Cheap compact wort pump

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thekraken said:
For anyone that comes across this link I rate that power supply 1 star.
Plugged it in, fuse popped, no load. It was delivered with a broken 'seal' on the casing. That ebay seller hasn't responded to me in over 24 hours now.

I give it 1 star because it was delivered faster than a Jimmy Johns sandwich.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. I know eBay can be a crap shoot.
I've generally had good luck with UXCELL stuff.
I hope your situation gets resolved quickly!
 
What are y'alls opinion on these pumps for prolonged continuous use? I'm thinking 24-36 hrs.

(Edit)
Well I ran the little pump for 24 hours straight with 155f water for a sous vide cook, didn't miss a beat.
 
scaesare said:
So you keep saying. And the hum is a factor for you. And you don't like boxes because losing the prime and or springing a leak is "scary".

Quite frankly a DC motor of this (im)precision isn't really gonna notice the difference. All motors are going to have a stall point at the low end that's above 0% duty cycle.

The controller with integrated digital readout has worked just fine. And who doesn't like cool LED readouts!?! :mug:
Click to expand...
Just pointing it out AGAIN just as you mentioned the controller AGAIN for the other people who might care about the functionality aspect more than the "cool readouts" I'm sure they both work but since you gave your point of view I'll share mine. IMHO these pumps arent all that big and dont have tons of extra power why give more up just for extra bling on the panel? If you want to thats cool, its your choice.. but I dont see why your getting upset when I point out w the reasons one might not want to do it as well. And yeah since a lot of people on forums are notorious for not going back and reading previous pages I felt mentioning the frequency thing again since you were also mentioning the controllers again was pertinent to the conversation. If you actually read this whole thread you will find the same questions asked and answered dozens of times in it over and over.
 
thekraken said:
For anyone that comes across this link I rate that power supply 1 star.
Plugged it in, fuse popped, no load. It was delivered with a broken 'seal' on the casing. That ebay seller hasn't responded to me in over 24 hours now.

I give it 1 star because it was delivered faster than a Jimmy Johns sandwich.
Click to expand...

I used the same supply... 2 of them actually since the first one I connected the power to incorrectly and the fuse blew like yours. the second one I also inadvertently shorted out about 6 months after I installed it when I had an issues with the aviation connectors wiring on one of my pumps.

I cant remember for sure but I want to say I had to break the seal and remove the cover and switch a switch for 240v because thats what I was feeding mine. I wonder if reversing the N and 120v hot lead would cause the fuse to pop in a 120v configuration?

when I contacted the ebay seller on the first supply I purchased, I explained what I did and asked if that would ruin the supply or if there was a reset of fuse inside and he (or she) promptly just sent me a new one free of charge...
 
ajw85 said:
Sorry to hear that. I know eBay can be a crap shoot.
I've generally had good luck with UXCELL stuff.
I hope your situation gets resolved quickly!
Click to expand...

In my experience ebay has gotten a lot better due to ebays new rules about sellers with negative feedback. I usually buy from seller who have a lot of feedback though which shows they have made an effort to keep it all positive. I've bought many things from the ebay UXcell store (I had a pile of the coupons they send with the order) and never had an issue myself either.
 
I finally got my refund a day or two ago so no worries.

I did order a replacement from amazon, this was an UXCELL too. So far so good. On both units I've had to switch from 220v to 110v. The first one had an opening to the switch for easy access, the second did not. But I was able to stick a thin screwdriver threw the holes in the cover to flip the selector switch without taking the cover off.

In regard to the first one blowing, I think I must have had a lemon. I double checked and then triple checked my wiring and connections I couldn't see where I might have messed something up.

The second supply didn't come with any markings to indicate which screw terminals were which, so I just wired it up like the first one and crossed my fingers :D

Anyway, it finally worked! It and the little tan pump ran like a champ for 24 hours straight and produced a pretty good sous vide brisket.
 
bacgabe said:
Just ordered this Lil fella http://m.ebay.com/itm/152060108309?_mwBanner=1

Also bought a 24V 3 amp power supply to run it. Thinking about getting a pwm too to throttle it down if need be.
Click to expand...
They really are small but they pump a lot for thier size! You can use a ball valve too but I just feel the pwm puts less strain on them by not using resistance against them to throttle them down.
 
