Cheap compact wort pump

[Wolfairious]

I use it with a rims for recirculating or step mashing as I did yeasterday... Was able to step mash and bring my whole mash from 122 to 154 in about 15 minutes yesterday ended up with 83% efficiency on my ESB

I can see how it would be useful with a RIMS set up. But not without.
I have a Hot Rod Heat Stick, but I wouldn't use that in the mash as I doubt it would spread the heat out correctly.
Already starting to look at brew stands I can weld up this summer. Do I got Brutus 10 propane or look into electric... Decisions decisions... oh yeah, and money....

 

[augiedoggy]

I can see how it would be useful with a RIMS set up. But not without.
I have a Hot Rod Heat Stick, but I wouldn't use that in the mash as I doubt it would spread the heat out correctly.
Already starting to look at brew stands I can weld up this summer. Do I got Brutus 10 propane or look into electric... Decisions decisions... oh yeah, and money....

Herms would be another (cheap) alternative.

 

[Paps]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=468563

 

[scaesare]

Well, I haven't read through all 8237+ posts in this thread but I ended up using the same pump and PWM controller referenced in several posts here and elsewhere. Appreciate folks sharing their ideas.

Plumbed it all in to a project box. I grabbed a 24V DC supply I had from another piece of equipment, and added a DC power jack on the side. Added some SS QD's, and here she is:

 

[Wolfairious]

Well, I haven't read through all 8237+ posts in this thread but I ended up using the same pump and PWM controller referenced in several posts here and elsewhere. Appreciate folks sharing their ideas.

Plumbed it all in to a project box. I grabbed a 24V DC supply I had from another piece of equipment, and added a DC power jack on the side. Added some SS QD's, and here she is:

Got a pic of the inside? Trying to figure out how you got the 'in' and 'out' on the same side of that little box. Since the pump has them in a 'L' configuration.

 

[Peruvian802]

So has there been a final agreement on the small black pumps? It seems everyone is moving to the tan pumps instead.

 

[scaesare]

Got a pic of the inside? Trying to figure out how you got the 'in' and 'out' on the same side of that little box. Since the pump has them in a 'L' configuration.

Not currently... I'll try and crack it open and get one...

 

[KPSquared]

So, how much into that whole little box? PWM, Power Supply, Pumps, box etc?

 

[Wolfairious]

So, how much into that whole little box? PWM, Power Supply, Pumps, box etc?

I am guessing something similar in costs to mine:

Pump $17.31:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/36116338235...49&var=630516827839&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
PWM $8.55:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-6-30V-12...333969?hash=item21074be091:g:MoEAAMXQyY1TWMQa
Power Supply $11.45
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-Strip-1...hash=item3f584197b4:m:m2a-sdFK6dvz6aPa_WrlxQw
Box ??
I put just the controller in a box like this $6.88:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_10008-223-E989NNJL_1z0xc70__?productId=3127463&pl=1

So around $45
I had the power supply already though.

 

[scaesare]

So, how much into that whole little box? PWM, Power Supply, Pumps, box etc?

Not a big eBay fan, prefer to shop Amazon w/ Prime when possible... although you can save a buck here and there on eBay, I find the headache often not worth it.

For me:

24V Pump- $21

PWM controller: $15

QD's- $4 ea.

Project box: $7

CPVC parts/washers: ~$4

Power supply & connectors: $free (I had in my parts bins)


So somewhere in the neighborhood of $55.

 

[scaesare]

Got a pic of the inside? Trying to figure out how you got the 'in' and 'out' on the same side of that little box. Since the pump has them in a 'L' configuration.

Here you go...

I opted to not mount the pump via the bracket for two reasons:

1) I needed to rotate it at an angle to get the outlet aimed correctly
2) The threaded inlet collar is beefier than the plastic mounting base anyway

Because the clearance of the outlet didn't allow the CPVC elbow to fit, I used my heat gun to form the connecting piece. This allowed me to mount the QD's directly to the threaded portions of the pump and the CPVC connector to act as bulkhead fittings thru the project box wall using some large OD washers to firm things up as that's where there will be pressure on the box to insert/release the QD's etc...

The connecting piece of CPVC appears more collapsed at the angle in the pic than it does in person. In any case, the inner diameter of the pump outlet is actually smaller than the ID of the CPVC, so there's no real restriction. I tested the pump flow after it was all plumbed together, and it was nowdifferent that when running solo.

The pump PWM controller, on/off switch, and speed adjust pot all mount directly on the lid. The power connector is epoxied in the lower left corner.

Hope this helps

 

[augiedoggy]

As mentioned the stuff is cheaper on ebay than amazon I find it easier to sort by price on ebay myself. The pumps start at $18 on ebay and the pwm controller shown above is less than $9 shipped here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131147152783?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

The frequency of that pwm controller is 16khz so it will get the motor a louder humming noise than a 22+khz pwm controller which may control the motor better as well... I use 24khz ones that cost $6 but dont have the fancy pwm% meter... I use a flowmeter to measure flow since the pwm knob is too touchy and unreliable.

