Magnetic Pump From AliExpress...

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Ok so I recieved the pump I linked above yesterday and I really believe these are OEM march pumps that sell through march distributors for over twice the price. I see the price has gone up like another $30 already. Hopefully they wont be banned from selling to the US market for much less like the intertap scenario a couple years ago. We will know soon enough I guess. Does anyone with a march pump know if they are made in China or the US? I'd like to know if these are clones or OEM since they seem to sell the whole march brewing product line.
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augiedoggy said:
Ok so I recieved the pump I linked above yesterday and I really believe these are OEM march pumps that sell through march distributors for over twice the price. I see the price has gone up like another $30 already. Hopefully they wont be banned from selling to the US market for much less like the intertap scenario a couple years ago. We will know soon enough I guess. Does anyone with a march pump know if they are made in China or the US? I'd like to know if these are clones or OEM since they seem to sell the whole march brewing product line.
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Have you run this pump yet? How loud is it? I'm looking for something with higher flow to try to get a better whirlpool going through my chiller but am also trying to find something quiet. I'm setting up a brewery in my basement and feel like the chiggers I have now are too loud.
 
rayr87 said:
Have you run this pump yet? How loud is it? I'm looking for something with higher flow to try to get a better whirlpool going through my chiller but am also trying to find something quiet. I'm setting up a brewery in my basement and feel like the chiggers I have now are too loud.
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It's likely as loud as most.. my riptide is quite that's the only march made pump I own.
Jury is still out on if this is a clone or oem. I though for sure it was OEM but now not so sure..
I've used it, so far so good.
 
I have used one of the pumps in the op for a year now without trouble until recently. One day i turned it on and the impeller would not spin. Took it apart and it with a little nudge it worked again but when reassembled it was stuck again. Had to bang it on the wood it sits on to get it spinning again. Any ideas? I have some photos if it will help.
 
mine is still working at the brewpub, since I only use it for pumping saniclean and cip applications I have honestly never taken it apart yet so I cant be a lot of help.
I have no idea if this is related to your use or experience but I have had what you describe happen to another plastic pump I had when I overheated it pumping boiling liquid and the plastic warped inside. all plastic pumps including the ones rated at boiling temps can be damaged by the cavitation produced when trying to pump actual boiling liquid like in cases where people try to whirlpool with them wide open and still under heat.
 
I have used two of the pumps as mentioned in the OP for over two years without any trouble until last brew day. I disassembled the pump and the impeller was kind of blocked because of rubber warped. This pump was used among others for whirlpooling boiling wort which was the crucial factor I believe.
I tried to fix that by filing down the warped parts of the rubber which covers inner magnets, but it was not good idea as the rubber was locally separated from the magnets (caused by heat I think). Eventually, I got an "opening" in the rubber, so the magnets are visible now. Looks like in the picture. Any ideas how to solve this? Maybe @Beer666 or @augiedoggy as you've had the same problem? I checked that it's not so easy to get only impeller from China, not mentioning that it would take some time. I was thinking about filling that with some food grade epoxy rated to high temp, but I'm not sure. Main reasons for fixing that is that alloy used in magnets is not food grade nor corrosion resistant.
 

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mtweeman said:
I have used two of the pumps as mentioned in the OP for over two years without any trouble until last brew day. I disassembled the pump and the impeller was kind of blocked because of rubber warped. This pump was used among others for whirlpooling boiling wort which was the crucial factor I believe.
I tried to fix that by filing down the warped parts of the rubber which covers inner magnets, but it was not good idea as the rubber was locally separated from the magnets (caused by heat I think). Eventually, I got an "opening" in the rubber, so the magnets are visible now. Looks like in the picture. Any ideas how to solve this? Maybe @Beer666 or @augiedoggy as you've had the same problem? I checked that it's not so easy to get only impeller from China, not mentioning that it would take some time. I was thinking about filling that with some food grade epoxy rated to high temp, but I'm not sure. Main reasons for fixing that is that alloy used in magnets is not food grade nor corrosion resistant.
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these pumps have come way down in cost... I believe you can get the plastic head replacement pump for around $50 now and take the impeller from that if you want. I doubt you will find parts sold separately myself but you might try contacting suppliers on aliexpress or ebay.

BTW whirlpooling while still heating is not good for any pump and there is no good reason to be doing it that I know of. I always whirlpool after the boil has completed but before chilling.
 
augiedoggy said:
these pumps have come way down in cost... I believe you can get the plastic head replacement pump for around $50 now and take the impeller from that if you want. I doubt you will find parts sold separately myself but you might try contacting suppliers on aliexpress or ebay.

BTW whirlpooling while still heating is not good for any pump and there is no good reason to be doing it that I know of. I always whirlpool after the boil has completed but before chilling.
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In fact I already have started to contact them. I consider buying a plastic one also as it's cheaper that the one with stainless head and both use exactly the same impeller. Will see what replies I'll get.

Do you think this is mostly because of cavitation? And there's a lot less of it when heating is off? Do you whirlpool with full speed or start slowly until temperature drops below 176F?

