Pumps

[ozbrewer]

Hi all, I have been looking around for a while for a suitable pump for my system, and when i say suitable, that also encompasses price. Now a few people touched on washing mashine pumps, and dishwasher pumps. As far as march pumps go, yeah it will be nice, but i also think that it will have more flow than i actually need, i have worked out that i only need 1 ltr per min for the recerc, and to pump to the wort chiller, i will only be assisting gravity, so again hi flow is not needed....

Has anyone used such a pump?

 

[AndrewQLD]

I use a pond pump for my system, not an overly high flow rate but does a great job.
Andrew

 

[voota]

I can vouch for an aquarium pump, I put 75deg wort through my pump and its good as gold (i submerge it in water while pumping just to keep it a little cooler). It has a great flow rate and is a breeze to clean. There is an article on the good one here...
http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Gear/GSa...CheapPump.shtml


I got mine from for $55 inc. postage , but the place doesn't even sell the pumps anymore.

 

[ozbrewer]

Thanks guys, Im well aware of Grahams pump, I actually made one up for my old system, but im trying not to have to have the pot of coolant. Thats why im thinking of a dishwasher motor

 

[pbrosnan]

Just for info, I bought one of the Idra pumps last weekend. It was $40. I had a bit of a fiddle last weekend but will be brewing this Saturday. I plan to use it to pump wort through my chiller. The test I did seemed to indicate that it would do the job but I need to sort out where best to place the pump in relation to the other bits 'o apparatus. Anyway the price is right.

 

[BrotherNutz]

I used the LVM Zambezi for my RIMS. It is a 12volt food grade 80degC continuous rated pump. Even this little fella has more than too much flow for the RIMS. I throttle it back using a pulse width motor controller from Jaycar. I was using two washing machine pumps, but the one I used for the RIMS burnt out. They don't seem to like continuous duty in this case.

http://www.hansson.com.au/Solarwind.htm#LVM%20Pumps

 

[Trough Lolly]

G'day Bro Nutz,

That's one sexy lookin' pump - it looks a lot like a March pump on the website...I see it pushes 4.5Amps - is that max load or continuous??? and it has 11 metres of head - not bad for $136 plus postage, compared to $269 for the March pump from G&G...

Is there much work to be done to make one of these Low Voltage pumps operate off household mains power? I'm electronically challenged so if the solution involves a soldering iron and etching circuit boards, then I'm outta here!

TL (BTW, did you make last night's meeting? They were tasting English Ales, the lucky b@stards - probably had some of Bro Hoppe's drop too!) h34r:

 

[Trough Lolly]

Oh shite! I just had an epiphany...! h34r:

Is it simply a matter of hooking up a 12v transformer between the pump and the mains?

It's Friday arvo and I need a beer! :chug:

TL

 

[AndrewQLD]

TL,
Most transformers will not handle a load as high as 4.5 amps, they are usually rated to 1 or 2 amps, anything higher is big $$$. the first pump I bought was a Zambezi but after a couple of uses the impeller blade kept slipping and the pump stopped working. I sent it back and they very kindly refunded my money. Thats not to say it is'nt a great pump, I was just scared off.

Andrew

 

[Trough Lolly]

Thanks Andrew,
Yeah, the 4.5 amps is a big draw - even for electronically challenged brewers like me...darn it - I need a pump but I have bugger all in the budget stakes!

Cheers,
TL

 

[vlbaby]

TL,
Is the pump AC or DC? A standard PC power supply can churn out 20+ Amps DC. Or in the case it is AC , a standard downlight transformer will just about make the cut at 4.2 Amps. Double up 2 if you are worried.

vlbaby.

 

[Wortgames]

The cheapest way to get 12VDC at high current is to use a car battery (get one from the wreckers for about $5) and a cheap charger. You can leave the charger connected to it while you use it and for a few hours before and after. Or charge it with a solar panel and you're actually doing what the pumps are sold for in the first place... more or less

Handy way to keep the mains voltage away from your brewing too.

 

[dicko]

Hi all,

Many interesting and varying comments.

Someone said on a similar post some time ago on this forum, use X brand of pump if you like but it has to be "jerry rigged".
How true!!!

The cost of a March pump ( or one of another brand of the same specs) far out-ways the fact that you have to "gin around" with transformers and coolant tanks and other bits and pieces.--------IMHO.

As with all aspects of brewing, there is always another way to go about it, but if you want to pump HOT wort then use a pump that is designed for it.

Your choice of a good pump will reward you every time you brew.

Cheers

 

[Wortgames]

Couldn't agree with you more Dicko - but there are those brewers who operate on cents rather than dollars, either for budgetary reasons or just because that's how they get their kicks.

You can't beat having the right tool for the job IMO, but if you've got more hours than dollars and a garage full of, ahem, 'resources', then you may as well practise the noble art of jerry rigging...

 

[Doc]

I've been putting off the addition of a pump to my brewery for a long time. But as of the weekends brew and gravity not working for me, I've decided to do something about it.
I've just ordered a IRDA pump as an interim to get me up and running again, and will purchase a March pump when I'm in the US later in the year. The IRDA can then be re-used elsewhere in the brewery or keg fridge.

Beers,
Doc

 

[GMK]

I also use an idra....

but got given this link last night on chat....
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
it is for a magnetically coupled 240v electric pump - i only need one though...but for 50.00 ea...pretty cheap.

this is a copy of the e-mail i got from him...

Hi Ken,

these are appliance pumps. They are gravity fed and not self priming. Flow rate is not specified. They are not designed to pump water higher than about 1 metre in normal applications.

Waiting for him to confirm 13mm OD fittings.

i was thinking of running a 240v light dimmer to give the pump adjustment....

any comments or reasons why it would not work...

Thanks

 

[Gulf Brewery]

i was thinking of running a 240v light dimmer to give the pump adjustment....

any comments or reasons why it would not work...

Thanks

[post="58204"][/post]​

Hi GMK

You cannot use a light dimmer on the pump as it is not suitable (there is lots on info around about not doing this). If you want to control the flow rate, just put a ball valve on the outlet.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[GMK]

Der...no worries - dont know why i didn't think of that...

Must be a really bad MONDAY....

 

[dicko]

Hi Ken,

I looked at one of those pumps from a Hoover front loader that had corroded through the drum, so I stripped it and kept the motor, pump and other bits.

It appeared to me to be quite difficult to adapt 1/2" inlet and outlet fittings to them.
The pump has very large inlet and outlet pipes to enable the machine to dump the water very quickly as required.
I feel that the flow would be far too fast for the brewery.

I could not find any specs for the temperature rating of the pump.
The hot water in a washing machine is usually only about 80 deg c even if it has a boost heater but most just rely on the hot water supply which is about 65 deg c.
This would place it in the doubtful category for hot wort.

I know that guys have used washing machine pumps with some success but if you are going to "gerry rig" it you may as well just stick to the Idra.

Cheers

 

[keng11]

Gday Dicko,
I use one of these washing machine pumps to pump cooling water on another device just put a reducer on the pipe and control the flow with a ball valve it works fine. I have mine running for about five hours non stop.