Any good/cheap 110/120V AC pumps? Possibly looking for one to recirculate wort through a plate chiller.
 
Thanks to this thread (all 1373 posts!!) I've pulled the trigger on the first steps to reducing my some 16 year old 3 tier system down to a weldless brew style single tier. I was on the 3rd step of my ladder asking myself, 'self... aren't you too old to be lugging 40 pound buckets of water up here?'

Special thanks to augiedoggy for his Parts List.

I planning on going with...

12v-3a Power Supply to a

Toggle Switch breaking the current to a

PWM Controler All enclosed in a

Project Box

Butt Spliced into

12v 3a Pumps.

electrical-drawing-67539.jpg


The pumps (2) and controllers (2) should be here next week.

My questions are:

1. How hot will these switches and power supply get inside the project box?
2. What gauge wire to do all the connections?
3. If I like the setup I may add the second pump. Do I wire it along with the same posts on the toggle switch as the 1st controller?

I'm sure there will be more questions when I get to putting this together. I certainly appreciate any input and advice.
 
GHawk said:
Thanks to this thread (all 1373 posts!!) I've pulled the trigger on the first steps to reducing my some 16 year old 3 tier system down to a weldless brew style single tier. I was on the 3rd step of my ladder asking myself, 'self... aren't you too old to be lugging 40 pound buckets of water up here?'

Special thanks to augiedoggy for his Parts List.

I planning on going with...

12v-3a Power Supply to a

Toggle Switch breaking the current to a

PWM Controler All enclosed in a

Project Box

Butt Spliced into

12v 3a Pumps.

electrical-drawing-67539.jpg


The pumps (2) and controllers (2) should be here next week.

My questions are:

1. How hot will these switches and power supply get inside the project box?
2. What gauge wire to do all the connections?
3. If I like the setup I may add the second pump. Do I wire it along with the same posts on the toggle switch as the 1st controller?

I'm sure there will be more questions when I get to putting this together. I certainly appreciate any input and advice.
Click to expand...

Power wire does not have to be anything substantial, the 3amp power supply draws less than an amp so even 22awg would work although I used 18 myself if I remember right. Also the power supply gets warm but not hot.
 
Update on mine, having trouble with the first run. Doesn't seem to push anything unless from something like a faucet pushing it through. Anyone else get this issue?
 
At 24v, how far/high can these pumps pump? I.e. the vertical distance from the outlet, while still running efficiently and not damaging the pump?
 
stever1000 said:
At 24v, how far/high can these pumps pump? I.e. the vertical distance from the outlet, while still running efficiently and not damaging the pump?
Click to expand...


Not sure this will help but I have a 10G kettle and a 25" IC. My ball valve is in the "standard" placement. I don't have (so far) any issues pumping approx 2 feet.

As an aside - I break down my pump after every brew and always find grain and debris in there, no matter how much I try to clean it. It doesn't take much time to remove 4 screws, clean, and replace. I think this is good practice, at least in my opinion.
 
Pumps arrived.
15 days from China to Florida.
Less than expected.
 
stever1000 said:
At 24v, how far/high can these pumps pump? I.e. the vertical distance from the outlet, while still running efficiently and not damaging the pump?
Click to expand...
my chiller is mounted about 5 ft lower than the top of my conical and it has no issues pumping through the chiller and up to the top of the conical- even when turned way down in power.
 
jamaral141989 said:
Update on mine, having trouble with the first run. Doesn't seem to push anything unless from something like a faucet pushing it through. Anyone else get this issue?
Click to expand...

sounds like something is wrong. This is after you have primed the pump? my guess is somethings wrong with the power supply... how many amps is it and is it the correct voltage? less on either one and the pump may run but likely very weak and fizzle out under load.
 
augiedoggy said:
my chiller is mounted about 5 ft lower than the top of my conical and it has no issues pumping through the chiller and up to the top of the conical- even when turned way down in power.
Click to expand...

Similar... I've pumped uphill 4-6 feet on occasions without issue.
 
For anyone making a decision to go this route using these pumps I have a comment on the placement.

I got my order yesterday and played around with one today.
I connected 1/2" ID to both in and out side, filled a keggle with enough to cover the outlet valve and set the pump on the floor. I opened the valve and water flowed down yet it had trouble. In fact, I had trouble keeping water in the lines as I raised and lowed above and below the water level.

