Pump Suggestions?

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ChefyTim

ChefyTim

SudsChef
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Hey, I am in the planning phase of a single tier brew rig and am looking for a pump. The pump will be on the second shelf below the BK, HLT and MT. I was wondering since the pump will be below the liquid(s) do I really need a self priming pump?

I am looking for suggestions for a good pump and where I can find it.

Also, will one pump be enough or should I get two? I was thinking of using a ton of quick disconnects.

Thanks,
Tim
 
Here's what you need: the March 809 magnetic impeller pump

march1.jpg


Scroll down the page at this link: NORTHERN BREWER: All-Grain Equipment


It's not self priming. There are plenty of links about how to situate it in your brew sculpture.
 
Not the prettiest girl at the party but at a quarter of the price of the March it may be worth looking into. EdBees used it and said it works great but there is the problem of having to get 12 volts to it. I'm planning on using an old power supply. Also, I just picked mine up today and it was only $29.99.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
 
Acidjazz54 said:
Not the prettiest girl at the party but at a quarter of the price of the March it may be worth looking into. EdBees used it and said it works great but there is the problem of having to get 12 volts to it. I'm planning on using an old power supply. Also, I just picked mine up today and it was only $29.99.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
Click to expand...

Lowest Prices or is that Lowest Quality?

On the harborfreight.com posted above that pump is listed at $39.99 not $29.99.
Should it take a dump or start leaking try to get parts for it I bet made in China and how long waiting for shipping? I can see it now, we out of business "So Sorry".

The reply post before this shows a March with cord and plug vs cord only seen many times plus has the steel mounting base. One HBT member was surprised when his pump came without a base. Remember to also check on the voltage as many come at 230 volt unless you plan on using 230 vs 115 volt in your brewery build. Magnetic no seal leaks can't be beat just wish they would lower the price like 30-$40 each.
 
The March is a work horse! I have that thing running for 1 and sometimes as long as 1.5 HOURS at a time. I have used mine for the last 2+ years without a problem.****Knocks on wood****
You can't go wrong!
IMHO
JJ
 
SSRider said:
Adventures in home brewing is selling the same pump with a brass head for 125. I just got mine yesterday.

march%20pump.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow. Not bad. Anyone ever have a the original hard plastic (?) pump head wear out?

Morebeer.com sells the same March 809 pump with a stainless steel head for $325.

5492.jpg


Quote: "A Stainless Steel pump housing is food-grade and nearly indestructable. Exact same internal pump as our H315 but with a stainless steel housing. Stainless steel is professional breweries material of choice because it is a durable, food-grade metal that can withstand caustic chemicals and be effectively sanitized. 3/4" mpt on center inlet. 1/2" mpt outlet."

It's considerably more money but I'm tempted.

Kal
 
Acidjazz54 said:
Not the prettiest girl at the party but at a quarter of the price of the March it may be worth looking into. EdBees used it and said it works great but there is the problem of having to get 12 volts to it. I'm planning on using an old power supply. Also, I just picked mine up today and it was only $29.99.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
Click to expand...

I've looked at that pump before and been tempted, but it is not rated for boil temps (though as you mentioned it seems to work).

I bought a taco-bronze circulator pump on e-bay for ~$50. It is rated for the temperature but getting it to prime is horrible and the flow is not great. If I had to do it over I'd probably just save up for the march 809 pump. If I didn't have the money I'd try your harbor freight pump though.

What does everyone do to clean the water out of your pump/lines at the end of a brew day?
 
Two March pumps for me, great little pumps, pain to prime though. You get used to their unwillingness to prime and find tricks to get them going. I run hot water then star san through mine at the beginning and end of a brew day.
 
Well, thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I have looked at the March pumps and see ones with a plastic, stainless or bronze housing.

Is it worth the extra $30 to get the bronze housing or will the plastic work and last? Didn't see the price for the stainless one but I'm sure its much more.

http://www.pumpvendor.com/March_809_815_series.html

Thanks
 
p4ck37p1mp said:
Two March pumps for me, great little pumps, pain to prime though. You get used to their unwillingness to prime and find tricks to get them going. I run hot water then star san through mine at the beginning and end of a brew day.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's because I mounted my pump upside down or what, but I have never had a problem w/ it priming. Thank goodness, because I have it running off a float switch that I walk away from ALL THE TIME. The damn thing just goes and goes and goes.
 
ChefyTim said:
Well, thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I have looked at the March pumps and see ones with a plastic, stainless or bronze housing.

Is it worth the extra $30 to get the bronze housing or will the plastic work and last? Didn't see the price for the stainless one but I'm sure its much more.

March 809 815 Series Mag-Drive Centrifugal Pumps

Thanks
Click to expand...

Look at post 3
 
Jaybird said:
I don't know if it's because I mounted my pump upside down or what, but I have never had a problem w/ it priming. Thank goodness, because I have it running off a float switch that I walk away from ALL THE TIME. The damn thing just goes and goes and goes.
Click to expand...

