Squealing March Pumps

[Sawdustguy]

I just noticed that two of my three, 5 month old March Pumps have started squealing. Are they telling me they need lubrication? They were not being run dry either.

 

[BrewBeemer]

From the motor bushings or the pump impeller?
Remove the pump body and check the impeller
to shaft plus run the motor without the impeller
to locate the problem. If the impeller bore is too
tight on the shaft you will not have a liquid lubricated
impeller causing a lot of noise. You did flush all the pumps
out at the end of your brew day, you must have?

 

[The Pol]

Man... odd

Like BB said, Id check the impeller, if it is that annoyingly high pitched screaming that some hear when they run them dry out of the box

Id also take this opportunity lube them.

Mine has been in service for 2 years and not a squeal, ithas been hanging pump head down for 1 year as well.

Let us know what you find... odd.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Man... odd

Like BB said, Id check the impeller, if it is that annoyingly high pitched screaming that some hear when they run them dry out of the box

Id also take this opportunity lube them.

Mine has been in service for 2 years and not a squeal, ithas been hanging pump head down for 1 year as well.

Let us know what you find... odd.

Pol,

It is odd because of the three, one is just fine. I did get the two that are squealing for free. Well not exactly free, they were a barter with a homebrewer who bought a bunch of stuff to go all grain but decided to stick with extracts. They looked new and unused but who knows. I will take them apart and have a look.

Beemer,

I always flush when finished. One of the culprits is used to pump strike and sparge water form the HLT to the MLT. The other culprit is used with the RIM. I recirculate very hot water through the RIM right after the sparge is done to make sure nothing is left in the RIM heater.

What I am wondering is if the guy I got them from ran them dry to test them when he first got them and ran them a little to long causing the impeller to heat up and damage it. We will find out shortly.

 

[Bokonon]

What I am wondering is if the guy I got them from ran them dry to test them when he first got them and ran them a little to long causing the impeller to heat up and damage it. We will find out shortly.

My pump ended up running for a few hours totally dry. I have my pump hooked to some X10 equipment that I control with a wireless remote. Until recently I just kept it plugged in all the time, now I unplug it. Somehow the X10 tripped and started it up.

I was sitting in my living room and heard this loud squealing noise. I popped my head out the back door and it sounded like it was coming from my neighbors a/c unit. It was annoying, but I didn't think any more of it till my wife got home and asked what the noise was coming from the garage. Sure enough it was my pump that was screaming for attention and I just ignored it.

It was running dry for maybe 2-3 hours, at least thats how long I heard it for. No clue how long it ran before it started screaming. I unplugged it and figured it would screw up my brew day on sunday. The next day I went to the garage and lubed it up good. Ran some water through it and amazingly its working just fine.

The screaming was definitely coming from the head, I had removed the head to inspect and the pump was quiet when running without the head.

I was certain I was going to have to replace the pump or at least the head, but I was lucky.

 

[Bobby_M]

You probably just have some gunk in the impeller area. Open them up and clean them. A little keg lube on the impeller shaft wouldn't hurt.

 

[BrewBeemer]

I mentioned about using Epic or White Lightning bicycle chain lubricant, this went over big in the past on another thread reply as being toxic like your adding a poison or toxic chemical to your bier. This liquid has a quick drying solvent to transfer and penetrate which evaporates within a couple minutes or less leaving behind a light coating of paraffin wax. Yup the same material as candle wax as well crayons are made of, we should all be dead by now going thru school with our teachers and parents allowing us to use and eat crayons. A totally inert substance not like i'm tell you to coat old dimes with mercury to make them slippery placing them in your mouth handling or swallowing mercury daily. Look what they use to seal cheese blocks and wine bottle tops, hot paraffin. A dry dirt and mud free collecting lubricant that has may uses besides bicycle chains. As bull8042 stated "the third nipple hasn't been a problem".

 

[IrregularPulse]

I was going to ask what lube you all used on them? My first though would be my keg lube, but temp wise would it hold up?

 

[Sawdustguy]

Shhhhhhhhhh.....I played hooky this afternoon (no appointments this afternoon) and just finished putting the pumps back together. The RIMS pump had some debris in it and the HLT pump looked normal. I see no evidence of impeller damage or for that matter any other damage. I stopped on my way home this morning at Grainger in Bohemia and bought a can of this:

to relubricate the pump. It looks like the lube is good to 500* F and is food safe. It was $14.00 but you never know when it will come in handy. I hope I picked the right lube. I will retest the pumps just before supper today.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Gentlemen, I am at a total loss. I found a little residule gunk in one of the pumps but nothing that I felt would cause a squeal. I sprayed some lubricant and reassembled the pumps last night. I ran some water through them and now they are fine. I have no idea why they squealed. I just don't have a clue.

 

[ebeer]

Mine squeal occasionally. I probably used them for 4 years before having any problems, and I always flush them after my brew sessions (which tend to be twice a month). For those unfamiliar, this is not a small or insignificant noise. The squeal is deafening, so much so that I have to turn the pump off regardless of where I'm at in the brew process.

I took my pumps back to Morebeer. I disassembled the head with Reagan, and we found a clean impeller. We removed it, and the pump ran smooth and quiet. A little keg lube on the shaft, and problem solved.

Since then I found the pumps might squeal every 10 brews or so....but they were quieted by the same fix of lubing the shaft. However, last time I pulled the heads apart I noticed one of the gaskets between the impeller and pumb body was worn very thin. I called March, they sent 2 replacement for something like $.075. I replaced the gaskets and lubed the shaft again. That was early '08...I don't think I've had problem since.

 

[runningweird]

Mine squeal occasionally. I probably used them for 4 years before having any problems, and I always flush them after my brew sessions (which tend to be twice a month). For those unfamiliar, this is not a small or insignificant noise. The squeal is deafening, so much so that I have to turn the pump off regardless of where I'm at in the brew process.

I took my pumps back to Morebeer. I disassembled the head with Reagan, and we found a clean impeller. We removed it, and the pump ran smooth and quiet. A little keg lube on the shaft, and problem solved.

Since then I found the pumps might squeal every 10 brews or so....but they were quieted by the same fix of lubing the shaft. However, last time I pulled the heads apart I noticed one of the gaskets between the impeller and pumb body was worn very thin. I called March, they sent 2 replacement for something like $.075. I replaced the gaskets and lubed the shaft again. That was early '08...I don't think I've had problem since.

okay, so I am brewing now, and have had a few lemon wines so forgive me if I ramble. I have had screeching prolems with my march pump for a while, I thought it was high heat that did it but after lubing the shaft that the impeller goes on I have no problems, amazing. I have been dealing with this horrible problem for months, hot liquid made the pump screech like a banshee being put into a paper shredder.

hooray!

 

[WalterAtMarchPump]

Screeching impellers are 99% of the time caused by lack of lubrication....could be an air pocket stuck in the pump head or the pump is not primed properly. try and keep you lines as short as possible and keep them as straight as possible to keep air moving through and out of the system. Also make sure the outlet of the pump is the highest point when the pump is mounted. Rotating the pump head so the outlet is at the 12'oclock position is best for air escaping. If those things don't help then take the pump apart and inspect the inside to see what kind of condition the thrust washer is. If its worn out then the impeller could be hitting the pump housing and it can make noise....

 

[dallasdb]

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