Sankey keg washing pump?

[blackheart]

So we bought a few plastic sankey kegs and now we need to clean them. The plan is to use a sankey keg adaptor connected to a pump and a keg of hot cleaning solution. However we dont know what speed is necessary to pump the cleaner into the kegs.

One idea was to use the existing mach pumps on our brew system and the keg kettle, and just manually connect the sankey keg adaptor to the pump out and use that. Is this enough of a flow or would we need a stronger pump? If so, what one?

 

[Photopilot]

Not sure what a plastic sanke is but a keg and carboy cleaner can be made from a cheap bilge pump from Home Depot.

Here's an example of one.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keg-carboy-washer-yes-another-232895/

 

[blackheart]

http://plastickegsamerica.com/

I just need a pump recommendation...or to know if the existing mach pump is good enough....

 

[Randar]

One idea was to use the existing mach pumps on our brew system and the keg kettle, and just manually connect the sankey keg adaptor to the pump out and use that. Is this enough of a flow or would we need a stronger pump? If so, what one?

I have seen March pumps used if you create a little spray wand out of copper or CPVC.

I use a more powerful brew pump (LG 5.5-MD-HC) on my keg and carboy washing setup, but an 809 series style pump should work as well if you restrict flow enough (via a limited number of holes or using very small holes in the spray wand) to create some blasting pressure inside the keg.

 

[Photopilot]

You might be able to make something work with a march but I don't think it will be worth it. You will have to fill the tank and soak whatever you are cleaning as a you won't get much pressure from the march.

I have a setup like the one posted. It will spray a high pressure hot soapy water into the vessel you are trying to clean. I usually wait till I have 4 or more vessels and heat up 2 gallons of water with PBW. Pump the water directly into the camber then attach the small tube to one of the sides to clean the smaller tubes (in and out tubes). I cleaned 7 corney and 2 sankes in about an hour.

This is the pump I used in mine.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-hp-dirty-water-pump-with-float-94651.html

 

[Randar]

You might be able to make something work with a march but I don't think it will be worth it.

So if he already has a march pump, it wouldn't be worth it? Instead, it would be worth it to spend $50 bucks on a POS Chinese sump pump? Why not spend an extra 50 bucks on a nicer brew pump that you can multi-purpose use instead of a sump pump that is single use?

Quite a few people on the forums have made setups incorporating March pumps.

 

[blackheart]

Exactly.... I have all sankey kegs so I just need the pressure from the pump using 1/2" tubing... Its going into a snakey keg tap... so their is no way to use a wand etc... I need a pump that can pump fast enough to do the job.

 

[Photopilot]

Exactly.... I have all sankey kegs so I just need the pressure from the pump using 1/2" tubing... Its going into a snakey keg tap... so their is no way to use a wand etc... I need a pump that can pump fast enough to do the job.

That's not necessarily true.
While there may be other ways to clean a sanke. I remove the center spear, place it on my keg cleaner and spray for 5 minutes or so. My wand has holes running up the side of it as well as many on top. I rotate the keg around so each area gets hit. Unless you are using very caustic materials or going to soak the keg I think you want direct high pressure spray to do your cleaning.

I only ferment in Sankes not serve. But when cleaning my corneys, I clean the same way then attach the 1/4" line to the out side of the keg to run cleaner through it as well. I only have one 1/4 line and usually only run cleaner through the out side but will switch it to the in side if I think it needs it.

I do have a march pump but have never been impressed with its output. It does a great job of moving water to the top of my 3 tier but does not put out enough pressure to cause much whirlpool action in my boil keg. I guess if it can put out enough pressure to act as a cleaner maybe I can constrict it to increase pressure in my boil keg application to get a higher pressure flow.

I like having my keg cleaner setup independent so I can clean and brew at the same time. Also the keg cleaner sits inside a bucket and is ready to go at a moments notice, without dismantling my brewery or changing anything. I got my pump on sale and paid for the 3 year warranty figuring it was not designed to pump hot water and may suffer from such use but it has been running like a champ and has cleaned probably 40 kegs or more in the last year. Probably paid $50 all told for the whole setup.