having trouble getting mkII pump to prime

[pirateagenda]

Have just got a brand new 25W mk11 pump, and i can't get it to prime.

Setup is:
- pump mounted about 200mm below kettle
- outlet is facing up as suggested
- all 1/2" fittings and tubing
- have camlock fitting connected to ball lock on the in side, and ball lock to hose on the out side
- goes into counterflow chiller which is about 1m taller than the pump location at its highest point, but is 6m of copper zig zagging up to that point, at which it should flow out or back into the kettle.

Have previously had a march 809 doing the job, but i cannot get this one to prime.

Any suggestions, do i need a "vent valve" or something somewhere?? or is it just that the little 25W job can't get through 6m of chiller at 1m high?

 

[razz]

Take the hose off the chiller and see if the pump will push water out. Also really no need for a valve on the pump inlet, just the outlet so you can throttle the flow (but you already knew that)

 

[razz]

Take the hose off the chiller and see if the pump will push water out. Also really no need for a valve on the pump inlet, just the outlet so you can throttle the flow (but you already knew that)

Also check there is not an airlock behind pick up or valve in kettle.

 

[pirateagenda]

Take the hose off the chiller and see if the pump will push water out. Also really no need for a valve on the pump inlet, just the outlet so you can throttle the flow (but you already knew that)

the valve is there basically as a male to male thread adapter, and so i can close it off to switch the cam lock to the hex pump.

 

[RobinW]

I had similar problems and found a primer valve fixed everything.
If a picture is worth a thousand words a crappy pic is probably 500.

 

[bevan]

I was told by LHBS (who asked KegKing) that they aren’t self priming. I have to get liquid right into it for it to work. I’ve even (at times it doesn’t want to play the game) sucked on the outlet to prime it. I like your set up RobinW

 

[RobinW]

I don't think magnetically driven pumps are self priming.

 

[Courtney Scott]

Have just got a brand new 25W mk11 pump, and i can't get it to prime.

Setup is:
- pump mounted about 200mm below kettle
- outlet is facing up as suggested
- all 1/2" fittings and tubing
- have camlock fitting connected to ball lock on the in side, and ball lock to hose on the out side
- goes into counterflow chiller which is about 1m taller than the pump location at its highest point, but is 6m of copper zig zagging up to that point, at which it should flow out or back into the kettle.

Have previously had a march 809 doing the job, but i cannot get this one to prime.

Any suggestions, do i need a "vent valve" or something somewhere?? or is it just that the little 25W job can't get through 6m of chiller at 1m high?

Hey mate I have the same trouble at times, if your setup allows you to I take the outlet hose off and blow back into the pipe whilst it is on and struggling, takes a bit of effort but works every time, I presume it's clearing an airlock when I do this.
regards,
Norto

 

[pirateagenda]

I had similar problems and found a primer valve fixed everything.
If a picture is worth a thousand words a crappy pic is probably 500.

Thanks for that... thats an easy enough fix and was what i was thinking may be the issue