Calling All Flooded Font Owners...

[Screwtop]

Bump, interested

 

[Uncle Fester]

I intend if and when I complete my setup, to use this pump (Mainly because it is easily adaptable for in-line use)

Pond Pump

I intend to keep a 15 litre reserve of glycol (or glycol/water mix) in the freezer compartment of my keg fridge. Gravity feed this to the pump in the link above, and then I will then interlace the glycol lines with my beer lines, insulate the whole lot in alfoil and lagging. Hopefully this will keep the beer lines at a reasonable temperature, as well as chilling the font.

I expect the beer lines to be 4 metres in length, with at least 2 of those being couled in the fridge. I should be able to get the font within 1.5 metres from the fridge.

When I have something of note, I will post some pix for comment/recomendation.

M

[post="93838"][/post]​

How is this pump working for you mandrakar? I also sent you a pm

[post="109910"][/post]​

Mate,

Replied to your PM. Have concentrated on getting my stock of kegs up to scratch. Still to get hold of my flooded font, but I have the web site book-marked, and intend to go this way. If you happen to be the ground breaker on this, can you keep me in the loop as to what you think.


Cheers,


M

 

[philski]

Hey guys, I recently got a pump for my font and it works a treat. No glycol for me though (yet). I've just got a bucket sitting inside my chest freezer and pumping it in one pipe into the font then draining out the other pipe back into the bucket. Works a treat. The font gets condensation on it but no ice as the temp isn't low enough (it's about 2deg). I actually picked up the pump for a bargain on eBay. It was only about $8 i think! I took a risk not knowing the details of the pump but it ended up being a great little pump with a high head to flow ratio (this is the type you want!). You don't want anything that has a really high flow rate as since the tubes are so small it will probably flow way too fast. Go for something ~ 500-1000L/hr i think, with an adjustable flow rate. My one's only small meauring about 10cm long x 8cm high x 6cm wide (approx). The main thing you want is something which has a high level of head. For example, in my setup the distance from the bottom of the bucket (where the pump is) to the top of the font (where i want the water to flow to is about 1.2m. Therefore the pump needs to generate a bit more than 1.2m of head (allowing for frictional losses along the pipe), say 1.5-1.8m or so. If you already have a pump, a crude way of measuring the head is to put it in a bucket/pool then turn it on (with no nozzles or anything attached) and the approx height of the water fountain sprayin up is the approx head (i think).

Hope this helps.

Cheers

 

[GMK]

SInce we are all talking about flooded fonts.

I have mine setup using an Idra Pond pump to pump the glycol mix thru.
I can get the font sweating but i cant get it to ice up.
I think being six tap flooded makes the font a big heat sink.
I have the glycol reservior in the freezer with a 1/2' copper tube - approx 2-3m square as well.
The pump is gravity fed from the reservior and i pump thru the font back into the freezer - thru the coil into the reservior.
I have the reservior higher tahn the font as mine is an upright feezer.
Next up is to add the 6mm ID SS Square coil approx 10m into the freezer and pump thru that as well.

If this fails - next stop will be SupaCHeap to buy my self an Auto transmision Oil Cooler and sit that in freezer and pump thru that.

Will let you know how i go.

 

[bindi]

Thanks Phil and Ken That's the sort of info I was after, I bought the pump and will post the results when it's done.

 

[big d]

hi gmk.not sure of this but do pubs with glycol systems run them 24/7 to help the ice effect.just wondering as a home system may not be running long enough to achieve this.ie do you turn your pump off when you are not using your font.ross may be able to answer this from the homebrew point as he is using a glycol system.

cheers
big d

 

[GMK]

my pump is running 24/7..

the problem is it reaches equilibrium around 4-5 degrees.
Ie cooling eficiency = heat absorbed thru the fort/lines etc.
With flow rate x.

I need to increase the cooling capacity hence another coil or if i have to will get an Auto Trans cooler to try.

I am pretty sure if it was a 2 tap font it would have iced up - but being a big ******* 6 tap - it takes alot of cooling...

So tonight i will plumb the 6mm ID SS Square coil which is approx 12m long - hope the pump can handle it and then see waht happens.

