Pump In (Inside) a Toolbox - Stainless

I can't wait to build one of these!!!! I'm sure I will be posting some more questions once I start to wire everything up.

You won't be disappointed! I don't think I would change anything. Just make sure you make enough hoses for what you need - originally I only made two, but if you are using a plate chiller you will need at least three: one from BK to pump, one from pump to chiller and one from chiller to fermenter.

Ask away with the questions too - there are a few things that will make the build a bit easier.

I see that you've made the lemon-lime hefe - how did you like it? I have that up after my next Wit to satisfy SWMBO (loves Wits and wheats...)

OCBrewin said:

Same here - just felt more sturdy while carrying with the wood base.

Click to expand...

It feels sturdy enough as it is. We'll how it holds up over time.

Here are pics of my toolbox for those interested.


Wiring by jgalvan, on Flickr


Pump by jgalvan, on Flickr



side by jgalvan, on Flickr



electrical inlets and outlets by jgalvan, on Flickr
I was originally going to wire for 2 110v heater elements but I haven't gotten around to that yet.

Wow, very cool - way to take it to the next level!

Honestly, I think the hardest part of the whole build was removing that big-ass sticker from the front. Its like they used the strongest adhesive available to put it on.

What did you use to cut though the stainless?

Awesome A4J! I love the toolbox control panel. You will love using it.

This box is a great platform. It looks a bit roomier than the boxes I used.

OCBrewin said:

Wow, very cool - way to take it to the next level!

Honestly, I think the hardest part of the whole build was removing that big-ass sticker from the front. Its like they used the strongest adhesive available to put it on.

Click to expand...

yeah, seriously! You peel off the plastic layer and then there's still the paper layer, and then the adhesive!

rack04 said:

What did you use to cut though the stainless?

Click to expand...

I use a dremel disc for the square-ish part and a step-bit for the round parts.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Awesome A4J! I love the toolbox control panel. You will love using it.

Click to expand...

I love using it! I also use it for sous-vide.

Very nice A4J, I like the looks of that.

OCBrewin said:

Wow, very cool - way to take it to the next level!

Honestly, I think the hardest part of the whole build was removing that big-ass sticker from the front. Its like they used the strongest adhesive available to put it on.

Click to expand...

My sticker is still on. :cross:

A4J, there a build thread for that thing? Love that idea, planning something similar.

boswell said:

A4J, there a build thread for that thing? Love that idea, planning something similar.

Click to expand...

nope, sorry, but if you're really interested, I can pull most of it apart and sort of re-create the build. I still have a couple of wires to hook up (mainly the alarm).

My main inspirations were OCBrewin and Mickmike's heat chill and move liquid toolbox.

Those look very nice. I built something similar last summer. Pump, PID, and SSR all integrated to control a RIMS (which I've since gotten rid of) or a HERMS (what I currently use)

Damn, that's smooth. I'm assuming you use it for all transfers?

Dang, I wouldn't ask you to pull it apart! I love these pumps/controllers in tool boxes!

do you have any problems getting the pump to prime?

scottland said:

Those look very nice. I built something similar last summer. Pump, PID, and SSR all integrated to control a RIMS (which I've since gotten rid of) or a HERMS (what I currently use)

Click to expand...

I hope you brew better than you take care of plants, that one is a goner. ROFL

ahacreative said:

do you have any problems getting the pump to prime?

Click to expand...

Nope, but I think that priming a pump has to do with technique. open the valves and flood the system (using gravity) with your strike water. After that you shouldn't ever really need to break the prime in the pump until you are finished brewing. JMO, YMMV

Finally did this. Kinda had to use a lot of stuff I had in the garage. The wiring from the terminal block to the switches is braided because it needs to be flexible. The wire from pump to TB is solid. I actually prepared for the second pump as well. It's coming soon.

Very cool, "Basturd". I'm so happy that this idea has caught on and people have run with it. when I first posted it I didn't think that is really gonna be that great of a thing to do, but it looks like you guys have embraced it, thanks for the great ideas and variations! Cheap and useful - that's what home brewing is all about, right?

OCBrewin said:

Very cool, "Basturd". I'm so happy that this idea has caught on and people have run with it. when I first posted it I didn't think that is really gonna be that great of a thing to do, but it looks like you guys have embraced it, thanks for the great ideas and variations! Cheap and useful - that's what home brewing is all about, right?

Click to expand...

