Chugger Pump not pumping

[diniz]

Hello Guys,

I finally finished to build my HERMS system.
I bought 2 Chugger Pumps and Cam Lock fittings on brewers hardware. Also, I bought a BCS-460 controller.
My system is presented on the pictures attached, as well as the project I built.

The system is:
* 3 kettles (Hot Liquor Tank, Mash Tun, Boil Kettle)
* The hoses are ID 3/4”
* Cam Lock fittings on the kettles (High Flow)
* Barbed fittings on the pumps

But, it happens that one of the pumps is working really well, but the other one is not pumping. I'll give you more informations below:

* Pump on the left (let's call it PUMP A): It's working really well.
- There is a "Tee" with a ball valve on the inlet

* Pump on the right (let's call it PUMP B): It's not pumping
- There are two "Tee" and a ball valve on the inlet
- If I change only the housing of the pump, putting the housing of the PUMP A, it works well. If I put the impeller of the PUMP A on the housing of the PUMP B it doesn`t pump. But, if I use the impeller of the PUMP B on the housing of the PUMP A, the PUMP A still works really well.
- I am not running dry the system.
- The impeller is not broken
- I tried to remove all the "Tees" of the inlet, but still not pumping

I have no idea why this is happening.
Can you guys help me how can I fix the pump?
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,

 

[jafo28]

Is the pump not running, or just not moving liquid?

I had a problem with mine that it would hum but nothing was turning. I found that the housing(black part) behind the pump head(stainless part) wasn't totally tight and by twisting it just a little bit and tightening the screws the pump ran and pumped fine. Not sure if this helps, but it was a problem I had with a brand new pump.

 

[Zzyzx3]

From what I can gather, it sounds like it might be an issue with the housing of pump b that is the problem? I might try what jafo28 recommended doing to make sure the screws are tight.

Another thing that might cause issues in the future that caught my eye is the placement of ball valves on the inlets of the pumps. Usually you want the valves on the outlets to control flow so you don't starve the pumps. Just thought I would mention it because I wasn't sure from the pictures if there were valves on the outlets to help control flow.

 

[diniz]

Is the pump not running, or just not moving liquid?

I had a problem with mine that it would hum but nothing was turning. I found that the housing(black part) behind the pump head(stainless part) wasn't totally tight and by twisting it just a little bit and tightening the screws the pump ran and pumped fine. Not sure if this helps, but it was a problem I had with a brand new pump.

Thanks @jafo28 for the quick answer.
The pump is not moving the liquid. If I turn on the pump without the stailess steel part I can see the motor runing ok.
Before you tight the screws you ckecked if the motor was running?
I'm gonna try what you suggested and see if this solve the problem.

 

[diniz]

From what I can gather, it sounds like it might be an issue with the housing of pump b that is the problem? I might try what jafo28 recommended doing to make sure the screws are tight.

Another thing that might cause issues in the future that caught my eye is the placement of ball valves on the inlets of the pumps. Usually you want the valves on the outlets to control flow so you don't starve the pumps. Just thought I would mention it because I wasn't sure from the pictures if there were valves on the outlets to help control flow.

Thanks for your attention.

The ball valves you see on the manifolds are not to control the flow, but only to change the direction of the flow. Like, I can recirculate the wort with the Pump A and after I can do lautering with the Pump B.
I don't think the length of the manifolds is the problem, because I tested the pump connecting the kettle directly to it and got the same problem.

 

[diniz]

Hello guys,

I bought those pumps and all connections on Brewers Hardware. By the way, this is the best website to buy homebrewing equipments.

I asked for help for the guys of the website and they promptly told me that it may be a problem on the head and they are sending a new one.

I really enjoyed the way they cared about my problem.

Thanks for all guys that tried to help me here on the forum.

Special thanks to Curtis of Brewers Hardware.

 

[SamBrew]

Beautiful brewing system! I have a Chugger pump that works great, but there was a learning curve associated with using it. My ball valve is on the output side, and must be used for throttling the flow. When I run the pump with the ball valve fully open, the pump cavitates and flow stops. The pump cavitates because the inlet pressure is low. To restore flow, the pump must be shut down, then the outflow partially closed, and the pump can be restarted. Also, make sure the pump is primed by tilting it if necessary to get any air bubbles out of the intake. Finally, put a few drops of oil in the lube hole over the rear bearing of the pump motor before each use.

I suspect the pump that is working normally has an inlet pressure that is a little higher than the pump that is not pumping. I believe that if you put a ball valve on the outlet side of Pump B, and run the pump with the valve partially closed, it will work fine.

 

[SamBrew]

Another thought that occurred to me after reviewing your pictures is that the inlet pressure to Pump B might be low because of the T-fitting on the inlet side. If you close off the T with a valve so that the inlet flow is straight in, it may eliminate your problem.

 

[ontum]

Another thought that occurred to me after reviewing your pictures is that the inlet pressure to Pump B might be low because of the T-fitting on the inlet side. If you close off the T with a valve so that the inlet flow is straight in, it may eliminate your problem.

I agree. In looking at the orientation of the ball valves and tees, there isn't a way to close off the other side of the inlet tee. So I think this would draw in air and cause the pump to lose prime. Plus water or wort would also make its way into the unused side of the inlet tee and hose and get trapped.

Just my thoughts,
Craig

 

[paledragon]

you likely need ball valves on the pump outlets as well. i built a CIP system with a center inlet chugger using 1" ID tubing, 1' length tubing on the inlet side, and 3' tubing on the outlet (in other words, tubing restrictions were not a problem). when i first turned it on, i got zero flow. after adding a ball valve on the outlet, starting the pump with the valve shut, and then slowly opening the valve, all worked fine.

depending on their setups, others may not experience this issue, but i'd give that a whirl.

p.d.

 

[diniz]

Hello guys,
Thank you very much for those advices.
I'll add a ball valve on the outlet of the pump and make another test.
Additionally, I'll improve the inlet making changes to attend these suggestions.
Once again, I really appreciate your help.
It's time to start brewing again.
Ein prosit!!!