As in turning the head 90 degrees so intake is pointing down? Thats how I have mine. I still have occasional issues.
 
Acidjazz54 said:
Not the prettiest girl at the party but at a quarter of the price of the March it may be worth looking into. EdBees used it and said it works great but there is the problem of having to get 12 volts to it. I'm planning on using an old power supply. Also, I just picked mine up today and it was only $29.99.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about this again, it may be worth the $30-40 to get it and hook a power supply to it, and run boiling water through for a few hours to see if it melts, or gives the water off-flavors.

The housing is stainless, I just don't know what the impeller is, or if it would leak past the seals.
 
con,

I actually picked one up already and plan to test it soon. I will post my findings once I get the power supply and whatnot. edBees said he has one and has ran boiling water through his and said he hasn't noticed anything. I will post my findings.
 
I'm a big fan of my march pump... We broke it in at the Utopia Brew at PaulTheNurse's house. We figured out (more so confirmed) that if you put the intake pointing down, it primes much faster. Now I'm going to work on mounting mine in a small tool box until I build my sculpture...
 
Sweet! Thanks for doing the research on this. My pump is really hard to prime, I'd like something that is self priming of course. I just wish I knew what the impeller was made of, the housing is SS so I'm not worried about that part.
 
kal said:
Wow. Not bad. Anyone ever have a the original hard plastic (?) pump head wear out?

Morebeer.com sells the same March 809 pump with a stainless steel head for $325.

5492.jpg


Quote: "A Stainless Steel pump housing is food-grade and nearly indestructable. Exact same internal pump as our H315 but with a stainless steel housing. Stainless steel is professional breweries material of choice because it is a durable, food-grade metal that can withstand caustic chemicals and be effectively sanitized. 3/4" mpt on center inlet. 1/2" mpt outlet."

It's considerably more money but I'm tempted.

Kal
Click to expand...

If you go that far you might as well get the stainless pump with the sanitary connections for $70 more.

Pro Series Stainless Steel Pump | MoreBeer
 
I've heard that the sanitary connections are a pain to clean. IMHO, I don't think it's needed. Was only thinking of getting the stainless head for durability. I'm heavily leaning towards the regular 'plastic' pump though.

Kal
 
I have one of those HF 12v marine pumps. I powered it off a motorcycle battery to run my IC ice water recirc. It is noisy and gets hot even with 32F water running through it. I bought a 115v submersible to replace it. Now no worries in that area.

I'm curious as to how well and safe the marine pump works compared to the March 809. The marine pump isn't rated for boiling or even hot temps.

I'm considering a March pump or two...
 
Based on the March web site. I think most of the priming issues can be traced to 2 things.

1. The input house should be 3/4" and the output 1/2 inch. That is from the March site
2. On my mash tun, the manifold for straining the grain seems to reduce head pressure on the pump input and slows priming because air from the manifold gets trapped in the line.

I am going to guess that those with no priming issues use a false bottom of some kind and those with priming issues use a copper/pvc manifold with holes or slits.

Linc
 
Does anyone have Pros/Cons on the Center inlet vs the Side inlet? The center style is ~$7 less than the side inlet and comes with the bracket and 6' cord minus plug from Tescopumps.com


Primary: Alt Bier Sticke Style
Secondary 1: Bolens Irish Red
Secondary 2: Beamish Clone
Secondary 3: Jamaican Voodoo Stout (lagering)
Keg 1: Pirate Flag Porter
Keg 2: Belgian Pale
Bottle Conditioning: Belgian Strong Ale 10%
 
After my troubles with pumps I should have just gone with the March 809 in the first place, oriented it so that the inlet is on the bottom to help with the prime. Brewmaster's warehouse has a good price on them, plus there is a coupon code in BYO magazine for them.
 
Well, that's just it, the center is in the center and the side can be mounted with the inlet at the bottom. I figure that the most important part is that the outlet is at the top for air to escape, which is how the center inlet style is configured. I will probably be ordering them today from Tesco, $116.99 each and $10 shipping.
 
Well, i wrote Harbor Freight about their pump they said:
"The impeller is made of nitrile rubber
The recommended maximum water temperature would be 110 degree F".
I bought one the last time they were on sale because I "just gots to know". I took it apart and it has an impeller of very hard plastic with some fins that I presume are nitrile. The pump face gasket looks pretty cheesy and will get replaced. The o ring behind the impeller looks to be rubber, possibly nitrile or butyl. I did a wikipedia look up on food grade rubber and both as well as viton seem to be a possibility. I plan on pumping some 180F water to see if it will stand up. In the interim, will somebody check with March and see what their impellers are made of. For the size and price of the little marine pumps, there should be a workable solution. I will talk with a couple of machine shops and see what they recommend for materials. When I get squared away, I'll let ya'll know. Dwain
 
I guess I should have referred to the fact that I about inquiring on the best head input type for a March 809 series pump. When you are dealing with something you will be putting time and money into like beer, I see no reason to cheap out on Harbor Freight junk. We know March pumps are quality and made of the proper material. I was just wondering if the Center inlet or the Side inlet was better. It seems as long as the output is on the top, the rest is just preference.
 
