Chugger pump hooked to a dimmer switch

Ok so at my lhbs I saw their march pumps wired to what looked like dimmer switches. Can you use these to adjust the rate of the flow? Can this shorten the life of the pump? I have two chugger pumps and I am trying to decide the best way to hook them up.

Adjust the flow rate by limiting the flow on the outlet side with a valve. The magnetic coupling is designed to slip while the motor runs at full speed. No need for the dimmer.

Yuri_Rage said:

Adjust the flow rate by limiting the flow on the outlet side with a valve. The magnetic coupling is designed to slip while the motor runs at full speed. No need for the dimmer.

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What do you think that the switches were for?

Perhaps ignorance. A lot of people don't realize how mag drive pumps work.

EDIT:
Before jumping to too many conclusions, it's possible the dimmers control another part of the system. They may control heat output or stir motor speed.

bulldogxray said:

Can this shorten the life of the pump?

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Yes.

Many pumps will accept a motor speed control. These look like dimmers, but are typically used to control the speed on overhead fans. Don't use a dimmer. The proper control is cheap and readily available wherever they sell ceiling fans. Check the specs for your pump.

Dimmer on a Chugger or any induction motor will cause it to run hot with possibility of burning up the windings.
A VFD would work best cost would be way out of line.
Basic simple works best called a "variable restriction controller", ball valve.

Construction details for your own triac motor speed controller, as well as how to convert a dimmer to a motor speed controller, are available in the article by Rodney Morris, in the Zymurgy Special Issue, 1992. "Recirculating Infusion Mash System Revisited."

gmartin said:

Construction details for your own triac motor speed controller, as well as how to convert a dimmer to a motor speed controller, are available in the article by Rodney Morris, in the Zymurgy Special Issue, 1992. "Recirculating Infusion Mash System Revisited."

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I must of just missed that issue at my local bookstore being it was over 18 years ago.

Under voltaged induction motors drop torque big time then start to let the smoke out, feel like doing a test on a $150 pump?

Why make the solution more complicated than necessary? A ball valve easily restricts pump flow while allowing the motor to run at full speed (and torque).

And remember...I'm the guy that makes everything complicated!

Bingo Yuri! Nothing need be added.

Bingo Yuri! Nothing need be added unless horns, bells and a disco ball are required to operate when the pump is energized?

Got it thanks for the input. I think I will defer to an acronym we used in the Army KISS keep it simple stupid.

I have another question. Does it matter if I regulate the fluid flow from the input side our the output side? I have my bal valve coming out of my HLT and MLT so I had planned on regulating it from there but I notice some epople have them on the output of their pumps.

As was said by Yuri-Rage in post 2. "Adjust the flow rate by limiting the flow on the outlet side with a valve."

dobeluvr said:

As was said by Yuri-Rage in post 2. "Adjust the flow rate by limiting the flow on the outlet side with a valve."

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I guess I missed that part but thanks for pointing it out to me

bulldogxray said:

I have another question. Does it matter if I regulate the fluid flow from the input side our the output side? I have my bal valve coming out of my HLT and MLT so I had planned on regulating it from there but I notice some epople have them on the output of their pumps.

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Restricting the input will cavitate your pump.

gmartin said:

Construction details for your own triac motor speed controller, as well as how to convert a dimmer to a motor speed controller, are available in the article by Rodney Morris, in the Zymurgy Special Issue, 1992. "Recirculating Infusion Mash System Revisited."

Click to expand...

Was this the article that used a Teel pump and speed controller from Grainger? I read an article and bought the pump and controller to run a RIMS and then stopped brewing. I kept some of my equipment including that pump and started brewing again last year. I could not remember if it was from BYO, BT or Zym. Sounds like it was Zymurgy.