Mtn_Brewer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 177
- Reaction score
- 46
I decided I needed another pump in my system and I decided to try the Chugger pump steelhead out. I wanted a modular unit that I could use for multiple purposes, so I decided to follow the recent "pump in a box" trend using a 50 cal ammo box I got at the local surplus store. I used a reducer on the central inlet, which fit snuggly against the front of the box and attached to the male side of a quick-connect. I used stainless elbows, ball valve, pipes and nipples from Bargain Fittings for the rest of the plumbing. It fit together amazingly well with no leaks and no hammering to get things in. I wired it so the fan would always be on when it is plugged in and used a toggle switch to control the pump. I was very pleased with how it initially turned out, but then came the testing/trouble shooting.
I have a March pump that I've used in my RIMS control box for quite some time without a problem but I was curious to see if the more affordable Chugger pump would work as well. The last photo in the set is the inside of my RIMS control box. It uses a 4 inch conputer fan for cooling. I read about some people having issues with the Chugger overheating when put in a small box, so I initially used a 3 inch computer fan, thinking that if a 4 inch worked for a large tool box than a 3 inch should surely work for an ammo box. I was sorely mistaken. In 80 degree weather, I tried to pump 130 degree cleaning solution through the box and it started overheating almost immediately. I could barely touch the Chugger pump it was so hot in about 5 minutes and by ~ 15 minutes, it had overheated and the internal thermal switch shut off the motor. I was a little bummed but still determined to make it work. I "went big" and found a 240 CFM AC 6 inch computer fan from Frozen CPU and installed it as shown. I kept the 3 inch fan in the front. I gave it another run today. In 80 degree temps, I ran it for 15 minutes with boiling water running through it at a very low rate. The pipes got to about 165 degree on the exterior but the pump temp stayed about 110. I used a thermopen to measure temps. I turned off the burner and then opened the pump to full throttle. The pipes got up to ~ 180 degree but the chugger only got up to ~ 121. As soon as the temp of the water started coming down, so did the temp of the pump. By the time the water temp got down to 140, the pump was down to ~ 110. For comparison, I ran a similar experiment on my March pump and with only the 4 inch computer fan, the pump temp only went up to ~ 108 degrees.
Bottom line, I like it. My sense is that the Chugger runs hotter than the March but I can't be exactly sure as the two boxes are clearly different. This biuld does show, however, that with adequate (so would say overkill) ventilation that a Chugger in a small box, pumping at boiling temps will still work.
Thoughts?
I have a March pump that I've used in my RIMS control box for quite some time without a problem but I was curious to see if the more affordable Chugger pump would work as well. The last photo in the set is the inside of my RIMS control box. It uses a 4 inch conputer fan for cooling. I read about some people having issues with the Chugger overheating when put in a small box, so I initially used a 3 inch computer fan, thinking that if a 4 inch worked for a large tool box than a 3 inch should surely work for an ammo box. I was sorely mistaken. In 80 degree weather, I tried to pump 130 degree cleaning solution through the box and it started overheating almost immediately. I could barely touch the Chugger pump it was so hot in about 5 minutes and by ~ 15 minutes, it had overheated and the internal thermal switch shut off the motor. I was a little bummed but still determined to make it work. I "went big" and found a 240 CFM AC 6 inch computer fan from Frozen CPU and installed it as shown. I kept the 3 inch fan in the front. I gave it another run today. In 80 degree temps, I ran it for 15 minutes with boiling water running through it at a very low rate. The pipes got to about 165 degree on the exterior but the pump temp stayed about 110. I used a thermopen to measure temps. I turned off the burner and then opened the pump to full throttle. The pipes got up to ~ 180 degree but the chugger only got up to ~ 121. As soon as the temp of the water started coming down, so did the temp of the pump. By the time the water temp got down to 140, the pump was down to ~ 110. For comparison, I ran a similar experiment on my March pump and with only the 4 inch computer fan, the pump temp only went up to ~ 108 degrees.
Bottom line, I like it. My sense is that the Chugger runs hotter than the March but I can't be exactly sure as the two boxes are clearly different. This biuld does show, however, that with adequate (so would say overkill) ventilation that a Chugger in a small box, pumping at boiling temps will still work.
Thoughts?