question on pump placement

[Elfmaze]

This is my general design layout. based on the brewmagic style system. I am a bit worried about the pump placement now that i have read all the issues with horizontal pump placement and priming.

my plan was to use water from the HLT to prime the system by opening the HLT valve and opening the drain valve at the bottom of the system. I figured this should mostly fill the pump head from the bottom up and hopefully push the air out into the heat ex-changer where it can be pushed up and out the MLT inlet side. once the lower half of the system is filled, I can open the MLT "OUT" valve to backfill into the MLT using gravity from my HLT. Fire up the pump and start re-circulation.

I don't really have a good way to mount the pump vertically without two to four 90* bends, so i'm hoping you guys will tell me it will work fine in this setup.

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[Elfmaze]

The other problem i'm trying to think thru is cleanup. The outlet of the pump is higher than the inlet so if I put the cleanout valve where it is depicted the water in the leftside of the pump and in the pump head will not make it to the drain valve.... will the pump pull this water over to the drain side when i'm shutting down for the night?

 

[Elfmaze]

Additionally, I am a bit concerned about these temperature probes in the line. Will the probe being in the flow restrict the flow too much? I have two fittings like this, one exiting the MLT and one exiting the heat exchange.

 

[jtkratzer]

I have an old brew magic I converted to electric. I'm using the original stand and running two pumps. Neither of which are mounted so I can clean them wherever I want and if I have issues with priming, I don't have to mess with tools to make adjustments.

I have found that the easiest way to prime these pumps is to use a pitcher or something else that can handle 150*+ temps. Close the valve on your pump. Open the valve on your source you're pumping from. Put the end of the output hose where you're moving the liquid to into the pitcher, below the level of your pump. Open the pump valve and let the liquid flow through the pump and into the pitcher. Once you think you have the pump head filled (you can lift the pitcher/hose above the pump to let air bubbles out), close the valve on the pump and drain the output hose. Pour the contents of your pitcher wherever you want (back at the source or where you're pumping to).

I had all kinds of trouble getting my pumps to work and prime the first time I brewed. I've never had an issue since after letting water/wort flow through the pump and then cutting off the flow with the valve on the output side of the pump.

Second, those probes won't restrict your flow. It will be fine. Have a similar temp probe in a tee fitting on the output side of my MLT as it pulls from under the false bottom to go through the HERMS coil.



EDIT: I now see in your pictures that you're using fixed, hard plumbing and that is the drawback of using it. You can try to open that valve you labeled to drain the system/prime the pump. Hopefully you get enough force from gravity to make that work. Another option would be to put a piece of tubing on the opening of that valve that you can create a siphon with using some suction.

I ditched all the hard plumbing on my system and went with two pumps and silicone tubing with QDs.

 

[Elfmaze]

EDIT: I now see in your pictures that you're using fixed, hard plumbing and that is the drawback of using it. You can try to open that valve you labeled to drain the system/prime the pump. Hopefully you get enough force from gravity to make that work. Another option would be to put a piece of tubing on the opening of that valve that you can create a siphon with using some suction.

I ditched all the hard plumbing on my system and went with two pumps and silicone tubing with QDs.

After pricing out the stainless comp fittings and tubing I'm starting to think silicone is the way to go. some of those fittings run $40+ not to mention the problems of bending the stainless and clean out after... The pros are not outweighing the Cons for hard lining now that I am looking at parts.

It would seem another advantage of going silicone will be I can eliminate the drain valve, that extra "T" between the pump and heat exchange. with the associated fittings should cut at least $20-$30 dollars off the build. To drain just disconnect the Cam-lock at the pump inlet and let her empty....

 

[jtkratzer]

After pricing out the stainless comp fittings and tubing I'm starting to think silicone is the way to go. some of those fittings run $40+ not to mention the problems of bending the stainless and clean out after... The pros are not outweighing the Cons for hard lining now that I am looking at parts.

It would seem another advantage of going silicone will be I can eliminate the drain valve, that extra "T" between the pump and heat exchange. with the associated fittings should cut at least $20-$30 dollars off the build. To drain just disconnect the Cam-lock at the pump inlet and let her empty....

Check out my build thread. I used brass quick disconnects that allow for single hand operation. Nothing wrong with brass, just properly clean it first. The hoses also allow you to drain/clean wherever you want to place the end of the hose.

Hard plumbed lines are by definition inflexible. There are pros/cons to either direction. I also like the silicon tubing because I can see the liquid/air bubbles in the fluid, especially important when draining the MLT into the boil kettle as you can't see the liquid level below the grain bed.

 

[chuggerpumps]

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800-810-1053

mike

This is my general design layout. based on the brewmagic style system. I am a bit worried about the pump placement now that i have read all the issues with horizontal pump placement and priming.

my plan was to use water from the HLT to prime the system by opening the HLT valve and opening the drain valve at the bottom of the system. I figured this should mostly fill the pump head from the bottom up and hopefully push the air out into the heat ex-changer where it can be pushed up and out the MLT inlet side. once the lower half of the system is filled, I can open the MLT "OUT" valve to backfill into the MLT using gravity from my HLT. Fire up the pump and start re-circulation.

I don't really have a good way to mount the pump vertically without two to four 90* bends, so i'm hoping you guys will tell me it will work fine in this setup.

[/IMG]