Cheap pump?

[HogieWan]

After looking at the link in this post (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/search.php?s=&action=showresults&getnew=true&searchid=1301043) I found a link to a really cheap pump (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_11948_11948). Why would I not use this pump to move wort?

[Red T]

At what temps would you be using the pump? After boil or after chill? That would make a difference, the plastic might not be rated for the high temps. Just a thought.

[nwcw2001]

If you check out the specs on that "really cheap pump" it is rated for 220*, so that can move hot wort too.

John

[MichaelM]

lol thats a good question.... one of my next purchases as a matter of fact :) will prolly build a simple little manifold on the side of the stand so that I can either run a hose and use my HLT when I have electricity or if I am brewing somewhere I dont I can use a cordless drill and just heat the water up in the kettle and pump it to the top..... may even figure out a way to use this to whirlpool my wort for me

[HogieWan]

the specs say it will handle up to 220, but it doesn't say "food safe"

I might get one to try it out.

[Mad Scientist]

Hogie, the lack of 'foodsafe' labeling is why this is so cheap.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
Hogie, the lack of 'foodsafe' labeling is why this is so cheap.

that's what I'm thinking, too. For $15, I think I'll order one and check it out.

[PCaravan]

I've considered one of those before after running accross something similar at Home Depot or Lowes. I did a little searching around (not recently) on drill powered pumps and found a few people that were using it successfully but also found a few people that took one apart and after they saw how it worked and all the oil inside used for lubrication they decided that they were better off not using it. Based on the later, I decided not to give it a try. If I had some kind of assurance that the lubrication would not end up in my beer, I would be using it already.

[HarkJohnny]

i don't know, but the fact that it says it can run dry makes me think it might have a sealed chamber that simply rotates and pumps the liquid. worth a shot at the price

[Payson]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
i don't know, but the fact that it says it can run dry makes me think it might have a sealed chamber that simply rotates and pumps the liquid. worth a shot at the price
Could very well be. I'd sure as hell run a few gallons of drinking water through it and taste the end result prior to risking wort though!

[MichaelM]

thats what boiling water is for :)

[Payson]

Originally posted by MichaelM
thats what boiling water is for :)
As long as the end result doesn't taste oily or have an oily sheen I guess all would be well!

[HogieWan]

I ordered one. I intend to take it apart and look at how it is constructed before running wort through it. If nothing else, I may use it to cycle ice water through my chiller instead of the too-warm tap water during the summer.

[PCaravan]

I ordered one. I intend to take it apart and look at how it is constructed before running wort through it. If nothing else, I may use it to cycle ice water through my chiller instead of the too-warm tap water during the summer.


HogieWan,

Did you ever get that pump and take it apart? Still curious.

[MichaelM]

me too :)

[Chubber]

I have one of these, but not that specific model. It uses a natural rubber impeller. I am pretty sure that I would not want to pump my beer through natural rubber, unless you are looking for your own "fat tire" tasting clone, with real rubber flavor.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it to pump cooling water though.

[Chubber]

How about this pump though:

Cast Iron and Bronze (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_7738_7738)

Do you think that it would be too "irony" tasting? (Or would that be "ironic" :p )

[Mad Scientist]

In all seriousness, it is way too big.....720 gph.....wow!

[roggae]

how does the drill pump work? any thoughts to share hogie?

[MichaelM]

heck its been 10 days since hogie's last post...... wonder where he disappeared to??

[darylM]

What about aquarium power heads? They can't leach anything into the water (the fish would die) .

[Mad Scientist]

They are not made to take the temps that we use.

[darylM]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
They are not made to take the temps that we use.

Forgot about that.

[HogieWan]

Sorry guys - My wife had surgery and then I started a new job a week ago.

I did get the pump. I did take it apart and I did take pictures (but the camera is at home).

It is a rotary vane pump (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_vane_pump) (this is a good animated view). (http://www.mekanizmalar.com/vanepump.html) The pump I got has four fins instead of the 2 and 6 pictured in the links. It is all hard white plastic inside and there is gobs of lubricant, but from the color and texture, it seems to be silicone. I want to run some water through it and see if the lubricant comes out.

[PCaravan]

Good to see yah back Hogiewan. I'm not used to seeing you drop off line for so long. Hope your wife is doing well and you like your new job.

Thanks for those links. Looking at those diagrams and picturing it with 4 fins it looks like it would be hard to get the pump flooded full of fluid so that there wasn't a lot of air mixing and it's also hard to imagine lubricant not making into fluid at least to some degree. If it is indeed silicone, I would think it would all drop out... but still. Are you still planning on trying it on hot wort?

I'm not trying to be ultra negative here as I would like to see this work... could use it myself if it did but those are my two concerns and I'm not adventurous enough to try it out on something that will tie up my fermenters for a while.

STILL curious.

[barleyburps]

interesting. . . .if you dumped hot wort into the fishtank. . . would the fish die?. . .

[HogieWan]

I'm not planning on using it on hot wort. I'm still looking into building a peristaltic for that.