The box is neat but It would seem to me it would make priming the pump more difficult and if you ever spring a leak you canl have a scary mess. Some will argue it would make cleaninga mess but I found the pumps dont need to be disassembled to be cleaned... I run pbw through them and they are designed to be submersable so you could drop them in starsan if you were using them on the cold side after the boil.

 

[scaesare]

As mentioned the stuff is cheaper on ebay than amazon I find it easier to sort by price on ebay myself. The pumps start at $18 on ebay and the pwm controller shown above is less than $9 shipped here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131147152783?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

The frequency of that pwm controller is 16khz so it will get the motor a louder humming noise than a 22+khz pwm controller which may control the motor better as well... I use 24khz ones that cost $6 but dont have the fancy pwm% meter... I use a flowmeter to measure flow since the pwm knob is too touchy and unreliable.

The box is neat but It would seem to me it would make priming the pump more difficult and if you ever spring a leak you canl have a scary mess. Some will argue it would make cleaninga mess but I found the pumps dont need to be disassembled to be cleaned... I run pbw through them and they are designed to be submersable so you could drop them in starsan if you were using them on the cold side after the boil.

Like I said, the few bucks I'd save aren't worth it for me.. but glad you enjoy eBay.

As for the other stuff... all the parts are practically disposable, and the entire thing takes only a few minutes to take apart. So if something fails, clogs etc.. .it's not a big deal to up it open and clean/replace a part.

So far running ~40 gallons of hot and cold liquid through it and no leaks/problems. Run some StarSan through it to clean the pump/lines/fittings on the pump as well as my tun and kettle, and it's as clean as a whistle.

Some reports suggest they only last for 20-40 hours of use. For me that will be 3-5 years of brewing. I'd be more than happy to pony up the $20 for a replacement pump after that time.

Oh, and after listening to a jet burner for a couple of hours, I'd suggest a little PWM noise is the least of issues.... doesn't everybody have some good tunes cranked up while brewing anyway?

But thanks for the... uh.. "feedback".

-sc

 

[orangehero]

As far as I can tell those tan pumps are not designed to be submersible. You can see that the cables and rear of the motor are not sealed.

There are black ones that are submersible but they are completely sealed and are advertised as such.

 

[gromitdj]

As far as I can tell those tan pumps are not designed to be submersible. You can see that the cables and rear of the motor are not sealed.

There are black ones that are submersible but they are completely sealed and are advertised as such.

The tan pump that I bought is also listed as submersible...

12V Tan Pump

 

[Mojzis]

Yeah the tan ones can be submersed. Never had an issue. The wires are sealed to the pump with an epoxy and a silicone cover.

 

[augiedoggy]

As far as I can tell those tan pumps are not designed to be submersible. You can see that the cables and rear of the motor are not sealed.

There are black ones that are submersible but they are completely sealed and are advertised as such.

The 7 tan pumps I have are sealed and submersible... the cord is only 12" long so they are not meant to go deep but if cord was sealed correctly where it was wired to the extension it could be done.

 

[augiedoggy]

Like I said, the few bucks I'd save aren't worth it for me.. but glad you enjoy eBay.

As for the other stuff... all the parts are practically disposable, and the entire thing takes only a few minutes to take apart. So if something fails, clogs etc.. .it's not a big deal to up it open and clean/replace a part.

So far running ~40 gallons of hot and cold liquid through it and no leaks/problems. Run some StarSan through it to clean the pump/lines/fittings on the pump as well as my tun and kettle, and it's as clean as a whistle.

Some reports suggest they only last for 20-40 hours of use. For me that will be 3-5 years of brewing. I'd be more than happy to pony up the $20 for a replacement pump after that time.

Oh, and after listening to a jet burner for a couple of hours, I'd suggest a little PWM noise is the least of issues.... doesn't everybody have some good tunes cranked up while brewing anyway?

But thanks for the... uh.. "feedback".

-sc

Well the "feedback" was from 3 years of using 7 of these... I can tell you from both my experience and many others here if you dont do a good job of pre filtering with these pumps they will constantly jam up on you... and then all the additional time to took to enclose the pump into your electrical panel and add the additional bends might not seem like the best idea...The pumps also get very hot when pumping hot liquid and submersing them when doing this is not recommended for that application so not really sure how well they will like being enclosed in a small box... It probably wont have an effect but its worth mentioning.

and just to be clear here. My comments were meant for others since I'm sure you dont care to hear this, I have no idea what "a few" might mean to some but it means 3 or close to it to me and the savings are more like $10-15 like I mentioned the pwm controller alone is like 45% cheaper on ebay. Just trying to make that clear for others since some are squeezing every penny they spend past the SWMBO..

 

[scaesare]

...the SWMBO..

Well there's your problem right there...

 

[Wolfairious]

I plan to use mine mounted directly to my keggle's output valve via Cam locks. Like this pic (but not threaded direct to the valve). Mostly going to start out using mine to transfer water from my HLT to my mash tun. Then use a 2nd one hooked to a whirlpool arm to help cool my wort with my immersion chiller.

Or better yet, found a pic that shows them with cam locks

 

[scaesare]

Sweet... I do likes me a camlock or quick-disconnect fitting...