Anyway, do you think there's any temporary solution that I could use for the next brew day? The will be some delay until I get pump/impeller from China.
 
augiedoggy said:
these pumps have come way down in cost... I believe you can get the plastic head replacement pump for around $50 now and take the impeller from that if you want. I doubt you will find parts sold separately myself but you might try contacting suppliers on aliexpress or ebay.

BTW whirlpooling while still heating is not good for any pump and there is no good reason to be doing it that I know of. I always whirlpool after the boil has completed but before chilling.
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I start whirlpooling at 5 mins left in the boil to sanitize my cooling loop. No issues yet however I'm using stainless heads. Cheers
 
mtweeman said:
I have used two of the pumps as mentioned in the OP for over two years without any trouble until last brew day. I disassembled the pump and the impeller was kind of blocked because of rubber warped. This pump was used among others for whirlpooling boiling wort which was the crucial factor I believe.
I tried to fix that by filing down the warped parts of the rubber which covers inner magnets, but it was not good idea as the rubber was locally separated from the magnets (caused by heat I think). Eventually, I got an "opening" in the rubber, so the magnets are visible now. Looks like in the picture. Any ideas how to solve this? Maybe @Beer666 or @augiedoggy as you've had the same problem? I checked that it's not so easy to get only impeller from China, not mentioning that it would take some time. I was thinking about filling that with some food grade epoxy rated to high temp, but I'm not sure. Main reasons for fixing that is that alloy used in magnets is not food grade nor corrosion resistant.
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Luckily mine was still under warranty and it got replaced. I guess it had somehow warped but i couldn't tell where. Was straight against a rule. Unable to locate a spare, new one sounds much smoother.
 
Blazinlow86 said:
I start whirlpooling at 5 mins left in the boil to sanitize my cooling loop. No issues yet however I'm using stainless heads. Cheers
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doing so puts the pump at unecessary risk. the stainless heads have nothing to do with the plastic innser working that most of these pumps have.

when the boil is done the liquid remains above 170 degrees which will keep everything sanitary and sanitize for a long time. I destroyed a pump myself this way and the head shell fine even after I warped the inside and ruined the pump.
 
mtweeman said:
In fact I already have started to contact them. I consider buying a plastic one also as it's cheaper that the one with stainless head and both use exactly the same impeller. Will see what replies I'll get.

Do you think this is mostly because of cavitation? And there's a lot less of it when heating is off? Do you whirlpool with full speed or start slowly until temperature drops below 176F?

Anyway, do you think there's any temporary solution that I could use for the next brew day? The will be some delay until I get pump/impeller from China.
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yes cavitation, I have seen quotes from more than one pump company stating that even though its rated for boiling temps does not mean its meant to pump actual boiling liquid and that can damage the pump.
 
Spartan1979 said:
What do you do to sanitize pumps, hoses, chillers?
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yes after the whirlpool I pump wort through my pump, hoses and plate chiller to sanitize, thats often how its done.
EDIT*
Temps above 170 degrees are plenty hot enough to sanitize just as well as if it was still boiling in fact see my comment below about still getting cavitation even after the boil on my 3bbl brewpub setup.
 
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Been pumping boiling wort around with the same set of March pumps for years.
 
Thanks for all replies. As I mentioned I contacted Chinese supplier that I bought pumps from. They said it should be possible to get new impeller from the factory and send it for free to me. I also talked with homebrew community in my country and there's hope that one of guys will have some spare impeller. Delay was my main concern. I was able to find impellers online on ebay, but the shop is currently out of stock. Don't know if it's allowed to paste link here if any of you need one in the future..
 
links are fine.. this forum is not censored by vendors like some.
Some people get lucky running thier pumps with cavitation over time, some not so much... same can be said for things like texting while driving...

I whirlpool my 3bbl kettle with a 3/4hp sanitary pump at flameout and even with that, the temps are still so high that I have to throttle the pump down to 1/3rd output or I get very loud rattling/cavitation until the temps start to drop a few degrees and as they do I can turn the pump speed up higher and higher over time.
 
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augiedoggy said:
doing so puts the pump at unecessary risk. the stainless heads have nothing to do with the plastic innser working that most of these pumps have.

when the boil is done the liquid remains above 170 degrees which will keep everything sanitary and sanitize for a long time. I destroyed a pump myself this way and the head shell fine even after I warped the inside and ruined the pump.
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Not saying it's not possible to damage the pumps just that I've been doing that way for about 3 years, every other weekend with chugger ss pumps without issues. The few times I had cavitation I just turned the flow down for a moment to correct. Cheers
 
Blazinlow86 said:
Not saying it's not possible to damage the pumps just that I've been doing that way for about 3 years, every other weekend with chugger ss pumps without issues. The few times I had cavitation I just turned the flow down for a moment to correct. Cheers
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your right , some people do it and have not had damage to thier pump or if they did im sure had not realized it could have been related, also keep in mind not all these pumps are built the same. some can tolarate the cavitation more than others and some people only recirculate while boiling for a few minutes which likely reduces the chances of something becoming damaged but I stand by my original comment that pumping water thats still boiling is unnecessary for sanitation and theres no reason to put your pumps through this.
 
augiedoggy said:
not all these pumps are built the same.
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This part is right. You can't make blanket comparisons of the cheap Chinese clones to March pumps. I.E., March 815 pumps are rated for continuous duty, 250F use. I've even read posts here by Mr March stating that they will run continuously for more than 3 years.

