Toecutter

Recipes 

Well I just limped through my brew day. My chugger pump keeps locking up. I really like the pump, but it can be a PITA when transfering water/wort. seems like 170 dg or higher, the magnets let go, and you hear the impeller spinning, but not pushing any water. then if you shut it down, it locks up for about 5 minutes, then it will restart. I have tried all kinds of things, different valve settings etc, no good, I have to shut it down and wait.

any ideas how to deal with this ?? anyone have a similar problem ? My fittings are all mounted in the correct direction.

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When a naked man is chasing a naked woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross." - Dirty Harry

On Tap: Belgian Orange Crystalweizen, Toecutters Honey HPA

Fermenting: Belgian Orange Crystalweizen

Raider-11

Recipes 

Call Mike at Chugger Pumps he should have a better answer then anyone, he does all the testing and quality control from manufacturing to sales.

http://www.chuggerpumps.com/contactus.php

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"Over Build It Or Don't Build It" (Raider11)

Toecutter

Recipes 

Thanks. Yes. i did call last week, and spoke to Brian. He was very suppportive, and said they knew about the problem and were working on a new design that hopefully would cure the problem. I guess its somewhat normal for the magnets to disingage due to the heat.

I am kinda looking for feedback from others, on what they are doing. pumping a gallon of water, and waiting 5 minutes for the pump to unlock to pump another gallon, makes for a long brew day

__________________
When a naked man is chasing a naked woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross." - Dirty Harry

On Tap: Belgian Orange Crystalweizen, Toecutters Honey HPA

Fermenting: Belgian Orange Crystalweizen

Meandvls

Recipes 

My chuggers do the same thing.....hot water/wort causes them to freeze up. I actually took mine apart when hot and the problem is with the impeller...when it's hot it gets difficult to turn. With the head/impeller unit off the motor/magnet worked fine. Once the impeller cooled it spun freely. I thought these were godd to 200deg.

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Beer
It is the drink of men who think
And feel no fear nor fetter
Who do not drink to senseless sink
But drink to think the better

milldoggy

Recipes 

Take a 17/64 drill bit and widen the hole on the impeller. This is what Walter suggest on March. Luckily my one chugger works for boiling, my HLT one does not, but I never go over 180 on the HLT.

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My E-Herms

My hop stopper

iaefebs

Recipes 

I did this to my chugger and it helped the 170° problem

Meandvls

Recipes 

Got a pic of exactly where to drill? I'm at work and cant picture in my mind where the hole is to make larger.

__________________
Beer
It is the drink of men who think
And feel no fear nor fetter
Who do not drink to senseless sink
But drink to think the better

milldoggy

Recipes 

The center of the impeller, where it slides on the staff. You are just making the hole a little larger.

__________________
My E-Herms

My hop stopper

Meandvls

Recipes 

That makes sense. Thanks, i will try that.

__________________
Beer
It is the drink of men who think
And feel no fear nor fetter
Who do not drink to senseless sink
But drink to think the better

Gridlocked

Recipes 

How did this work out for you guys? I've pumped 50-60 gallons through my pumps (HLT water at 170 and recirculating boiling wort) and had not had problems until this last batch. While moving the strike water to the MLT, the pump made a god-awful sound and stopped. It sounded like it had sand in the bearing or the bearing was shot. I sent Mike an E-mail and he got back to me instantly - asking me to take and send pics of the head.
Also, when I took the head apart (two days later), the o-ring stretched out pretty bad and I'll need a new one to put it back together.

The pump on the left was the problematic one.

__________________
Sweetcel: "try this, it was dry-hopped with a lot of climax."