I think that what kind of sets it apart is the fact that the whole pump is contained in the toolbox. Most of the builds I've seen have the pump head exposed. Protecting the pump head is the biggest reason I've done this, well that and the toolbox is pretty spiffy looking!

OCBrewin said:

Wiring it this way I have a protected box with switches for main power (outlets controlled too) and a seperate switch for the pump. I can control the pump independently from the outlets just in case I have something else plugged in there that I want to keep running.

Click to expand...

Maybe I'm missing something but wouldn't you need to power the GFCI outlet in order to power the pump? If the switch to the outlet is off then there is not power to pump. Also, is there any concern with the switch not being GFCI protected?

rack04 said:

Maybe I'm missing something but wouldn't you need to power the GFCI outlet in order to power the pump? If the switch to the outlet is off then there is not power to pump. Also, is there any concern with the switch not being GFCI protected?

Click to expand...

No, your not missing something. Yes, the plugs are energized as soon as you switch the 'main' switch, but the pump circuit remains off until you throw the 'pump' switch. I don't know why it would be needed in another configuration, because anything that you plug into the box should probably be switchable on its own - its just like plugging it into the wall... I wanted to do this so that I would have a switchable and protected pair of outlets for other items (which I really haven't ever needed yet...)

You are correct that technically the 'main' power switch is not protected, as the current goes:

plug--->main switch--->GFCI--->pump switch--->wired strip for pump.

So, since the main switch is before the GFCI, it isn't protected. That being said, however, I don't see this as too much of an issue. First, there are no metal prongs or housings for you to touch and create a ground. Second, I usually have the box plugged into another GFCI cord... (overkill, but hey.)

Lastly - go look at your bathroom. Chances are that the light switches in there are not GFCI protected in all cases. :cross:

Happy Brewing!

Thanks for the response. Glad I'm not far off base.

I have narrowed it down to two options:

1.) Stay with your design and leave the main power switch unprotected.

2.) Replace the wall outlet that this box will be plugged into with a GFCI outlet and then; plug--->toggle switch--->non GFCI outlet...plug--->toggle switch--->wired strip for pump. I would run two hot and neutral lines from the plug to power separate toggle switches. This way the toggle switch for the non GFCI outlet would be adjacent to the outlet and the toggle switch for the pump would be adjacent to the pump. The negative to this one is that if I take this box with me to another brewing location and it is not plugged into a GFCI outlet it will not be protected.

3.) Leave the wall outlet that this box will be plugged as a non GFCI outlet and then; plug---GFCI outlet--->toggle switch--->wired strip for pump. This way everything is protected in the box regardless of the outlet the box is plugged into. The negative is that there is no switch for the GFCI outlet which could be an annoyance because the submersible pump I use to recirculate ice water through my wort chiller doesn't have a built in switch.

I can't confirm from a reliable source that multiple GFCI's is a bad idea, however, I've read many times that people successfully do it.

My question is, why not just plug the main power cord for the pump box in to a GFCI adapter then in to wherever you're plugging your box in. Then you don't have to worry about it anymore, the whole system is protected.

I think the GFCI outlet adapters are $15 at HD/Lowes. You just keep it in your toolbox if you still use the shelf.

I have also seen where multiple gfci plugs will trip eachother. If it were me, and I'm biased, I would leave the design as is. It's been tested, works, and is really just as risky as turning the lights on in your bathroom. Or, do what basturd said and plug it into an adapter.

Here is my box. Very happy with the final product. Thanks for the idea.

Rack, so you decided to place the pump outside of the box, huh? It looks nice and clean, but I think that the only major departure from all of the other boxes was housing the head inside the box to protect it.

Not saying your isnt nice, just noting that this is one of the major problems with the other pump boxes that this thread solved.

Either way, im sure you'll be very happy with it - just be careful walking around that while in use. Happy brewing!

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I do not use a ball valve on the pump outlet. Only one ball valve is needed in series to restrict the flow.

My pump box is on the bottom. I use the ball valves on the kettle returns to throttle the flow. Less parts, simpler layout. During hose changes, I just pinch the tubing while making the change to maintain my prime. Both ways work just fine.

Click to expand...

These all look awesome! I definitely plan on mounting my march pump as soon as I get it (waiting on the tax return).

Two questions:
1)Boerderij: where did you get the switches on the upper toolbox? the multi colored ones?

2)I have been looking at toolboxes, and Im curious what the minimum dimensions of the toolbox are? I plan on mounting one pump, switches, a cooling fan and possibly a temp controller.

