New Replacement for March Pump

[ghart999]

No, you cannot ferment the pump and drink it.

 

[zymurgy101]

Are the pump head and impeller in the March pumps "food grade"?

GT

Per the manual, "Applications include home
heating systems, solar heating systems, heat recovery systems and
recirculating water in domestic and commercial hot water tanks."

If they are recirculating the water in your house, I hope it is food grade!

The MoreBeer website specifically indicates they are made of food safe material: http://morebeer.com/view_product/17311/103556/March_High_Temperature_Brewing_Pump

Personally, I was hoping to find a March\Little Giant\Iwaki Submersible\Inline pump which had similar specs as the March 809HS. It would be great not to worry about splashes\the pump getting wet!

 

[ghart999]

If you are building/using a brew rig, just build a metal plate the covers the pump from water contact. Numerous people in the DIY section have done this. I am in the middle of finishing my brew rig and will do the same.

 

[Catt22]

Cute

How bout this. Is it safe to pump my boiling hot wort through this pump. Ferment it and then drink it.

GT

Yes, IMO it's perfectly safe, at least up to the fermenting part and that depends entirely on your brewing skill. The pump won't hurt you.

 

[Catt22]

Personally, I was hoping to find a March\Little Giant\Iwaki Submersible\Inline pump which had similar specs as the March 809HS. It would be great not to worry about splashes\the pump getting wet!

I use my pump without any special cover or protection and have had no problems. You'd really have to douse the pump with a substantial amount of water to do it any harm. Mine has received some minor splashes without doing any damage. I do use it with a GFCI outlet for safety reasons, but I've never been much concerned about shorting it out due to splashing.

 

[BrewNinja1]

Wow...so much for finding out if anyones used this pump yet or not

The point here is that for $150 you can get a stainless head pump. Very easy to clean, no need to worry about temp, no stripped plastic threads. No debate about whether its food safe at a specific temp. So I spend an extra 5 or 10 minutes on brew day because its slower....who cares (if you actually loose time...for me Im using gravity right now so I suspect it may be faster).

 

[user 15951]

No, you cannot ferment the pump and drink it.

this made me lol....

 

[browjaso62]

Wow...so much for finding out if anyones used this pump yet or not

My thought exactly. I am working on gathering parts for my Brutus Clone. I want to have as much stainless as possible (easy cleaning and it is just plain cool). The $400 stainless march pump is kind of cost prohibitive and it too has a non-stainless impller. For a few dollars more than a plastic march pump this seems like a great alternative. I already have one 809 but I was told by the Chugger pump guys that they will have a replacement head for that in about three weeks ($49) so I don't have to buy two whole new pumps to get them both stainless.

I have looked at the Little Giant pump. It is a nice pump too, but the odd angles the inlet and outlet are don't work very well with the way I have designed my plumbing.

 

[ghart999]

I have looked at the Little Giant pump. It is a nice pump too, but the odd angles the inlet and outlet are don't work very well with the way I have designed my plumbing.

See I am the opposite I hate the way the march pumps have the inlet and outlet going in opposite directions. I much prefer them both point straight up.

But to each his own.

 

[Mike3701]

Getting back to the topic of this thread, i just got my chugger pump the other day. I will put it to the test in the next couple days and post the results.

 

[browjaso62]

Did you buy it from ebay:usapumps or directly from chuggerpumps.com? I am very close to getting one of these myself and was going to get it on ebay since it was a little cheaper but he does not have any listed right now.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Has anyone considered this Pump? I have been looking into the materials used on this pump and it should be fine for brewing. Pretty cheap alternative.

http://www.dtpetsupplies.com/catalog/Water-Pumps-Power-Heads/External-Aquarium-Pumps/0-To-800-gph-External-Pumps/Pan-World-40-PX-Compact-Magnetic-Drive-Pump/

I doubt you will find anyone here that has used that pump because the maximum media temperature is 140 degrees F. The 40 PX version is really only good for use as an aquarium pump.

Pan World 40 PX Compact Magnetic Drive Pump Specifications

 

[pickles]

Has anyone considered this Pump? I have been looking into the materials used on this pump and it should be fine for brewing. Pretty cheap alternative.

http://www.dtpetsupplies.com/catalog/Water-Pumps-Power-Heads/External-Aquarium-Pumps/0-To-800-gph-External-Pumps/Pan-World-40-PX-Compact-Magnetic-Drive-Pump/

This link is for a PX pump, there is no F in the model number.

 

[Sawdustguy]

This link is for a PX pump, there is no F in the model number.

Thanks for pointing that out Nate. I think he will be dissapointed to find out that his "cheap pump" is a non "F" version and only goes to 140*F. I bet the "F" version is quite a bit more expensive than the regular version. I hope he doesn't expect to get the "F' version of this pump for $125. I guess he didn't read his own post.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Just make sure you buy the "F" version if you plan on using it in your new commercial brewery. I wouldn't use of a pump rated for 140* at temperatures of 175* and above for commercial brewing. I would speak to your lawyer partner. I sure wouldn't want to expose my new company to that type of liability. Not in this litigation happy society.

 

[Catt22]

Good point!

 

[Sawdustguy]

Wow Thanks for all the help. I guess I should have consulted my lawyer before researching materials and contacting the company.