 

[muga]

I know at the pub I work at the glycol machine is all digital, you can set if you want ice or just water droplets.. it all depends on the humidity on the day too.. it's a cool little gadget and from it being off all night it only takes around 2-3 hours for around 6 (5 tap) fonts to be all iced up.

I just use a little 320LPH aquarium pump sitting in a salt water mixture in a PVC pipe. When I was using normal tap water it would freeze as the pipe was against the wall of the chest freezer.. the water temp is at -1.2 degrees but still no ice on the font.

 

[big d]

to help your cooling efficiency gmk may i suggest you remove the 6 s/s tap handles and replace with plastic.Less cooling required. h34r:

cheers
big d

 

[Simon W]

To increase your cooling efficiency, use stright water, no glycol......

Edit: ahhhh straight even

Carefull with freezing tho.

 

[Phil_B]

Hi guys,

I've noticed lots of you have been purchasing the HQB-2500 pump.

It really is a fantastic pump due to the in-line capabilities it has, so long as the pump is sitting below the water (or fluid) level.

I'd like to offer Aussiehomebrewer members an additional 5% off for pump purchases from our "Budget Pumps" category.

Enter voucher code S-AHB at the checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.

Cheers
Phil :chug:

 

[bindi]

Hi guys,

I've noticed lots of you have been purchasing the HQB-2500 pump.

It really is a fantastic pump due to the in-line capabilities it has, so long as the pump is sitting below the water (or fluid) level.

I'd like to offer Aussiehomebrewer members an additional 5% of pump purchases from our "Budget Pumps" category.

Enter voucher code S-AHB at the checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.

Cheers
Phil :chug:

[post="110448"][/post]​

Mine arrived today Phil Thanks, so did the freezer

 

[tangent]

that's great to see PhilB!

 

[GMK]

Phil

Does the pump have a thermal cut out and does it need to be submersed in water for cooling.
Also - if i want male 3/4" inlet/outlet fittings - does taht cost more.

Thanks

Ken

 

[Phil_B]

Hi Ken,

The Sensen HQB-2500 pump, click link, http://www.rockaroundtheblock.com.au/produ...?pID=283&cID=10 can be used either submersed or inline externally.

If you scroll to the bottom of the above page and double click on that image of the pump with the strainer detached you will see the Male threaded inlet and outlet (metric thread) for use when used inline externally. Flexible hose is fitted to the nut and barbed tail fittings,
These pumps are cheap and do not have a thermal cut-out to my knowledge, which means they will cook if run dry. We sell hundreds with no detrimental comment for your situation.

If used inline externally it is important to safegaurd the pump by never allowing it to lose its prime when switched off. This is easily attained by keeping the pump in a position below the reservoir's fluid surface level and making sure that there are NO leaks in the plumbing.

Cheers
Phil Bartlett :chug:

 

[Thunderlips]

Mine arrived today Phil Thanks, so did the freezer

[post="110450"][/post]​

bindi, what kind of freezer did you get and how many kegs does it hold?

 

[GMK]

Thanks fill.

Excellent info.
These would make excellent Glycol pumps.

 

[Phil_B]

Hi everyone,

Just letting you know I've extended the voucher expiry date for the Sensen pumps which you can find here: http://www.rockaroundtheblock.com.au/categories.asp?cID=10
The voucher code is S-AHB - you can enter it at the checkout for 5% off the pump.
The 2500 and 3500 models seemed to be very popular with you guys!

Phil.

 

[normell]

Hi everyone,

Just letting you know I've extended the voucher expiry date for the Sensen pumps which you can find here: http://www.rockaroundtheblock.com.au/categories.asp?cID=10
The voucher code is S-AHB - you can enter it at the checkout for 5% off the pump.
The 2500 and 3500 models seemed to be very popular with you guys!

Phil.

[post="129781"][/post]​

Maybe you should clear up the GST issue too. :angry:
Yes they are a good pump for flooded fonts, but a little noisy :blink:

 

[bindi]

Maybe you should clear up the GST issue too. :angry:
Yes they are a good pump for flooded fonts, but a little noisy :blink:

[post="129790"][/post]​

[/quote]


Yep, agree there <_< great pump but I am trying to come up with a sealed box for it to reduce the noise, anyone done it yet ?
I think I will turn it on early and have a beer, it's on a timer.