Chugger too loud!

[wright530]

Has anyone built an enclosure or found a way to reduce the noise from their chugger pump? Without overheating of course. Surely I am not the only person annoyed by this sound. I recirculate during mash and then whirlpool with it so it is on quite a bit.

 

[beermanpete]

I have the CPSS-IN-1 and it is very quiet. Are you sure it is getting primed correctly and not cavitating? What type of noise does it make?

 

[raysmithtx]

I have a Chugger pump and the only time it was loud was when I lost the nylon washer on the impeller shaft and didn't realize it. I dissemble mine after every brew and somehow the washer didn't make it back on. Once I replaced the washer it's back to normal (which is not very loud at all).

 

[Wizard_of_Frobozz]

I put a couple of sheets of rubber gasket material under the pump. It lowered the noise quite a bit.

This stuff: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Plumb-Pak-6-in-Rubber-Washer/1082955

 

[Dcpcooks]

I have one that is whisper quiet and one that screeches. Damed if I can find the source of the issue.

 

[wright530]

maybe it isn't so much the decibels, but the pitch. Pump is primed and bolted down. Model CPSS-IN-1 about 4 months old. It sounds like the weekly test of the emergency warning system on tv. I have not disassembleD it.

 

[wright530]

I put a couple of sheets of rubber gasket material under the pump. It lowered the noise quite a bit.

This stuff: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Plumb-Pak-6-in-Rubber-Washer/1082955

I will try that first, thank you.

 

[beermanpete]

This is a centrifugal pump which means the impeller is basically a turbine so the high pitch sound makes sense. The pump head is easy to open for inspection if you feel the need to look for worn or defective components.

 

[Morrey]

I have a Chugger pump and the only time it was loud was when I lost the nylon washer on the impeller shaft and didn't realize it. I dissemble mine after every brew and somehow the washer didn't make it back on. Once I replaced the washer it's back to normal (which is not very loud at all).

Should I be breaking my pump down after every brew? I run PBW thru it after use followed by recir Starsan. But I have never broken the pump down. Should I be dissembling?

 

[stonebrewer]

I open mine up every brew day for cleaning and recommend you do the same. The only time mine squeals is when I run really hot wort through it (near or at boiling) in which case cavitation occurs and it is louder than a banshee. Otherwise it sounds fine...

 

[raysmithtx]

Should I be breaking my pump down after every brew? I run PBW thru it after use followed by recir Starsan. But I have never broken the pump down. Should I be dissembling?

I used to run hot PBW through mine and then some starsan like you mention.

I don't know how your pump is mounted but for me it's very easy to remove the 4 screws that hold the pump head on. From there it's also very easy to remove the 4 screws holding the back plate on. The first time I did it, I saw a lot of black gunk on the thrust washer where it sits inside the plate. From that point on I decided to take the 3 minutes necessary to clean and inspect mine after every brew.

 

[Morrey]

I used to run hot PBW through mine and then some starsan like you mention.

I don't know how your pump is mounted but for me it's very easy to remove the 4 screws that hold the pump head on. From there it's also very easy to remove the 4 screws holding the back plate on. The first time I did it, I saw a lot of black gunk on the thrust washer where it sits inside the plate. From that point on I decided to take the 3 minutes necessary to clean and inspect mine after every brew.

For sure this preventive measure may make the difference in the pump's longevity. Won't hurt to take a look and see what the impeller is looking like inside.

 

[stonebrewer]

I think most folks will tell a similar tale. We all read we should run cleaning solution through and blah blah. Turns out that is more work, takes longer, and you are not as sure about how clean it really is. So we sheepishly go about taking the pumps apart the first time to find it is so dang easy to do that this only makes sense vice doing it the way the pros do! No need to run Star San through if you are pumping near boiling liquid through them for minutes or more either. I do put foil over all my ports and rubber band them to keep spiders and whatnot out of them after I clean though (no yummy arachnoid proteins in my beer!). Cleaning a homebrew pump is quick, easy, and I do it after every brew, and sometimes before and after cuz I tend to forget things so I check to avoid issues and since it is already apart, a quick clean never hurts. Best of luck!

 

[prmurphy63026]

I run hot PBW (20 min @ 120*F+) then cool water (5 min) through the pump to clean the CFC, MLT & BK. Without disassembling the pump. No problems in over 5 years.

 

[beermanpete]

I have not open my pump yet and I really do not see any need to open it. The PBW cleaning is required for the heat exchanger anyhow so the pump gets cleaned at the same time.

Getting back to the original issue: Open the pump and check it out. Any parts that are badly worn should be replaced. Look for signs of the impeller running against the housing (it should not touch the sides). Also, run the motor with the pump head off and see if the motor is making the noise rather than the pump.