Questions about March Pumps answered by the Factory!

[WalterAtMarchPump]

The 809-HS is rated to draw 1.4 amps according to the specs. Is that the maximum or continuous duty? What size fuse would you recommend when the pump is connected through a switch in a control panel? I want to ensure that I size the fuse to accommodate maximum startup draw. Thanks!

Most times you can spec them at 2x working amps....depending on what the load on the motor is....but for our motors a 5 amp fuse is plenty

 

[grathan]

Sorry for the late reply...i was off all last week.
That motor is still available if you want it.
But to answer your questions:
it spins CW if looking at the shaft side.....and CCW if you are looking at the back of the motor at the fan blades.
And the shaft is 1/4"

hey, how much for a motor? Looking at options. Probably just get a new pump. I gotta imagine a motor is in new pump territory $$$?

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

List price for the motor is $115...but we dont sell direct so you would have to call a distributor to get a price....and they "usually" sell for less then list price.

 

[creekrat]

Are the motors in your stainless head pumps rated for use with a vfd? I know most motors can handle it but if they are not technically designed for it you will drastically shorten their lifespan

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

VFD use is generally used for 3phase motors. And yes all of our 3 phase motors are rated for VFD use...they can go down to 10:1
I'm not aware of any true VFD's for single phase......if you wanted to run one down you would need something more inline with a system that uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)

 

[grathan]

List price for the motor is $115...but we dont sell direct so you would have to call a distributor to get a price....and they "usually" sell for less then list price.

Was at Home Depot today and noticed that Lasco sells a motor attached to a 24" fan blade and they sell the whole box fan for $15.

Can I just hook my pump head up to a fan motor?

 

[photogscott]

My scenario:
The impeller intermittently freezes. I unplug the pump & must wait until rotor comes to a complete halt. Plug the pump back in and it works fine-for a couple of minutes then the impeller comes to a halt again and have to repeat the process.

The valves feeding the pump are wide open & the outflow valve is barely cracked. Any reasons why the pump head-impeller constantly freezes?


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[day_trippr]

From what is the pump drawing?
A boil kettle? Mash tun? HLT? Kiddy pool?
It can make a difference...

Cheers!

 

[photogscott]

Pumping from kettle mash tun to boil kettle. The pump head is oriented horizontal. This also happens during whirlpool so there is plenty of wort flow into the pump. This isn't cavitation but a sudden freezing of the impeller


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[ekjohns]

You can bore out the impeller which helps with swelling. Search "drill" on this thread

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Was at Home Depot today and noticed that Lasco sells a motor attached to a 24" fan blade and they sell the whole box fan for $15.

Can I just hook my pump head up to a fan motor?

If it has all the same mounting holes and shaft size as the original motor i cant see why not...

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

My scenario:
The impeller intermittently freezes. I unplug the pump & must wait until rotor comes to a complete halt. Plug the pump back in and it works fine-for a couple of minutes then the impeller comes to a halt again and have to repeat the process.

The valves feeding the pump are wide open & the outflow valve is barely cracked. Any reasons why the pump head-impeller constantly freezes?


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I sounds like the mag drive is de-coupling....meaning the magnets are loosing their alignment and once they slip you need to turn the power off and let it come to a near standstill before the magnets catch again. Couple things may be causing it......the thrust washer is worn out, or the fluid is too thick (we can pump light weight vegetable oils but not much heavier then that)....or another possibility is that you have too big an outlet line on the discharge of the pump.....if you using a 3/4line try choking it off a little bit and see if that helps.....and worse case is the magnets may not have been fully magnetized....if you want to send it back we can go through it for you and verify it all works as it should....

 

[photogscott]

Lines in and out of the pump are 1/2". And the outlet is always choked back. The fluid (wort) is not viscous. I'd like to do something short of returning the pump to fix this issue. So are we looking at possibly a worn out washer?


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[WalterAtMarchPump]

Possibly...hard to say without taking the pump apart and inspecting. If you have never taken the pump apart, the only screws to take off are the phillips heads that go through the pump head.....then once that comes off you will see 4 flat head screws under the pump on the backside....you take those out to open the pump up. The impeller should spin freely on the shaft. Then remove the impeller and check for the white Teflon thrust washer. It sits on the shaft between the impeller and the pump housing. It may have worn out.
If the impeller doesn't spin freely, you may have some sugar build up on the inside bore of it....soak it overnight in some soapy water and wash it out with a small plastic wire brush.....or you can drill the impeller opening larger with a 17/64" drill bit to open the clearances to help keep the bore cleaner during clean out.
Is none of that helps then i would send it back to us here and let us check out the alignment of the magnets...and the magnet strength.