 

[jcoxen]

Has anyone tried one of the higher volume pumps such as this 5.2 gpm one or this 3.2 gpm one? I'm curious how they well they work and what the white box is for.

 

[scaesare]

Hmmm... seeing as they appear to be the same build and size as the other pumps discussed, I find it odd they are rating them for 20L/min @ 12VDC when the others are rated for 10L/min @ 24VDC.

I am using one of the 24V Yasoo Pumps and my pumping speed with no head pressure is right indeed at about 10L/min.

Maybe that box contains magic.

On edit: interesting... zooming in on the label says that pump draws 3.5A @ 12V. The one I've seen draws 500ma...

 

[PlexVector]

As mentioned the stuff is cheaper on ebay than amazon I find it easier to sort by price on ebay myself. The pumps start at $18 on ebay and the pwm controller shown above is less than $9 shipped here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131147152783?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

The frequency of that pwm controller is 16khz so it will get the motor a louder humming noise than a 22+khz pwm controller which may control the motor better as well... I use 24khz ones that cost $6 but dont have the fancy pwm% meter... I use a flowmeter to measure flow since the pwm knob is too touchy and unreliable.

You can just barely hear the hum and I've found it useful to gauge priming and if it looses prime by the sound. Not that bad actually...but I agree totally with you.

 

[jcoxen]

Hmmm... seeing as they appear to be the same build and size as the other pumps discussed, I find it odd they are rating them for 20L/min @ 12VDC when the others are rated for 10L/min @ 24VDC.

I am using one of the 24V Yasoo Pumps and my pumping speed with no head pressure is right indeed at about 10L/min.

Maybe that box contains magic.

On edit: interesting... zooming in on the label says that pump draws 3.5A @ 12V. The one I've seen draws 500ma...

Yeah, I noticed that, too. And 1.5A for the other one. So they draw more power. Higher RPM maybe through a step-up transformer in the white box?

 

[scaesare]

Yeah, I noticed that, too. And 1.5A for the other one. So they draw more power. Higher RPM maybe through a step-up transformer in the white box?

Well, except that transformers work on AC, not DC.. and that whole affair is listed as a 12VDC setup.. which is what I assume the input to the magic box is. Or that box is a 12VDC power supply that takes 120VAC in or something...

So I dunno. I have a hard time believing that thing is capable of 7X the current disappation and 4X the flow rate at the same voltage.

Perhaps playing fast & loose with the specs...?

 

[jcoxen]

Well, except that transformers work on AC, not DC.. and that whole affair is listed as a 12VDC setup.. which is what I assume the input to the magic box is. Or that box is a 12VDC power supply that takes 120VAC in or something...

Sorry, been a while since I had to deal with DC power. Boost converter, not transformer.

So I dunno. I have a hard time believing that thing is capable of 7X the current disappation and 4X the flow rate at the same voltage.

Perhaps playing fast & loose with the specs...?

Yep, kinda what I was wondering about. But false advertising? Really? No! </smart@ss mode off>

 

[augiedoggy]

Well there's your problem right there...

I dont have one to worry about... I'm just saying theres just as many people here who are tight on money as the ones that arent. To some $15 might be a drop in the bucket but when we are comparing items where the most expensive component starts at $18 I think the savings can end up going a long way... I for one use 3 pumps plumbed into my setup with camlocks and controlled with pwm controllers... The savings on just those 3 controllers would have added up to $25.. with the pumps We would be close to $35.. Just trying to point out it adds up quick. anyway, I'm beating a dead horse so I'll let it rest.

 

[augiedoggy]

Yeah, I noticed that, too. And 1.5A for the other one. So they draw more power. Higher RPM maybe through a step-up transformer in the white box?

I linked those pumps a few times before hoping someone would try them... The 3.5a motor would simply be a more powerful motor as far as I can tell unless its actually the 36v version (they do make a 36v version according to the manufacturer) and the white box is a step up transformer/ boost as mentioned those take the additional amperage and convert it to higher voltage. someone with one would need to test the incoming voltage.

I upgraded my 3 12v pumps to the cheaper $18 24v ones and it was a worthwhile upgrade... close to a gallon more per minute.

 

[jcoxen]

I linked those pumps a few times before hoping someone would try them... The 3.5a motor would simply be a more powerful motor as far as I can tell unless its actually the 36v version (they do make a 36v version according to the manufacturer) and the white box is a step up transformer/ boost as mentioned those take the additional amperage and convert it to higher voltage. someone with one would need to test the incoming voltage.

I upgraded my 3 12v pumps to the cheaper $18 24v ones and it was a worthwhile upgrade... close to a gallon more per minute.

I sent a message to the eBay seller asking how this pump managed 5.2 GPM. My question and the seller's response is below...

New message to: comelili
This pump looks nearly identical to pumps rated at 2.1 GPM. How does this pump achieve 5.2 GPM?

Also, what is the white box attached to the power leads?

New message from: comelili Top Rated Seller(70,544PurpleShooting Star)
Thank you for your message.
The 2 pumps are different. And the white box included in this pump is a power converter to provide enough power for the pump.

Jolin

I've asked him for a picture of the inside of the white box. I'll post it here if they send one.