Kaixin Pumps

[mofox1]

Didn't think I'd be alone. But rich though $40 for a stainless head, the pump brand new was only $70.

I think Kee got them produced especially to replace the manufacturer standard head (it was about 4 to 6 months between the first heads up to shelf stock). I don't think it is a terribly bad deal... I just wish they were available when I busted mine, as I got a replacement poly head. That was $30 IIRC.

At some point I will replace the heads on both of mine... The periodic re-tightening of the male cam locks will eventually cause them to fail again.

 

[Benn]

veering off topic a bit here, are there mounting brackets available for 1/2" ball valves? I've had a look but can't really find anything to mount a ball valve to a bench/frame etc.

 

[MastersBrewery]

I've had decent mileage out of mine, though when my pump head broke the SS ones weren't available so I got two plastic replacements and still on the first one. When I build my next system I'll be getting 2 with the SS heads that'll be some time off though.

 

[WillieP]

Thanks all for your inputs.
Mardoo, thanks for the link to the design HEX design thread, I will have a look. I'm seriously thinking the small vessel EHEX with PID control is my next step up. Oh and thanks also for your advice on the "Yank" topic. (where were you at state side?)
MoFox1, when I had no ideal what pump I was going to end up with, and the plastic headed stuff was/is a possibility, I had considered having a piece of silicon hose between my pump and ball valve. Would act as an inline buffer against over torqueing the pump head when adjusting the valve. Does anybody do this kinda thing? I know is sorta Ghetto, but better than breaking your pump.

Cheers,
Willie P

 

[Mardoo]

Yep, I know at least one person who has that setup.

Edit: Oh, and I grew up in Sacramento, CA, and spent a good few years each in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Portland, OR and Santa Fe, NM before moving to Oz in 1997.

 

[goid]

veering off topic a bit here, are there mounting brackets available for 1/2" ball valves? I've had a look but can't really find anything to mount a ball valve to a bench/frame etc.

I had the same problem. I couldn't find any mounting kits. I went with 20mm pipe saddles and cut up a cheap rubber door stop.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Thanks all for your inputs.
Mardoo, thanks for the link to the design HEX design thread, I will have a look. I'm seriously thinking the small vessel EHEX with PID control is my next step up. Oh and thanks also for your advice on the "Yank" topic. (where were you at state side?)
MoFox1, when I had no ideal what pump I was going to end up with, and the plastic headed stuff was/is a possibility, I had considered having a piece of silicon hose between my pump and ball valve. Would act as an inline buffer against over torqueing the pump head when adjusting the valve. Does anybody do this kinda thing? I know is sorta Ghetto, but better than breaking your pump.

Cheers,
Willie P

I do it because I only have barbs on my pump. It works but can be a bitch to fit stiff camlocks, going to try heat rated food grade lube on my camlock seals next brew to see if it makes it any easier. But I'd love a SS threaded head pump but cant bring myself to replace something that is honestly working fine without issue.

I also prefer my valves on the pots, don't have to bend down to throttle etc

 

[WillieP]

Mardoo, West coaster then, I'm a 4 hr drive south-southwest of Chicago. I grew up in a little hic town right on the Mississippi river, still live within 20 min of there. I did spend some time is CA when I was in the USMC.
Goid &DJ, I kinda have something like a combo of those two in mind. A fixed pump location lower than a fixed output ball valve with QD on it. Do you have any trouble priming with this setup?
DJ, is that your HEX that your pump is outputting to? or some type of RIMS? Whatever it is, it looks SWEET!

Thanks again,
Willie P

 

[S.E]

Another option is to frame the pump and support the fragile inlet/outlet with threaded pipe fitted snugly through tight holes drilled through the box.



I threw together this temporary frame for mine with the intention of making it prettier at a later date. But like so many of my temporary fixes haven’t got around to that yet. The female threaded pipe came from KK along with the pump.

I would do this even if I had SS head as I like portable pumps.

 

[WillieP]

SE, That is a slick idea. I may have killed off the brain cells that were suppose to be able to think of that. Never crossed my mind.

I'm cheap and I don't want to have to buy the SS head unless needed, and I know I would be super pissed if I broke the plastic one.

Cheers,
Willie P

 

[S.E]

SE, That is a slick idea. I may have killed off the brain cells that were suppose to be able to think of that. Never crossed my mind.

I'm cheap and I don't want to have to buy the SS head unless needed, and I know I would be super pissed if I broke the plastic one.

Cheers,
Willie P

My brewery lives outside so I wanted to be able take the pumps indoors after a brew day. Now you mention it I’ve only seen homebrew pumps fixed to brew stands.

I wonder if anyone else has portable pump pictures with fancier frames than mine?

 

[Feldon]

Lot of brewers in the US put their pumps in a toolbox.





Some go even further and mount PIDs, relays etc in the same toolbox, which can be hazardous mixing liquid and high voltage together (but less so if the pump is 12 volts).

Lots of build threads on the HomeBrewTalk forum in the US (eg. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=257388 )
Just search for 'toolbox'.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Mardoo, West coaster then, I'm a 4 hr drive south-southwest of Chicago. I grew up in a little hic town right on the Mississippi river, still live within 20 min of there. I did spend some time is CA when I was in the USMC.
Goid &DJ, I kinda have something like a combo of those two in mind. A fixed pump location lower than a fixed output ball valve with QD on it. Do you have any trouble priming with this setup?
DJ, is that your HEX that your pump is outputting to? or some type of RIMS? Whatever it is, it looks SWEET!

Thanks again,
Willie P

No problems priming with my setup at all.

Yep that is my RIMS tube, no issues with running on RIMS yet, although I've only brewed one wheat beer thus far and my first step temps have been above 60C on all brews to date.

 

[S.E]

Lot of brewers in the US put their pumps in a toolbox.

Pump in Toolbox 1.jpg

Pump in Toolbox 2.jpg

Some go even further and mount PIDs, relays etc in the same toolbox, which can be hazardous mixing liquid and high voltage together (but less so if the pump is 12 volts).

Lots of build threads on the HomeBrewTalk forum in the US (eg. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=257388 )
Just search for 'toolbox'.

[SIZE=11pt]I’m rather embarrassed about posting a picture of my effort now. [/SIZE]

 

[Benn]

Haha Nuthin' wrong with your box S.E, wort goes in wort goes out.

 

[WillieP]

SE, what Benn said. Thanks for the toolbox heads up. I'm on homebrewtalk also I'll do a search.
Cheers

 

[WillieP]

Double post.

 

[Benn]

Question for the electrically minded Brewers,
Could the flow be reversed by "reversing the polarity" to the motor or whatever it's called when you make an electric motor spin the opposite direction by switching the active/neutral?
Just thinking of the above for recirc/sparge application.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

I thought that was only possible on 3-phase motors, but could be wrong?

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Oh and also your pump impellers are set for one direction so while you would get some flow reversing the impeller rotation it would not perform as it should