This is the same **** that happened with little giant pumps. All you haters said it won't work and blah blah blah. Look now. Everyone wants a little giant. I am just offering an alternative company. I know what the link is showing. I was just using it as a reference. If you read the rest of my post you would have seen that I was researching the materials and contacting the company. Just like every other pump manufacturer including march and little giant, they have different heads. The guy I wrote to said the price difference is slight. Though in his broken chinglish. I am waiting back on a qoute from them to purchase direct.

Don't worry I am done with this conversation. I will not post back what I find. It is clear you are not interested in new products and alternatives to your craft. I will keep the results to myself.

Look bud, you opened your own can of worms by posting the link to a product that is only rated to 140 degrees, then telling me I didn't read my own post when I called you on it. I really don't give a rats ass what you do, but if I were in your shoes I would dot my i's and cross my t's when making something for public consumption.

 

[browjaso62]

Stainless replacement heads for march pumps are now available on ebay for $49. The Chugger Pumps guy told me they have exactly the same performance as the march heads.

http://cgi.ebay.com/STAINLESS-STEEL-REPLACEMENT-HEAD-MARCH-809-PL-/320559541364?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa2d66c74

I am going to buy one this evening. I will post how it works when it arrives.

Jason

 

[hammis]

Mike3701: have you tried the pump out yet? how did it work?

 

[Mike3701]

No not yet just got the rest of the fittings I need. Def this week

 

[Mike3701]

Finally hooked up the chugger pump, this Is my first pump so I don't have much to compare it to. First try I pumped straight up 4.5 feet and it averaged about 20sec a gallon. I then tried pumping 3feet straight up and it was about 19 seconds a gallon. Not a noticeable difference. It's 1/2 vinyl reinforced hi temp hose, can't imagine it would be any different then a silcone hose.

 

[Junkaboy]

This is what you want.

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/...ive-Pump-6-power-cord-(578603)/57399/Cat/1006

Same price, 50% more flow, can be run dry and is so quite you don't even know its turned on. Compared to this one, the March 809 is a POS.

/this

I spent 2 weeks researching this f***ing pumps, and the little giant seems superior to everything else in its price.

I am actually getting 2 of the 1/6th HP one

 

[Sawdustguy]

/this

I spent 2 weeks researching this f***ing pumps, and the little giant seems superior to everything else in its price.

I am actually getting 2 of the 1/6th HP one

I am interested in the 1/6th HP Little Giant Pumps but your link is for 1/12 HP pumps. Did you accidentally put up the wrong link? Do you have the link for the 1/6th HP pumps?

 

[Brewmoor]

I think this might have been discussed in some other threads but, what about using a non-magnetic drive pump. I have run into some nice pumps with suitable materials for beer and high temps. They are not magnetic drive heads though. They are centrifugal. So if you don't mind voiding a warranty you could put a speed control on it to get slower flow. One pump I saw the company made a speed controller so It might not void the warranty.

I am having a hard time finding a pump with 3/4" inlet and 3/4" outlet. (at reasonable prices)

 

[Catt22]

I think this might have been discussed in some other threads but, what about using a non-magnetic drive pump. I have run into some nice pumps with suitable materials for beer and high temps. They are not magnetic drive heads though. They are centrifugal. So if you don't mind voiding a warranty you could put a speed control on it to get slower flow. One pump I saw the company made a speed controller so It might not void the warranty.

I am having a hard time finding a pump with 3/4" inlet and 3/4" outlet. (at reasonable prices)

The best way to control the flow with a non-mag drive pump is to plumb up a bypass of some kind. IOW, you divert the excess back to the source. I would not recommend using a non-mag drive centrifugal pump as it would be very difficult to clean or sanitize adequately due to the seals on the impeller shaft. IMO, the 1/12 hp LG pumps are more than adequate for home brewing level use. Most of the time, the pumps are only run at a fraction of their maximum flow rate. I do run mine wide open when doing the recirc chilling and it's fast enough for that purpose. The rest of the time it's throttled back substantially when used for the RIMS circulation.

 

[Brewmoor]

I just saw this one on drillspot. They claim it is sealless. Noryl is a stable material at boiling temps, but all they give for specs is gravity up to 1.5 I can not find any other info about them.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/71943/Dayton_SM-909-NTW-18_Circulator_Pump

Can anyone see anything in the materials list that would be a red flag?

 

[ClaudiusB]

I just saw this one on drillspot. They claim it is sealless. Noryl is a stable material at boiling temps, but all they give for specs is gravity up to 1.5 I can not find any other info about them.

Brewmoor I use the same pumps made by Teel, the pumps have been running since 1995.
The Noryl version is rated for only 140° F max fluid temp, the stainless 230° F.
My Noryl version as tested by me has problems above 185° F and 7' lift.
A great pump for low temp applications.
Wetting the pump has never been a problem, completely sealed (not wash down rated).
These pumps are for liquid only, if you need a mash pump Teel makes a nice one.
I got the bronze version only.
My SS version used for hot wort pumping

Noryl version used for water only

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Brewmoor]

Thanks ClaudiusB,

Any chance you have a model number for the stainless version. I think I will try and go that route. I have been searching for the right pump for weeks now and keep hitting road blocks.

 

[ClaudiusB]

Any chance you have a model number for the stainless version. I think I will try and go that route. I have been searching for the right pump for weeks now and keep hitting road blocks.

Brewmoor my Teel pump #ARH12, same as the Grainger pump.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3WY92?Pid=search

Grainger has three SS canned pumps on the web.


Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Mike3701]

I know the march 809 is rated at 7.5gpm, but does it actually pump 7.5 gpm?