My setup recirculates the mash. As it is now the flow is only controlled by the valve on the mt, is this ok? I don't see the need to choke it twice, since you have to carefully control the flow out of the mt. Or is it better for the pump if you choke it(on the output side) more than the output flow of the mt?
Am I making sense, or do I need more sleep?
To expand, I used my pump for the first time this weekend, and I think I solved the pump priming dilemma. The answer.....you need three ball valves. Stay with me here.
I oriented my pump in the B3 style; pump at bottom of rig, input on the bottom, output on top. I attached a SS tee to the input. I attached 1/2xclose SS nipples to the two open ports on the tee, giving me all male connections from the pump for me to attach the ball valves to. The valve on the output controls flow, but on my system, usually stays completely open. The valves on the bottom of the pump, connected to the tee, are there for 1. priming, and 2. keeping the floor dry. On one of the input tee's BV, I attached my Poly QD. On the other BV, I connected a 1/2" MIP x hose barb, and I ran about 5 feet of vinyl hose from the barb.
The Poly QD is serving as your liquid input to the pump head. The valve this fitting connects to is always open, but can be closed once the pump is turned off to keep liquid from spilling out of the pump head, and all over the floor. The valve with the hose barb fitting was described by B3 as a bleeder valve, but I am going to call it the "priming valve". When I am ready to transfer liquids, I open all the valves in the line I want to move liquids along, and the only closed valve is the "priming valve". After a few seconds, the liquid will reach equilibrium , but undoubtably, there is air in the lines. I lay the 5' if vinyl hose on the ground (below the height of the pump) open the priming valve, and allow the 5' to fill with liquid. Before it can flow out the end of the hose, (keeping the priming valve open, mind you) I elevate the vinyl hose above the height of the vessel that is feeding the pump, through gravity, forcing the liquid through the lines and flushing out all of the air. I close the "priming valve", and turn on the pump. I swear, it works like a charm.
I was able to move boiling liquids, recirc a mash, and run a Jamil-o-chiller with no problems.
Good Luck,
Joe