Chugger/March pump plumbing question

This is a little out of the norm I understand, but I'm plumbing my system and was wondering if this would work.

I have 3 way motorized ball valves to direct flow and was curious if it's possible to pump from one pump (that's on obviously) through the OUTPUT towards the input of a pump that's off.

Basically I have a 3 way valve on the bottom of my BK that will direct wort either through the HLT coil which will double as a chiller, or once chilled the valve switches and chilled wort is pumped to the fermenter.

What I'd like to do is add another 3 way valve to one leg of the other 3 way so I can pump from my MLT into the BK backwards through the BK pump. Not sure if this will.

A work
B damage the pump.

Any ideas? Just trying to keep the runs of the plumbing to a minimum.

Probably a stupid idea, but what the heck.

I cant tell you if it will work or not from a brewing aspect as i'm not familiar with all the ways and terminologies...yet. But from the pump side of things.....as long as your feed line to the pump is 1/2" I.D (minimum) and you mount the pump below the liquid source with the outlet at the highest point (either facing up or to to the right side when looking at the face of the pump head) and gravity will naturaly flood the pump and prime it then you should have no problems on the pump side.
Now if you will be passing solids through the pump then you may run into de-coupling issues but thats a different issue.

-Walter

actually to simplify my question, will liquid flow backwards through a pump that's not turned on without damaging the pump?

If the pump is not on, how would you expect it to damage the pump?

It shouldn't be a problem at all. I doubt the backflow would even turn the impeller much.

Awesome. I still think I'll hook a hose to it and give it a shot first. I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good piece of stainless tubing by bending it unless I know it'll work.

Randar said:

If the pump is not on, how would you expect it to damage the pump?

Click to expand...

Just covering my bases. I have already mounted the pumps so they are a little harder to get to otherwise I'd just have stuck a hose on it and checked to see if it'd work. I just don't want to ruin a pump.

I can't imagine your short gravity fall would be strong enough to even spin the impeller as it will also spin the motor thru the mag coupling besides there is a lot of side impeller clearance to bleed off most of the flow and just bypass thru the pump. Less damage or wear than if the pump were running as your keeping it wet inside.

EuBrew said:

I just don't want to ruin a pump.

Click to expand...

Dropping it on the head is about the only way to ruin it unless let run dry a long time.

You wont damage anyting inside the pump head or in the pump motor. Liquid will flow through the pump head as there is quite a bit of clearence between the impeller and pump body.
If you by chance have a DC powered pump then you "could" generate a small amount of voltage by having the water pressure turn the pump motor...but in our testing you would need to generate somewhere around 15psi for it to give anything worth while out of it....and that psi equates to a liquid height of around 34.5' tall

-Walter

This is going to work out great I have a feeling. Since I'll be pumping from my MLT back through the BK pump backwards into a bottom drain with a Hop Stopper above it I should be able to pump at full throttle without fear of painting the ceiling above the BK, testing to commence this weekend if everything lines as I hope. Of course I've been saying that for 3 weeks now.