How do i install my pump?

So i am doing a weldless strut stand build. I have been trying to find information on positioning and priming the pump but apparrently search "how to prime a chugger pump" yeild absolutly nothing on priming a pump. I have read that the outlet should be in the 12 position and the inlet at the 6. I have not seen one build on this site with the pump in anything but a horizontal 9 in and 3 out. Any explinations of this would be great.

Putting the input at the "6" position forces more air out thru the output - so the pump won't have to be primed. If it's in at the "12", out at the "6", as soon as the pump starts, it's pushing a bolus of air down - rather difficult to do. The air wants to rise into the blades and out the "12" and it can lose prime.

Thank you for explaining. Now why do a majority have it 9 to 3 on their builds?.

Great advice from HangGlider there... I have mine indexed in a vertical axis as well. VERY easy to prime.

Just keep them up high enough that you can supply them with a hose that has NO elbow in them. Just straight fittings.

caioz1jp said:

Thank you for explaining. Now why do a majority have it 9 to 3 on their builds?.

Click to expand...

1) I'd actually say you haven't looked at enough builds on HBT, if your conclusion is that a majority have it in the 9 to 3 configuration. But those that are still using their's in that configuration likely are doing so because they shipped that way, and many folks just don't know there's a better way.

2) Now that you know there's a better way, why should it matter why other folks are doing it wrong? You know there's a better way and why it's a better way, so go for it!

Also - here's my experience with my own pump (a Little Giant, so its head is laid out slightly different, but the principle is still the same): as long as the pump is below the vessel you're pumping from, if you open up the valve from the vessel going into the pump, then open up the valve coming out of the pump briefly, that's usually enough to allow the pump to flood, and once you turn on the pump, you're typically primed and off to the races.

I have to chime in and say that it was conventional wisdom that output UP orientation was best but when you take the head apart and look at how the "out" port sits when in the output-RIGHT position, it's actually at the highest point there. It's very marginally better in the 9/3 position but understanding how to prime the pump is more important than head position (unless of course you have the output in either the down or left position which is absolutely bad).

Easy priming really involves filling the entire input hose with liquid first, before attaching it to the pump. Then attach it and open the output valve until you see liquid. Now connect your output hose and let it rip. It is IMPOSSIBLE to prime these pumps if there is air in the input line or head, yet the output hose has liquid in it. This liquid creates a virtual plug that traps the air in the head and that air keeps new liquid from getting to the head where it can be pumped through.

Think of a centrifugal pump like this... if liquid is in the head, the impeller throws it out. The new space left by the liquid that was just removed creates a vaccumm of sorts that pulls in whatever is behind it. If that's liquid, great.... the process continues. If it's air, the impeller just spins.

I will direct you to a thread started by Walter @ March Pumps. This thread seems to get low traffic and many folks could really benefit from it.

"Ideally, if you have the room to rotate the pump head, the best orientation would be with the outlet facing straight up with the inlet on the bottom..."

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/short-pump-orientation-mounting-tutorial-306814/

The reason I mounted my pumps horizontally was because I thought it would take too much space vertically to have the hose run down and back up to the inlet without kinking. I ended up flipping them upside down then rotating the heads 180 degrees and attaching them to the table top. Neither has an issue priming as long as there's no back pressure on the output. I just disconnect the output hose from where ever it is going, open whatever is feeding the input, flip the pump switch for a second until I see fluid about to shoot all over the place, and I'm good to go.

Huaco said:

I will direct you to a thread started by Walter @ March Pumps. This thread seems to get low traffic and many folks could really benefit from it.

"Ideally, if you have the room to rotate the pump head, the best orientation would be with the outlet facing straight up with the inlet on the bottom..."

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/short-pump-orientation-mounting-tutorial-306814/

Click to expand...

That thread is a little misleading as he doesn't comment on the output-RIGHT situation much. He doesn't say anything about air being trapped on that picture either. What he is trying to show is the absolutely inadvisable positions.



It would be much more illustrative if the head was shown from behind with the cover and impeller removed because then you can easily see that the hole in the housing is very high, near the top of the circle when the output is either up or to the right.

Right... Either way is functional. However, I have seen guys mount with the in/out on the bottom!!! Those heads have to squeal like a stuck pig!

Obviously either way works just fine.

I'd suggest putting a tee fitting on the output with a dump valve on one end and and the output valve on the other. I use it to prime and it is very handy if you get an air bubble in your input side hose to just open the dump valve to clear it while the pump is still going. It is also helpful to use when moving hoses around---you can use the valve to dump a little liquid into a catch can so that you don't make a mess when disconnecting hoses with liquid in them.

This is how I have mine set up.

Huaco said:

Great advice from HangGlider there... I have mine indexed in a vertical axis as well. VERY easy to prime.

Just keep them up high enough that you can supply them with a hose that has NO elbow in them. Just straight fittings.

Click to expand...

Huaco, or anyone else,
Any reason why you don't want to have a 90 degree elbow on the input side when it's down at 6 O'Clock? I would think that it would help eliminate possible kinking with the silicone tubing?

nhwrecker said:

Huaco, or anyone else,
Any reason why you don't want to have a 90 degree elbow on the input side when it's down at 6 O'Clock? I would think that it would help eliminate possible kinking with the silicone tubing?

Click to expand...

You don't want to restrict in-flow in any way. That is why I only run a straight shot from my drain valve to the in-flow of the pump. A valve An elbow "can" add enough restriction to cause unwanted problems.
That said, My pumps are high enough off the ground that I never have any issues with kinking. You also have to make your hoses long enough to overcome this issue.

Edit in red...

Thanks, Huaco - makes sense.

Mort

Bobby_M said:

That thread is a little misleading as he doesn't comment on the output-RIGHT situation much. He doesn't say anything about air being trapped on that picture either. What he is trying to show is the absolutely inadvisable positions.[...]

Click to expand...

Seems rather contrived, when the simpler conclusion is that Walter gave his best answer...

Cheers!

Huaco said:

You don't want to restrict in-flow in any way. That is why I only run a straight shot from my drain valve to the in-flow of the pump. A valve An elbow "can" add enough restriction to cause unwanted problems.
That said, My pumps are high enough off the ground that I never have any issues with kinking. You also have to make your hoses long enough to overcome this issue.

Edit in red...

Click to expand...

This makes sense, but in practice, at least in my experience, it has not been an issue.

Also, I have found that keeping the input hose as short as possible so that you do not end up with a bunch of slack hose that coils one way or another, seems to make a pretty big difference in getting a good prime with no air on the input side, and keeping the pump from cavitating.

815 impeller is a definite improvement, too.

Yeah, I have my hoses just long enough so that they don't kink but not long enough to have a bunch of slack in them.

Good read. The more you know