Where is a good place to get inexpensive pumps?
I see chuggar pumps for ~$120 and march pumps for ~$130-150.
I was hoping for a lot less
I see chuggar pumps for ~$120 and march pumps for ~$130-150.
I was hoping for a lot less
Where is a good place to get inexpensive pumps?
I see chuggar pumps for ~$120 and march pumps for ~$130-150.
I was hoping for a lot less
Where is a good place to get inexpensive pumps?
I see chuggar pumps for ~$120 and march pumps for ~$130-150.
I was hoping for a lot less
Don't know about all that drama, but the Iwaki MD series is only rated for 80°C/176°F...
Cheers!
Don't know about all that drama, but the Iwaki MD series is only rated for 80°C/176°F...
Cheers!
Yes, there's a thread on here where someone called Iwaki to ask them about this. The company replied that they'd only tested the pumps up to that temp because they couldn't imagine a use that would require higher temps. What did that mean for uses like ours? They didn't know.
Either way, just noting that I and a fair amount of other brewers have opted to "roll the dice" on this one and that it's turned out great. I've made about 15 batches with my pump, have recirculated the mash and whirlpooled at the end with no discernible detriment to either my beer or my pump.
You're right - I probably should have noted the temp rating! (And I wasn't trying to start a fight; it's just that I've been flamed in the past for even suggesting that there might be other options available!) But given that what that temp rating means for our uses isn't really clear, the OP might be able to save a bunch of money if he/she desires.
Just my $0.02.
Speaking of pumps....
Anyone have an idea when Chugger is going to have pumps back in stock?
kincade said:Last time I spoke to Mike he said mid March.
I actually have one Chugger I bought in November that I may not be using after all (possibly sticking with just one pump), if I decide to sell it I'll post it in the classifieds.
The plastic that the head is made out of was a lot hotter than that when it was made.
Let me know. I am in the market.
I've been using an Iwaki pump for about a year and a half now. Got it for $40 on ebay. (Much) more power than a March, (much) easier to prime, handles boiling wort like a champ. I know lots of people here will probably start flaming - you tend to hear a lot of "If you don't use a March or Chugger your beer will be ruined and you'll die!" round here - but I love it.
The little giants are only rated for 200F and we use those for brewing too. The materials of the iwaki, LG, march, chugger are the same plastic. They should all work fine. My LG has no problem Pumping boiling wort.
you sure probably won't like this.
I have a set of these pumps which I intend to use on my poor-boy system.
It is only 12 volts dc but I do all my brewing outside and sometimes not where elect is available. I can always use an inverter to run it anyway. They are centrifigual pumps, but a vane pump is also available, but it has a plastic head. These are brass fluid heads and are used for heater booster pumps on longer vehicles such as buses. They are normally operating with 192-200*F water. I have no doubt they will operate at 212 or above. They have a load rating of 6amps and we use them on all of our buses. I have not seen an official flo rating but I do know they will empty a 5 gallon bucket in less than 15 seconds using a 1" inlet hose and a 1" outlet without any head restriction. I tested it today. I am gonna try it an see how it works.
New ones are priced comparable to the standard March pumps so there is no savings there.
I have several, usually they just need a new seal which is 4.95.
BTW-the plastic ones are not worth a darn.View attachment 51281
Yep. The LG and Iwaki pumps are much easier to find used than a march 809 or chugger, which means they can often be found cheaper, even though they list for more money new. I picked up my LG on craigslist for $25. With the ease of priming, super flow rate, and near silent operation, you'd have to pay me to switch to a chugger or march 809. Yes the temp rating is lower, but that is a rating at the max pressure. With the near zero pressure in a home brewing system they can handle much hotter temps. I don't have any reservations using mine to pump boiling wort, but I know a lot of people do.
What model LG are you using, looking to find a cheaper used pump and would be interested in your model, not too worried about the higher temp as Ill only be using it for mash recirculation and cooling wort recirculation, so wont be above 200F for long if ever
Thanks JuanMoore for the advice/comment, it's something to consider. I have had lots of them apart in the last 18 years, re-sealed many of them and installed new bushings. Never found any lube in them as they are intended to push coolant/antufreeze around and the antifreeze provides the lubricant.
They generally run about 720 hrs a year and most last over 5 years. I only brew about 12 times a year so I doubt wear or contamination will be an issue.
Nessisity being the mother of invention and all that , you understand....
Heck, back when times was really hard before the internet and a local brew store I once used a 6 gallon bucket that 90w gear oil came in for my fermenter. Made great beer too. Back then I would never have dreamed of cutting up a large ice chest or cooler to make a MLT , was lucky to have a decent sized ice chest of my own. :^)
I'm a lot older than most folks on here and have survived more than many others, including 2 tours of Nam, growing up in a house covered in lead paint, riding in the back of pickup trucks, losing a new house in hurricane Ike, 2 heart attacks, 7 stents, triple bypass, raising 6 kids, buring one and raising a grandkid. So a little bit of hydrocarbon based grease probably won't bother me. :^)
But I will take the pump apart and lube the shaft seal with some food grade grease if I can locate some. I never take advice well intended lightly.
And don't think I'm trying to flame you on this, i'm just yacking about things, money is tight and am wanting to get into this AG a little more without breaking the bank. thanks again.
Ron
March 23rd ish ...Center and Inline Pumps and replacement heads for Inline pumps
I'll give you that demand exceeds supply. But the last time they were in stock they were in for a few weeks, not 5 seconds.
And I DID have a small problem with a chugger while they were out of stock. Mike promptly sent me a replacement within days. My experience is that their customer service is fantastic, and that they keep pump parts/heads/etc in stock for warranty issues even when the pumps are not available to buy.
MHO,
5 seconds was figurative speak; but my experience in the 3 times I was notified via email they were in stock, they were sold out from various vendors hands within 24hrs (farmhouse Rebelbrewer to name a few). These notifications probably spanned over a period of 4-6 months or so. I can't contest that you found a vendor who held them for a few weeks. Point is they weren't widely available from most sellers for around a 4-6 month period.
I didn't say it was a bad product, or the customer service was bad. I did say I was unhappy with the lack of supply and voiced a concern about "what if I had a problem". It is good to hear that you had a good experience with stock of parts for warranty issues. That does alleviate some of my concerns I have about being able to repair or replace a pump under warranty.
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