I attached the pump directly to the valve and only needed one hose. Opening the valve the water flowed directly and never retreated.

These pumps have very thin and fragile ports and look like they will snap with the least bit of pressure, as many have experienced.

Quick disconnects and direct valve positioning may be the best.
 
augiedoggy said:
my chiller is mounted about 5 ft lower than the top of my conical and it has no issues pumping through the chiller and up to the top of the conical- even when turned way down in power.
Click to expand...

Perfect, I am less worried now :mug:
 
GHawk said:
Quick disconnects and direct valve positioning may be the best.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this... once primed I never had any issues with these pumps pushing liquid... I say push because sometimes people forget these pumps do not pull liquid well and they should always be at level or lower than the supply they are pumping from. valves should also always be on the output side of the plumbing.
 
Does anyone have tips on maintenance / fixing of the little tan pump? Mine is super, super finicky. I've taken it apart and cleaned it out but the insides seem to be pretty wobbly / not want to move well.
 
Make sure the disc behind the prop is flat. Also make sure it's not snug against the pump body when you put the head back on. 99% of the time these are the cause for me.
 
My pump overheated and quit working today. This would have been the 4th batch. Now I will go with a Chugger, March, or Mark II.
 
Bigfly said:
My pump overheated and quit working today. This would have been the 4th batch. Now I will go with a Chugger, March, or Mark II.
Click to expand...

Dang, did you run it dry at all? I've gone through 30 batches using mine. I have a backup pump just in case because they are so cheap. My brew day includes a 60 minute mash using the pump in a HERMS setup. Still going strong.
 
augiedoggy said:
I totally agree with this... once primed
Click to expand...

I have 3 brew sessions now using these pumps and have had the worst brew days in decades.
I ordered new stainless valves with updating various parts and quick disconnects for the pumps. I built a temporary control box to house the power supply, PWMs, and switches. (sloooow boat from China)

1st - I was excited about the entire redesign of my 3 tier gravity system. I installed a nylon false bottom into my mash tun I've had for many years and haven't really used. (I challenge anyone to find one now) I wanted to recirculate my mash for clarity then use the pump to circulate the wort through my counter flow and reduce to lower temps for hop adds. No fault of the pump the false bottom immediately clogged and I have a stuck mash. Getting a prime on the pump was 1/2 hour chore. It was connected straight to the valve in the correct fashion with a 1/2" silicone tube running back up into the mash tun. I finally got a runoff into a bucket and poured the grain into another so I could replace the false bottom with my very successful copper manifold. I re-added the grain and added the batch sparge water with no luck on priming again. I took off the pump and gravity fed to boil kettle as usual.
Same thing and the boil kettle. No prime, direct connect to valve. 1/2" tubing from outlet in the Upright position. Tubing hanging to the floor into a bucket to start a flow (normally). Open boil valve and nothing. I literally sucked on the end of the tubing to start a siphon. With all of this the boil continued well into an additional 45 minutes and all my numbers were off because of evaporation. 105 minute boil makes IBU's and volume F'd Up

2nd - I reduced the length of tubing thinking it was too long at 5' causing a challenge for a siphon. Same issues. Did get a siphon on the chiller with less length after a lot of playing around. Then I experienced the late add hop clogging issue and the pump stopped mid run. I gravity fed my fermenter, as usual. (and proven method)

3rd - Hot water only for testing.
Had all my vessels close to the same level and mounted the pump temporarily with 2 screws to my bench BELOW about 6-10 inches. I installed barbs to everything and was going to try moving the tubing from one vessel to another as needed for the pump.
Heated water in my HLT and opened the valve placing the outlet tubing in a bucket to start siphon and NO flow. I played with the height of the outlet tubing and managed to fill the pump after playing with it for several minutes, so i turn on the pump. I filled the mash tun with 3 gallons and removed the HLT tubing by pinching the tube hard so as to not loose much level in the tube. I placed it on the Mash valve and outlet side to the kettle. I opened the valve and again Not A Damn thing.

I am SO done with these pumps. I can't tell you how I really feel here on this post after the money, time, redesigning, and excitement all wasted.

If there are any suggestions I'll appreciate it. I might give it one more shot but it WON'T be brewing. Maybe another water test.
 
Have you tried mounting them direct to the output valves? Never had a priming issue.
 
