There are a few issues we have found over the years with beer brewers that seem to cause them problems. The most common is pump orientation. So i thought i would just go over the main points incase it help’s someone tweak their system better or setup a new brew stand.
The first picture is usually how the pump comes straight out of the box. Pay no attention to the thread size as I just happen to take a custom one off the shelf here in the repair dept for this example. This one has 1" thread fittings on it.
As you can see the outlet is on the right hand side of the picture and the inlet is on the left. The outlet is higher to allow air to escape out of the pump. Some brewers have mounted the pump upside down and that results in an air pocket being trapped in the pump head (Refer to pic #2) When you go to start the pump up it will cavitate the air with the liquid and it’s a 50/50 chance it will be able to purge itself of that air. Best thing to do is take the 4 Phillips screws out and rotate the head 180* so the outlet is once again back on the right hand side when looking at it.
Ideally, if you have the room to rotate the pump head, the best orientation would be with the outlet facing straight up with the inlet on the bottom like in Pic #3
There have been a few people that we have seen with the inlet at the top and outlet on the bottom…that way can also trap air in the pump head (pic #4)
And lastly if space is an issue and the pump gets mounted vertically, then the best way to do that is with the pump head on top of the motor. This is usually met with resistance as most people think if the pump head leaks it will get the motor all wet. While that is true…this orientation is the only way to again get all the air out of the pump head and not have issues with cavitating. Pic #5
Pic #6 shows the way it should not be mounted…
Pictures and everything. This is really, really great info, and I definitely have mine mounted like #6 in the photo. Will change that this weekend for sure.
Walter, do you guys have housings you sell for multiple pumps? Or perhaps have any diagrams on how to build one? My two 809HS are ‘loose’ at the moment (took them inside for the winter and cleaned them etc) and I’d like a better/more portable solution than the bucket they’re currently in.
I’m not quite sure i follow what you are saying… Do you mean if the pumps have different heads you fit on the motor brackets?? Then the answer is no…each bracket is designed to hold that pump. So all the 809 pumps are interchangeable but you wont be able to fit lets say one of the MDX pump heads on it or visa-versa.
And not quite sure what you mean by “Loose” if you mean its just there and not mounted down to anything then do a search on the internet. I dont knwo if anyone has posted it here before but i have seen other places where people have taken the 809 pump assembly and mounted it inside a plastic tool box with just teh pump head sticking out. Then they have a switch mounted on the top lid and when you open the lid up you have storgae for power cord and any fittings etc…
I mounted my two main pumps on my brew stand underneath a piece of expanded metal, but I also have a third pump for my CIP system on my fermenters that I built a small stand for similar to sabco’s chill wizard just an 8x8 piece of diamond plate with some feet on it and a carry handle that has a waterproof switch box, works great.
Thanks for the great info Walter! I’ll be getting my first pump this weekend to complete my whirlpool set up and this thread is really going to help out!
Walter, I have a question. I have one of your March pumps that originally came with the polysulfone pump head. I installed a stainless steel Chugger pump head on it several years ago. I have the pump mounted vertically with the motor on the bottom. It feeds an in-line stainless steel screen mounted vertically and a Dudadiesel plate chiller. The output from the screen is about a foot higher than the pump head (the input to the screen is about 2 inches above the pump output) and the input to the plate chiller is about 4 inches lower than the pump head. I have a ball valve on the output of the pump head with a boiler drain so that I can purge air from the pump.
When cleaning my fermenter, the impeller will sometimes stop with a thump and stops pumping cleaner through the system or will stop pumping and emit a loud squeal. I thought that the input to the pump was a bit small (3\8") so I replaced it with a 1\2" input to improve the liquid flow to the pump input. This made things worse so I reverted back to my original setup. I am wondering if this is a problem with the pump head or something I have overlooked with the configuration. I still experience the same problem but not as bad as it did with the larger inlet. I can usually alleviate the problem by elevating the input line so it is level with the pump head input (the dump port on the fermenter is also about a foot higher than the pump). Just an FYI, when I used a counterflow chiller before I got the plate chiller and stainless screen, I experienced no problems. So I am wondering if I am configuring something wrong. Maybe the chiller input needs to be higher?
Hmmm well its hard to say without seeing things first hand…And even though Chugger did copy our product almost down tot he T i cant say for sure if they have the same number of poles on their magnets as we do. First thing i would do is take the pump head apart and make sure everything inside is ok…meaning is the thrust washer there and the impeller isn’t biding on the shaft. If you do have binding due to a sugar buildup etc…the easiest hing to do would be to drill out the impeller with a 17/64" drill bit and open the bore up.
If your missing the thrust washer you can go to the local hardware store and find yourself a stainless washer with a 1/4" hole that fits over the shaft where the impeller spins…just don’t get one too big on the OD or you will start blocking the inlet flow of liquid. Other then that all i can say is send the pump back to us here and let Wayne in the service dept run it on our test tank to see if he can find anything that may be out of whack with it…
I have to add a wow and a thumbs up here. Pretty cool to see a response other than “sorry, you modified it is not our concern.” Love my March pumps and will bookmark this thread “just in case.”
Thanks, Walter. I just found your reply here (looked at the wrong category). I also sent you an e-mail with a picture of my set-up. I will tear the head apart and look at it. As an alternative, I can always go back to the polysulfone head or in a worst case scenario replace the pump. I’ll let you know what happens when I tear the pump head apart. Have a few brews to get through first and can get things going by playing with the inlet line height during the cleaning cycle. FYI, I have no problems when I am transferring wort. Thanks again!
Every so often i get PM’s from members…and that’s just fine if its easier for you…just know i dont always visit the site on a regular basis so if you are looking for a quick reply you can call me here at the factory or email me wwojcikATmarchpumpDOTcom (remove the capital letters and replace with @ and . ) we are here from 7:30am to about 3:45PM central time…we close at 4pm. thanks
) we are here from 7:30am to about 3:45PM central time…we close at 4pm. thanks 