Mounting chugger pumps on the stand. High or Low?

[homebrewdude76]

I see most people mount pumps low on the stand. Anyone mount them high on the stand?

Will I be more likely to have air issues?

 

[homebrewdude76]

Photos of mockup.

I will mount the pump the stand.

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[day_trippr]

Do you really want to pump into the vessel through the drain port?

Cheers!

 

[BBBF]

If your pump ever clogs or stops working, you'd be screwed without a valve before it.

 

[dmcman73]

I agree, you need a valve right off the drain port of the kettle. The way it is not, you won't be able to remove the pump from the kettle in the event it clogs or stops working.

Also, you have the outlet of the pump attached to the drain port of the kettle? Are you going to pump into that kettle or pump out? If pump out, you need to attach the drain port of the kettle to the center inlet port on your pump.

 

[EODtony]

Seems like he's bottom letting his mash, which I do and it works beautifully!

However, I agree he should have a valve for malfunctions. Also not sure what the plan is for recirculating his mash or transferring to boil with this setup.

 

[homebrewdude76]

I added the valve back and now new photos. I can have a short hose from the valve to the pump inlet. But my output would be pointed down. This would have issues with trapped air?

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[EODtony]

Just rotate the head on the front of the pump. It's just a matter of taking off those four screws on the front and putting it in the position you want and retightening the screws.

 

[dmcman73]

Rotate the head, remove the 4 screws, do not pull the pump head off, just rotate the head to the position you want it in, line up the mounting holes and insert the screws again.

 

[homebrewdude76]

I understood that I can rotate the head. but the valve up gets in the way of the hose. Maybe this is why people mount them low?

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[stonebrewer]

Not sure what you are trying to do completely. I stand my pumps up (vice laying them down as you are trying to do) and have them about 2 feet or so below my kettles. I have two pumps, one dedicated to water and one dedicated to wort. I use multiway valves to move the liquids around without having to change hoses. I flow wort through a RIMS as well as a plate chiller. Considering pushing water into the bottom of the MLT, but have not looked at what changes I would have to make to do that.

Nice looking rig though! Are those Stout kettles? I have the Stout mash tun and really like how it performs (other than the thermo, which is pretty useless). Cheers!

 

[homebrewdude76]

They are stout kettles.

Let me see what it would like like with the pumps vertical.

 

[PJM]

My experience has been that it works best to orient the pump head so that the inlet to the pump is pointing down towards the floor. Not sure if that helps in your setup or not.

 

[homebrewdude76]

PJM are those the side inlet or center inlet pumps? Center inlet seems odd pointed down.

 

[brick_haus]

The pumps mount low so there is more head pressure to help with priming and cavitation issues. The outlet should be higher than the inlet to let air make its way through the pump. Mounting a center inlet pump like yours vertically and as low as possible with the inlet facing straight down, in my opinion, would be ideal. You would want to eliminate as much turbulence near the inlet as possible though. Long sweeping ells or hoses.

 

[stonebrewer]

My inlet is facing up and I do not have issues with air/cavitation as long as I am patient and let the air escape before turning on the pumps. Once in a blue moon I might have to manipulate the hoses a little to get an extra burp, but it is rare and not an issue. Only times I have had cavitation have been when pushing boiling wort through without applying patience to let the air work its way out. Air usually works its ways out in 1-2 minutes or less. Having the pump inlet face down would mean a bend in the hose of 180 degrees which I think would cause more of an issue, and is why I decided to go with inlet up. That said, I have not tried it so if others are doing it successfully, then it should work as well. My experience with the pump straight up, inlet(s) on top, outlet(s) at 90 degrees, works very well and keeps my hoses from kinking or pinching. Only thing you have to watch out for is trapped air, which will work its way out. The pumps will also help push out air as well. RDWHAHB!

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I use a fairly simple approach which works well on my setup and it's easy to maintain and to use.

 

[DurtyChemist]

Rotating the head won't do anything for a center inlet pump other than make it a pain to work with in my opinion.

Mounting the pumps low ensures you will be able to prime the pump easier than if it was mounted high. I haven't had many times my center inlet wouldn't prime but it has happened. Typically it's my fault but I've always used gravity to fix it. Once the pump is primed it doesn't matter if it's below/above until the water source is almost empty.

I wouldn't pump into the drain other than to transfer wort into the kettle before boiling. After I'd ideally out in a whirl pool port setup.

 

[homebrewdude76]

I am going to temporarily mount to a board, then clamp to the bottom of my stand to try things out. Then permant mount to the stand. Maybe at a slight angle to allow draining.

 

[homebrewdude76]

Anyone see those stainless brackets it looks like the pump foot mount slips in on? Are they stable? Hold it enough to turn the valves?

 

[PJM]

PJM are those the side inlet or center inlet pumps? Center inlet seems odd pointed down.

Oh, sorry about that. Mine are the side inlet. Center inlet would seem odd pointing down.