Wolfairious said:
Have you tried mounting them direct to the output valves? Never had a priming issue.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comment, but.... as stated above:

"It was connected straight to the valve in the correct fashion..."
"No prime, direct connect to valve."
 
GHawk said:
Thanks for the comment, but.... as stated above:

"It was connected straight to the valve in the correct fashion..."
"No prime, direct connect to valve."
Click to expand...

all I can say is I dont have the same results at all... I did make an effort to add extra filtration so the grain isnt pumped into my pumps but besides that I use them as any non self priming pump would be used.

I think you already know why your having issues as you highlighted it.
Honestly the only reason I can see for your possible issues is your not priming them correctly... you need to displace the air in the pump and line leading up to the pump with liquid PRIOR to turning on the pump.. these dont pump or suck air... from your last example with water only the ONLY way you would get those results is if you have a large air pocket in the lines and the pump isnt primed... this would be the exactly same case if you had a $150 chugger or march in its place. the line leading to the pump and the pump itself has to be primed with water.
 
GHawk said:
Thanks for the comment, but.... as stated above:

"It was connected straight to the valve in the correct fashion..."
"No prime, direct connect to valve."
Click to expand...

if you have a diptube in your kettle or the lines are run in a fashion where they and the pump remain full of air then thats your problem. some people add three way valves after the pump to let the air escape from the line so liquid can displace it. Again these work the same way as any other brewing pump and need to be primed the same way. thats why many pumps are mounted much lower than the kettles because the weight of the liquid isnt always enough to push the air out depending on plumbing.
 
augiedoggy said:
if you have a diptube in your kettle
Click to expand...

This may be a factor. I can see my copper dip tube inside not filling. I could try opening the valve as I fill the vessel to remove the air.

However, I don't understand when this was never a problem over 18 years with gravity. All I did was slide tubing onto the barb and open the valve for an instant flow. What could be any difference adding the pump in line unless it's the outlet facing upward that could make a difference.
Heck, I feel like going out and setting it all up and trying it out right now!:rolleyes:
 
GHawk said:
This may be a factor. I can see my copper dip tube inside not filling. I could try opening the valve as I fill the vessel to remove the air.

However, I don't understand when this was never a problem over 18 years with gravity. All I did was slide tubing onto the barb and open the valve for an instant flow. What could be any difference adding the pump in line unless it's the outlet facing upward that could make a difference.
Heck, I feel like going out and setting it all up and trying it out right now!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have tried the cheap pumps
burned 3 of them up. Just bite the bullet and get a chugger and never look back.
 
greyghost said:
I have tried the cheap pumps
burned 3 of them up. Just bite the bullet and get a chugger and never look back.
Click to expand...

Ok this is totally not helpful and has nothing to do with his issue...but goes a long way to show your biased opinions. Its easier to just form a negative opinion of them to help justify your chugger purchase and thats fine but it doesnt make it true. lots of people use these successfully with no problems and the fact that you burned up all three says something to indicate you might not have understood something.

Your pumps likely burned up because you powered them incorrectly or tried to pump grain with them as many have using a single false bottom or bazooka tube which doesnt catch everything.... I have been using 6 of this for almost 4 years and never had an issue so my experience doesnt jive with yours. I know I have powered and used mine correctly but I dont know what you did.
 
GHawk said:
This may be a factor. I can see my copper dip tube inside not filling. I could try opening the valve as I fill the vessel to remove the air.

However, I don't understand when this was never a problem over 18 years with gravity. All I did was slide tubing onto the barb and open the valve for an instant flow. What could be any difference adding the pump in line unless it's the outlet facing upward that could make a difference.
Heck, I feel like going out and setting it all up and trying it out right now!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
the pump itself provides some resistance for the air to have to push through. if you had quick disconnects or a 3 way valve or even mounted your pumps a couple feet lower than the kettle you would likely not have this problem however the lower you go with the pumps the less flow you will have. (not much less however)

I moved all my pumps from the base of my kettles to my rims/chiller and stainless plumbed lines which are 6inches or more below my kettles and that helps a lot but sometimes I find myself cracking one of my quick disconnects to allow the air pocket to escape from the line. I plan on adding a 3 way valve at the inlet of one of my pumps which still gives me the same trouble as your having from time to time... coincidentally it is the pump from my HLT which does have a dig tube.
 

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