Chugger Pump Enclosure Build

This is my Chugger Pump Enclosure 1.0. There are some problems with this particular setup. Go to THIS THREAD to see what changes I have made to this design.

ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE POST FOLLOWS
I had four ideas in mind when I made this.

1. It needed to be compact. I don't want a big enclosure for a little pump.
2. It has to be stable enough to hold the ball valve and tri-clamp fittings which add extra weight.
3. It needed a simple switch for on/off operation.
4. It needed to look good.

I think I hit the mark on all points. There's a basic switch on top along with a handle for carrying. The rubber feet give it a bit of stability but also keep the center of gravity low. And it all fit in a 6.5x6.5x4.5 box. Vent holes are drilled every 15mm on the bottom to keep the fan cool. What do you think?

wow impressive build.

Very nice. How about an inside picture. And where did you source the box? It looks like just the size I need for a couple projects but I could not find anything like it at Lowe's last week.

It's one of those Carlon PVC junction boxes, maybe the 6x6x4 size?

MidTNJasonF said:

Very nice. How about an inside picture. And where did you source the box? It looks like just the size I need for a couple projects but I could not find anything like it at Lowe's last week.

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Here's a shot of the insides. As for the box, I got it at Home Depot. It was about $11 or so. The switch is a simple on/off with two poles for the hot from the plug and the hot to the pump. I'm not a skilled electrician so I needed something very basic. Hope this is helpful.

I'd be careful about the operating temperature of the motor in such a small box. Worth keeping an eye on it when you use it, particularly for extended times

PeteNMA said:

I'd be careful about the operating temperature of the motor in such a small box. Worth keeping an eye on it when you use it, particularly for extended times

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I thought about that. I have read a few posts that have said their pump doesn't get very warm, so I am not too concerned about it. I'll definitely watch it. One idea I have is to wire in a little AC fan on the back to blow air in. I could wire it in to the switch and have it run while the pump is running. I'll keep an eye on it though. Thanks for the head's up.

Very nice. One thing I have not figured out with these pump enclosures... When you remove the head and essentially put the wall of the enclosure between the pump and the head how is not leaking?

Great work.

SpartyParty said:

Very nice. One thing I have not figured out with these pump enclosures... When you remove the head and essentially put the wall of the enclosure between the pump and the head how is not leaking?

Great work.

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If you were to put the stainless head on the outside and the plastic black head on the inside, you might have to worry about leaks (but even then, probably not). The pump heads are three pieces. There is the stainless head that screws to the black plastic head that screws to the body of the pump. The only place where water is, is inside the stainless head. But inside the stainless head, there is a third piece that screws into the stainless head. This is where the impeller is. It's contained inside the stainless pump head. I'll see if I can shoot a picture for you.

Here are a couple shots of the insides. Hopefully you can see what I'm talking about.

Duh! That makes sense. Thanks for the help

Update. Got a chance to try this out today. Two things that I want those who might be interested in this build to know:

1. Pay attention to the different thickness of the box at the top vs. the bottom. It angles your pump head in such a way that the magnet can bind and will not spin. To remedy this, I added two stainless steel washers in between the motor and the box on the top screw and one stainless steel washer in between the motor and the box on the side screws. The bottom screw doesn't need one. If you decide to build this box, I can take a picture and show you more clearly what I mean.

2. You'll have to add a fan. It gets pretty warm in that little box and I'm afraid it's just too confined a space. To be fair, Joe Polvino (on YouTube) made a box much bigger than this one and added a fan to his too. I think it's just the nature of enclosing the pump in a box when it wasn't meant to be in an enclosed space.

I'm planning on buying a little 110V AC fan and wiring it into the switch. I may even add a second switch so I can keep the fan running even when the pump is not. I'll update the build pics as I make these changes.

I've got a question.

When you put the enclosure between the motor and the pump head, are you using the same screws that came with the pump, or did you have to get longer screws?

khomburg said:

I've got a question.

When you put the enclosure between the motor and the pump head, are you using the same screws that came with the pump, or did you have to get longer screws?

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I had to buy longer screws. I'm not positive, but I believe they are M10 5/8" Don't quote me on that though. I just went to the local hardware store and bought new ones that were long enough. I actually took the pump and enclosure with me. I sure people were looking at me wondering what I was doing. I ended up using allen key screws instead of the phillips head screws.

i had to do the same for my pump tool box. Now that i moved the pump onto the stand with an enclosure, i couldnt find the old shorter screws. Luckily the longer ones didnt see to bump into anything internally.

hafmpty,

Where did you get your tri-clover fittings from? I would love to have 1/2" vs 1.5", your fittings look like 1/2" am I correct in this?

Thanks,
-G

HDIr0n said:

hafmpty,

Where did you get your tri-clover fittings from? I would love to have 1/2" vs 1.5", your fittings look like 1/2" am I correct in this?

Thanks,
-G

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You are right that I am using 1/2" TC. I have two Sabco kegs and that is the size of TC they come with. As far as sources, there are a few places I source things from.

www.austenitex.com is where I buy all my clamps. Their 1/2" clamps are $3.18 each. That's freaking cheap! Here's a link directly to the clamps I buy. Just choose 1/2" or 3/4" from the drop down menu. Even their 1 1/2" clamps are only $4.83 each.

http://www.austenitex.com/Shop_By_Brand/Bradford-Tri-Clamps/Single-Pin-Heavy-Duty-Clamps

This is also where I get my hose attachments from. Instead of using a barbed end, I just buy 1/2" buttweld ferrules. Here's a link.

http://www.austenitex.com/Shop_By_Category/Buttweld-Ferrules/Tri-Clamp-Automatic-Welding-Ferrules

I've also purchased items from www.gvc.net. Their website is difficult to navigate, but pretty much everything sanitary/TC you need, they have.

The other place I've bought a few things are from www.brewershardware.com. Use to be their shipping and customer service were less than stellar, but I've heard Derrin (the owner) hired someone to do the shipping. His communication and order fulfillment have been excellent with the recent orders I've placed.

That's about it. I actually discovered there is a sanitary welding and equipment company less than 10 minutes from my house. You could use them as a resource too. Rodem is the company name. You'd probably have to call them though to do any ordering. The original pictures were with the 1/2" NPT to 1/2" TC adapters I bought off a HBT member. I won't be using them anymore. You can see below a few pictures of what they did for me. They used a 3/4" ferrule on the in port and 1/2" TC on the out. They use the same size clamps and such, but it allows for a little better flow.

They also retrofitted my stainless immersion chiller with tri-clamp ends so I can attach it inside my kettles. I can now use it as a HERMS coil or an immersion chiller.

Hope that's helpful.