 

[photogscott]

Walter,
Thanks for your help. Comparing good and bad pumps, I see the white washer has either totally disintegrated or was never put on in the first place. So how do I order replacement washers? I'd like more than one because they seem thin and fragile.

I have put several hours of running this pump not knowing there was no tiny washer in the head. I hope the pump isn't damaged

Thanks again,
Scott

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Scott check your PM

But the washer can wear out over time...and ordering replacement washer you can get them from any one of our distributors....some people have changed them out to a stainless washer...just need to find a thin one with a 1/4" ID hole

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Walter, does the stainless washer cause any wear issues to other parts of the pump , re: the impeller or spindle?

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Nothing that has been reported back to me by anyone that's done it.
if you have a lot of restriction on the inlet side of the pump you could wear out the front of the impeller.....since that would now be the softer material....but you would really need to be chocking the inlet side bad for the impeller to be sucked up against it that hard.

 

[mattd2]

Nothing that has been reported back to me by anyone that's done it.
if you have a lot of restriction on the inlet side of the pump you could wear out the front of the impeller.....since that would now be the softer material....but you would really need to be chocking the inlet side bad for the impeller to be sucked up against it that hard.

Do you guys offer a ceramic washer as a replacement?

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Do you guys offer a ceramic washer as a replacement?

As of right now, no. But we are in the final testing phase of a better washer that will be next to indestructible for the 809

 

[vitords]

Hey Walter! Apparently I haven't learned how to properly hold stuff and let the impeller of a brand new 815-SS fall to the ground causing some small dents in it.

The pump seems to be working fine, but will this cause any problems? Should I replace the impeller?

Thanks!

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I love the challenge of "indestructible".......

But the ceramic washer sounds like the deal!

 

[AlchemyBrewing]

With so many posts it is hard to find an answer in here so I am going to do the unthinkable and be painfully redundant with what many others have said. I have been fighting problems with my March Pump losing prime during my sparge. I switched the orientation of the head so inlet is down and the outlet is up. I have brass QC on everything and 1/2" silicone tube. I have heard that quick connects are notorious for leaking or sucking air. Can anyone recommend what a good QC would be to help with this? Supper frustrating so I would like to get it resolved. Thanks!

 

[Irrenarzt]

I have been using the QF8 series Swagelok QD's for years without issues. They are incredibly expensive, but they are worth every penny.

I have one on my water hose and I leave the hose on all the time and it never leaks. I have them on my March pumps, and I never lose prime. The o-rings wear out in time, but they are replaceable. They also have 10 balls, which are far more secure than the 4 ball ones MoreBeer sells.

Swagelok stuff is meant for ultra high pressure corrosive industrial plant environments. It is overkill in most cases, but the stuff is built to last.

 

[grathan]

Camlock are good too because you can tell how good the seal is when you connect based on the resistance in the ears.

 

[Bsquared]

Walter,

I have a March 802 that I want to use for a recirculation pump on the CIP/keg washer I'm going to build. But It have a cracked head housing? ( think thats the write terminology), Any way, I'm attaching a picture , it is the black portion between the head and the motor.

Can you tell me the part #. I thought I had the right # but when I ordered a replacement part the ones I got where the wrong ones.

Thanks
Bryan

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Hey Walter! Apparently I haven't learned how to properly hold stuff and let the impeller of a brand new 815-SS fall to the ground causing some small dents in it.

The pump seems to be working fine, but will this cause any problems? Should I replace the impeller?

Thanks!

You wont have any problems with those dents in the impeller....

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Walter,

I have a March 802 that I want to use for a recirculation pump on the CIP/keg washer I'm going to build. But It have a cracked head housing? ( think thats the write terminology), Any way, I'm attaching a picture , it is the black portion between the head and the motor.

Can you tell me the part #. I thought I had the right # but when I ordered a replacement part the ones I got where the wrong ones.

Thanks
Bryan
View attachment 208124

Just to be sure which part your talking about.....do you need the motor bracket that has the studs sticking out of it and is about 2" wide. ( part# 0130-0017-0100)
Or do you need the rear housing that holds the impeller. Thin black plastic part that looks like a top hat (part# 0802-0043-1000)

 

[Bsquared]

Thanks Walter, I need the motor bracket. :rockin:

 

[mattrennert]

Walter-
Just had a bit of boil over onto my March 809. Pump was dripping wort off it. I put a fan on it and cleaned up what I could. Pump seems to be running fine for now. Is there a way to take apart and clean it internally? Is the pump going to die on me early?