


> These are also from the UK.
> http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/Solar-Project-Pumps-c-2.html
> 
> Very cheap including delivery to Astralia.
> Food grade and withstand temperatures in excess of boiling.




Awesome little pump!

I've recently bought one for transferring strike and sparge water. Wort doesn't go anywhere near it so can't comment on that, but for $30 thereabouts, it's all that's needed for transferring hot water...Love it.


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## Harry Volting (27/2/11)

I've been using one on my Chinese Braumeister wannabe as a mash recirc pump and it hasn't missed a beat. 
I run a SS braid pre-filter and rinse everything with hot water before and after each mash.
Around $30AUS plus freight ex Thailand from memory.
Works for me. Time will tell.

Harry


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## bonk (27/2/11)

i got one of the small little pumps as well and finally got around to wiring it up today. Hopefully will be using it in a week or 2. And for $30 can't hurt to try. I think seeing it over the UK forums helped the decision.

ebay link thought i would post the place i got it from on ebay. came from hong kong and took about 3 weeks


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## gavinhealeybp (17/9/11)

You can get electric and solar powered pumps at http://bettapumps.com.au


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## Wolfy (17/9/11)

gavinhealeybp said:


> You can get electric and solar powered pumps at http://bettapumps.com.au


Since I presume that is your own website, and there is no 'beer and brewing pumps' listed in the menu, would you like to point out which pumps you sell are 'food grade' and which are suitable to transferring hot wort?


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## loikar (17/9/11)

bonk said:


> i got one of the small little pumps as well and finally got around to wiring it up today. Hopefully will be using it in a week or 2. And for $30 can't hurt to try. I think seeing it over the UK forums helped the decision.
> 
> ebay link thought i would post the place i got it from on ebay. came from hong kong and took about 3 weeks



What are you using it for?
And please let me know how it goes and if it'll be good for recirculating hot wort


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## Wolfy (17/9/11)

BeerFingers said:


> What are you using it for?
> And please let me know how it goes and if it'll be good for recirculating hot wort


As per the JBK forum link above, lots of our UK-home-brewing-friends use them for exactly that.


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## Yob (19/12/11)

sorry, pump noob question... which is the inlet and outlet on these little beggars, I assumed it would be marked and dont wanna screw it up when by making more assumptions.

Cheers

edit: little brown pump for HLT


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## razz (19/12/11)

Inlet at the centre for a peripheral pump Yob.


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## booargy (19/12/11)

iamozziyob said:


> sorry, pump noob question... which is the inlet and outlet on these little beggars, I assumed it would be marked and dont wanna screw it up when by making more assumptions.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> edit: little brown pump for HLT



wheel (impeller) spins water gets thrown off into outlet. inlet is the center of the impeller at the end of the pump. 
are you extracting the urine?

to slow


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## Yob (19/12/11)

chars.. thought so but also thought it best to check... you know, what with assumptions being the mother of all f***ups..

:icon_cheers:


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## twizt1d (19/12/11)

i use one of these, seems pretty good so far

http://www.esbrewing.com.au/beer-equipment...rive-pump.html#


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## Yob (24/12/11)

Yet to use it in anger but tested and hooked it up this morning... a very happy camper indeed.





At the mo, it's just for recirc on the HLT but im starting to get ideas :beerbang: 

Yob


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