Leaving pumps outside in the winter

[calebgk]

I have built an addon onto my shed, originally for bikes, now as a brew shed. I'm going to build a stand for my two 10g coolers and BC burner. I have always had my two Chuggers and plate chiller on a portable stand, wired with switches, that I took in the house and brought out only when I brewed. I'd like a more built-in design, and am thinking of just taking the chiller away to the house and leaving the pumps. I have the heads oriented vertically, so they drain anytime I'm done with them. If I build them into the stand, do any of you see any problem with leaving them out in the winter? With the head vertical, there shouldn't be any water left in them to freeze and damage the head, right?

 

[LandoLincoln]

Correct. Should be fine, provided that you remember to open up the exit valve so that the pump can drain.

 

[calebgk]

I always open the valves when I'm done. I want a little more structure to my brew days, and building a stand and not tripping over all my portable stuff will help me with that.

 

[soccerdad]

For a minute there I thought I had left my shoes at your house. I don't often wear pumps to a brew day, but on occasion I feel frisky

 

[poptarts]

I keep my pump on my stand out in the garage just make sure its drained fully, I have mine mounted vertical so that helps a ton. Even still it can get frosty in there and not want to spin up some times, so in the winter I have taken to filling up a beer bottle with hot water and pouring it through the pump before I get everything all hooked up that way it melts any frost in there and I dont have to mess with it.

 

[stevehaun]

I live in a northern climate and keep my brewery in the garage. In the winter, I take the plate chiller and pump head into the house. Pump head comes off with 4 screws and the plate chiller with 2 bolts. To me it is not worth wondering if it is completely drained. YMMV.

 

[calebgk]

I guess it wouldn't be that big a deal to just do the heads. Didn't think of that. Certainly less work that full mounts and wiring.

 

[b-boy]

I leave my pumps/chillers in the garage, but I'm pretty anal about getting all the water out of them. Don't rely on gravity to do it for you. I was amazed at how much water was left in my chiller after I thought I'd cleared it all out.