March AC-1C-MD food garde?

[JobeJoe]

My homebrew system is going through upgrades. Part of the new design involves two foodgrade pumps. I know chuggers are the way to go, at about $145 a pop. The upgrades costs are going ballistic, especially with notions of a Hosehead eherms. I found a similar pump made by March, model# AC-1C-MD, for a lot less. It doesn't say anything about being food grade, but it will handle the right temperatures for what I need. This pump is also capable of pumping mild to high corrosive through and is made for recirculation. It has a Kynar head.

So pump-heads, do you think this is safe for homebrewing? Water or wort?

 

[TheMarkTM]

I just got one in the mail I ordered from eBay for under $50 after I needed to return a Chugger pump that I had on loan from a friend. I haven't brewed with it yet, but I'd say keep shopping unless you are sure this one will meet your needs, which I'm wondering about for myself right now. March makes no claims this is food safe, but I'd bet you're fine as long as you don't go over the rated temp.

Some of the shortcomings of the pump:
- It's tiny. It only has 1/4" NPT connections, not the standard 1/2" and it has half the power as the most modest Chugger.
- It has no enclosure. The transformer is exposed, and it has bare wire leads without a plug. Not ideal for the brewing environment.
- It has a max rated temp of 190° F. It is not suitable for a whirlpool in the boil kettle.

I'll see how it does, but I know I'm going to need a real brewing pump to handle my needs. I'll probably keep it for a sparge water pump in case I decide to go to a single level brew stand, but in the mean time I'm saving for a better pump.

I attached some pictures to put the size in perspective.