Just finished my build with a center inlet chugger. Here is the album:

http://imgur.com/a/4SgxN/

Looks good! Glad that people are running with the idea!

So I finally got around to building one of these. Was looking for a nice yet cheap box and you found a perfect one. Of course, you'll notice that the lid on the one from my local Harbor Frieght is a little different. Could be of use to some people though. Seems like the added crease may be a good place to recess some switches or lights.

Anyway, I also got some 1/8" aluminum to reinforce the QD side. The stainless is just really flimsy when you're trying to hook up your QD's. I just cut that to size and pop-riveted it on.

In the future I will be adding something to the bottom to make it easier to remove the pump if I ever need to and make it more sturdy. I'm just not a big fan of the wood solution that others have used.

My only problem with this is that the pump tend to cavitate and squeal on occasion when pumping hot (below boiling) liquids. Some people have mentioned that you're supposed to have a straight length of tubing something like 5 times the ID of the line on the pump connections, or it could cause this. Walter from March also recommended that I use a certain size drillbit to widen the impeller hole. I've also heard that the output should be in the 12 o' clock position and the input at the 6 'o clock. Whatever the cause may be, I have yet to test it again since my initial test.

And here's a couple pics of the different lid.

And one other thing, I wired mine so both outlets are always hot, and only the pump is on the switch. Seemed to make the most sense to me.

I'm going to be putting one of these together once my pump arrives, and one question keeps coming up... I see that some folks orient the pump so that the head is facing towards the side wall where they mount their QD's, and some folks orient the pump so that the head is facing towards the center of the box. Any benefits to one approach over the other?

You have more space in the box if you're using an inline pump and mount it "backwards". When I mounted my Center Inlet LG I didn't have a choice in the matter. I suppose you could have priming issues if the pump was mounted "backwards". Other than that I really think it's personal preference.

Just wrapped phase one of my build the other night... I know folks have indicated that a fan is not necessarily... er... necessary, but overkill is my middle name, so I plan to install a fan once I can track down a spare AC adapter.

Anyway, here it is:




Like a few here have done, I left the outlet "hot", and the switch controls only the internal power strip. I tested this bad boy out the other night, and it primed easier than I ever remember it priming outside the box, and worked like a champ.

My only concern now is how best to drain and dry things out once I'm done. When it's just the loose pump, it's easy to "stand it on its head", but in this tool box, it's a little more difficult. Anybody got any thoughts on this? Is it worth worrying about?

Lookin' good!

I usually just prop the box up with the outlet and inlet pointing down for a while and let it drain. That gets most of the water out of it.

Do you know the dimensions of the inside of your toolbox? I've got a toolbox at home but it seems a little too tight by the time I get the street elbows on the pump.

Also, has anyone run into any issues getting the fittings attached to the pump head? On the outflow my elbow attaches fine, and I can get 4 rotations or so before it is tight. On the in-side I can only get it to turn once before it stops. Seems like that's not enough to prevent it from leaking.

I got around to using mine last week for 3 brews. It needed a fan. The pump shut down for several minutes while i was chilling. I recirculated for the last 15 minutes of the boil to sanitize the pump/hoses. Several minutes into chilling it shut down. it wouldn't come on until I let it sit for several minutes. It did the same thing for all 3 brews.

I installed a 20 CFM 80mm fan and it still overheated and shut down after 45 minutes of continuous use while heating water from room temperature to 180f. The low CFM fan was barely moving air. I replaced the 20 CFM fan with a 70 CFM Vantec Tornado. The new fan moves some serious air. I haven't had a chance to load test the new fan to see if the issue has been resolved but I'm pretty confident that it should be good to go now.

Just thought that I'd post an update. I'm really glad that this box took off and people seemed to like the idea. Since the original box I have moved into RIMS and wanted to be able to still keep my stuff as compact as possible. I give you version 2.0...

To the original design I have added a 80CFM fan and PID controller. Everything is incorporated into the box - the SSR, heatsink, XLR microphone disconnect for the temp probe, an audible and visual led alarm, and a covered intake and exhaust with grills for cooling. The element outlet has its own switch so it can be turned off separately at any time. Also, as a failsafe it is wired so that no power can go to the element unless the pump is running - this should help prevent accidental dry firing. I've used it twice now and am more than happy with it. I may add switches to kill the alarm and fan... Maybe an indicator LED for the element too, but those would just be icing on the cake. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Cheers!