Max length tubing for March Pump

[CButterworth]

I am thinking of buying a March Pump. Firstly, it would mean not having to lift coolers and kettles of hot liquid while brewing.

But I am also wondering about moving the hot wort into the fermenter via a plate chiller.

I brew in my garage, but ferment in my basement. I normally carry my fermenter down into the basement.

Anyway, it's about 30ft horizontal from my kettle to basement stairs then about 30 ft that goes down the basement stairs and into my fermenter.

Obviously gravity will help, but wonder if the March pump would be damaged by such a long tubing, especially if run through a plate chiller.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

It definitely won't damage the pump, it would just be a matter of sizing the hose to get the desired flow rate. I would think that you could get a pretty good flow even from 1/2" hose. I personally would not be thrilled to have that much hose to deal with.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

According to this calculator it would siphon around 2 gallons a minute in half inch hose. It should be more than adequate if you added a pump.

 

[schematix]

About the only thing you can reasonably do to damage a March pump is to run it dry. Otherwise it's pretty much idiot proof.

The math says 1/2" tubing can get you a reasonable flow rate. The biggest hassle will be coiling it up and dealing with the relatively large volume of wort in it... more than a half gallon.

 

[jcav]

After your done pumping into your fermenter, you could put the end of the hose that was in the fermenter in a 5 gallon bucket and start coiling it up, as you walk back toward your pump. This way you won't get wort all over your stairs and floor......

John

 

[CButterworth]

Thanks guys.

My thought would be to coil the tubing from the pump-end to the fermenter as that would allow gravity to help clear the tubing into the fermenter.

Now all I need do is to select the correct sized plate chiller.

Charlie