ChefyTim said:
Hey, I am in the planning phase of a single tier brew rig and am looking for a pump. The pump will be on the second shelf below the BK, HLT and MT. I was wondering since the pump will be below the liquid(s) do I really need a self priming pump?

I am looking for suggestions for a good pump and where I can find it.

Also, will one pump be enough or should I get two? I was thinking of using a ton of quick disconnects.

Thanks,
Tim
Click to expand...

I think I am alone on this board when it comes to March pumps - I think they blow. All of the pain you need to go through to prime them and if you develop one tiny air leak in you line it loses prime. You need to be careful how you position them or they don't work.

I like my peristaltic pump. It was expensive but I don't have to prime it and tiny air leaks don't bother it at all. I know for a fact it is clean because I can see through the hose; if for some reason I find it isn't clean I can easily and cheaply swap out the hose. Plus I can place it above all that liquid which means I drastically lower my chances of electrocution.

One down side is that they are real expensive and they move only about 2 gallons a minute (which means my brew day is like 5 minutes longer).
 
JVD_X said:
I think I am alone on this board when it comes to March pumps - I think they blow. All of the pain you need to go through to prime them and if you develop one tiny air leak in you line it loses prime. You need to be careful how you position them or they don't work.

I like my peristaltic pump. It was expensive but I don't have to prime it and tiny air leaks don't bother it at all. I know for a fact it is clean because I can see through the hose; if for some reason I find it isn't clean I can easily and cheaply swap out the hose. Plus I can place it above all that liquid which means I drastically lower my chances of electrocution.

One down side is that they are real expensive and they move only about 2 gallons a minute (which means my brew day is like 5 minutes longer).
Click to expand...

Oh if I had the money that's the way I'd go, I just have enough invested in the brew-rig right now, maybe someday when I find a deal on ebay...
 
Anyone know a march pump supplier in Canada? Damn US exchange and shipping is a killer right now.

What else is in the same league as march? On a budget but don't want to buy a self destructing POS.

Princess auto has a "proven Pump" with an upgrade kit for high temp but I can't tell if it's food grade. It uses a "Hydrin" impeller. Don't know anything about "proven pumps" quality either.
 
JVD_X said:
I think I am alone on this board when it comes to March pumps - I think they blow. All of the pain you need to go through to prime them and if you develop one tiny air leak in you line it loses prime. You need to be careful how you position them or they don't work.

I like my peristaltic pump. It was expensive but I don't have to prime it and tiny air leaks don't bother it at all. I know for a fact it is clean because I can see through the hose; if for some reason I find it isn't clean I can easily and cheaply swap out the hose. Plus I can place it above all that liquid which means I drastically lower my chances of electrocution.

One down side is that they are real expensive and they move only about 2 gallons a minute (which means my brew day is like 5 minutes longer).
Click to expand...

Hmmm, are those the pumps similar to the ones hospitals use for dialysis, etc?
 
Dwain said:
Well, i wrote Harbor Freight about their pump they said:
"The impeller is made of nitrile rubber
The recommended maximum water temperature would be 110 degree F".
I bought one the last time they were on sale because I "just gots to know". I took it apart and it has an impeller of very hard plastic with some fins that I presume are nitrile. The pump face gasket looks pretty cheesy and will get replaced. The o ring behind the impeller looks to be rubber, possibly nitrile or butyl. I did a wikipedia look up on food grade rubber and both as well as viton seem to be a possibility. I plan on pumping some 180F water to see if it will stand up. In the interim, will somebody check with March and see what their impellers are made of. For the size and price of the little marine pumps, there should be a workable solution. I will talk with a couple of machine shops and see what they recommend for materials. When I get squared away, I'll let ya'll know. Dwain
Click to expand...

Dwain,

My suggestion would be to replace the nitrile rubber vanes with silicone rubber. You can purchase the rubber from McMaster and it will withstand 250+ Deg F. This should be plenty. You should be able to get the gasket from there as well. I will tear mine apart in the next few days and possibly order the silicone replacements. Still waiting on my parts for my power supply (d*&n china orders).

Dave
 
Well I guess I'll be ordering an 809 from adv in HB'ing. Damn exchange rate is killing me. I suppose our dollar will sky rocket the day after the order.

They have 2 pumps listed. the one for 125 is the lower GpH model. The regular 1/25 hp is $135. Both of those are brass and that's the cheapest I've seen anywhere for a brass head model.

Now to get my damn tubing sorted out.

Oh and for the record, I tried one of those Princess Auto "little giant poney pump"s and they are ****. They are only menat for 15 min use with a 45 min cooloff even with the "high temp" kit. I thought I could use one till I get my 809.
 

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