(psst! 250F is a higher temp than boiling.....)
 
@golfindia true, 250f is a higher temp than boiling-- for water, not other liquids! So the march is rated to pump liquids at 250f, but that doesn't help us who are using the pump to brew. This is significant because wort is still going to boil at ~212F dependent on elevation, and this will still lead to the susceptibility of pump cavitation-- it doesn't matter if the pump head is rated to 250F or not-- as soon as bubbles are formed and create cavities, and present themselves in the pump head, potential for problems associated with cavitation begin. When the bubbles collapse it initiates shockwaves inside the pump head, potentially causing significant damage to the impeller and/or the pump housing. Maybe it won't happen with the March Pump, maybe you could pump boiling wort through it for 100 batches with boiling wort, but it is bad practice, as it does truly threaten the lifespan of the pump head.
 
Anyone have a current source for these pumps? Looks like they are no longer available on ebay..
 
Sorry I was talking about the larger nano march clone.. I ended up picking up a chugger max though which is basically the same thing as well..
 
Anyone have impeller issues with these pumps? I replied to this thread in 2018, and recently had issues with the pump.
The backside of the impeller that slides into the cup has a bulge. This is causing the impeller and cup to rub, which sometimes causes the pump not to start.
I sanded the bulge with some 320 grit wet sandpaper, which helped, but the deforming of the impeller is concerning.
 
bstacy1974 said:
Anyone have impeller issues with these pumps? I replied to this thread in 2018, and recently had issues with the pump.
The backside of the impeller that slides into the cup has a bulge. This is causing the impeller and cup to rub, which sometimes causes the pump not to start.
I sanded the bulge with some 320 grit wet sandpaper, which helped, but the deforming of the impeller is concerning.
Click to expand...

I think you can buy spare impellers. Saw a youtube video with the same problem. Mine has been fine since being replaced.
 
bstacy1974 said:
Anyone have impeller issues with these pumps? I replied to this thread in 2018, and recently had issues with the pump.
The backside of the impeller that slides into the cup has a bulge. This is causing the impeller and cup to rub, which sometimes causes the pump not to start.
I sanded the bulge with some 320 grit wet sandpaper, which helped, but the deforming of the impeller is concerning.
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My guess it that it overheated and the plastic warped. do you pump boiling wort with this pump?
 
Williams Brewing lists spare impellers, but are out of stock. Can't find other listing anywhere. I'm a little concerned I'll have to upgrade to chugger or riptide. Just don't want to spend that money right now. I have grain to buy.
 
Theres another thread around here somewhere with links to different suppliers for this part. I remember reading it around 6 month ago. I know this issue has been reported by some who try to pump while actually boiling on the riptide and chugger pumps others have no problems doing so but most only do it for a very short period of time... I think march redesigned the riptide impeller early on because of swelling from the temps and screaching. Bottom line is most magnetic pumps can get damaged from cavitation as already discussed in this thread. There are variables like longer hoses and cooling in those hoses, pump placement and ambient temps which allow more success for some than others. I seized a smaller High temp PPS pump when the cup that surrounds the magnet warped in a similar fashion when trying to use it to pump boiling liquid for a long period.
 
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augiedoggy said:
Theres another thread around here somewhere with links to different suppliers for this part. I remember reading it around 6 month ago. I know this issue has been reported by some who try to pump while actually boiling on the riptide and chugger pumps others have no problems doing so but most only do it for a very short period of time... I think march redesigned the riptide impeller early on because of swelling from the temps and screaching. Bottom line is most magnetic pumps can get damaged from cavitation as already discussed in this thread. There are variables like longer hoses and cooling in those hoses, pump placement and ambient temps which allow more success for some than others. I seized a smaller High temp PPS pump when the cup that surrounds the magnet warped in a similar fashion when trying to use it to pump boiling liquid for a long period.
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So, no circulation during the boil?
I'll keep looking for a replacement impeller.
 
bstacy1974 said:
So, no circulation during the boil?
I'll keep looking for a replacement impeller.
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Theres no real reason to. Most people turn on the pumps to recirculate and sanitize their chillers at flameout. Any temps over 170 degrees will sanitize as effectively here as boiling temps and not cause cavitation in the pump.
 
I've looked all over the interwebs today for a spare impeller. Williams Brewing is the only website that has a listing for one, but it's out of stock. I sent them an email asking for more info. Hopefully I'll get a response. Several other emails to retailers returned an answer of no.
If anyone knows where I can find one, I'd appreciate the assistance.
 
I reported the same issue some time ago (see post #47). No one had a spare impeller when I asked on brewing forum in my country, so I decided to contact Chinese supplier that I bought my pump originally from. After few messages, he sent me spare impeller. Maybe you could try this way.
As reasoned many times in this topic, since then I do not recirculate boiling wort. I start to do the whirlpool at flameout and it works ok.
 

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