Chugger Pump Locked up - HELP!

[jstuts2260]

I have a plastic head chugger pump. I have been using it flawlessly for about 2 years now. I was about to transfer sparge water from my HLT to MT and nothing….I turn on the pump, there is plenty of water flowing through so it's not dry and nothing…The pump sounds like it wants to move…but nothing happens. I tried contacting customer service…and the voicemail hangs up on me. I have heard nothing but good things about their customer service, but it appears there are technical difficulties today.

Not only does this ruin my back to back days of brewing, but I really would prefer to not have to buy a new pump.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone know who to contact at Chugger Pump?

 

[day_trippr]

Remove the pump head and see if the motor spins.

If it does, take the pump head apart, remove the rotor, clean the rotor shaft and the hole in the rotor, reassemble, refit to the motor and see what happens...

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

+1 ^ Great idea!

Don't lose those little nylon washers on the shaft or any other parts. There's also a thin gasket on the back of the head; align it carefully when re-assembling, no wrinkles.

 

[Owly055]

Have you pulled the cover off yet?......... I presume you have a so called "inline" pump or you could manually spin the vanes through the inlet port to see if they are free. There are only a few bolts to completely disassemble one of these pumps........ don't be afraid to take the cover or the pump head itself off. I believe these are magnetic drive pumps........ The motor can run and not spin the pump impeller....... Is the motor running? The most likely problem is the impeller being stuck. These kinds of pumps are supposed to be stored vertically with the inlet pointed down to prevent this.

Don't be afraid to tear it apart........ You aren't going to hurt anything if you are reasonably careful.


H.W.

 

[jstuts2260]

Daytripper - thank you so much! And thanks everyone who was so quick to jump on this. I took off the head and it spun. I then took the head apart and found a huge chunk of ice blocking the wheel from spinning. Oh the joys of winter brewing…

Re-assembled and all is well. Sorry to sounds like such a noob, I've never had a single problem with my chugger pump and have never taken it apart. The only forums I could find was based on the SS head.

Seriously thank you guys! Man I F'ing love this forum.

 

[Owly055]

Daytripper - thank you so much! And thanks everyone who was so quick to jump on this. I took off the head and it spun. I then took the head apart and found a huge chunk of ice blocking the wheel from spinning. Oh the joys of winter brewing…

Re-assembled and all is well. Sorry to sounds like such a noob, I've never had a single problem with my chugger pump and have never taken it apart. The only forums I could find was based on the SS head.

Seriously thank you guys! Man I F'ing love this forum.

Ice and pumps is a bad combo..... I've welded or replaced numerous pumps folks haven't gotten drained............ Store the pump vertically......... inlet pointed down if it's a center inlet, to one side if it's a so called "inline" pump.