Opinions on this pump for keg/carboy washer?

[shortyjacobs]

It's kind of too late anyway, but just in case I'm putting in too much effort for nothing, what do you think of this pump for a keg/carboy washer.... much beefier than submersible pumps in the same price range...sucker weighs near 15 lbs, 1/2 horsepower, it's a beast.

Any opinions?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=1479

 

[jppostKW]

how are you going to go about it?

 

[shortyjacobs]

how are you going to go about it?

I bought the pump and a crapton of PVC today. Gonna do the standard 5 gal bucket deal, fill halfway with oxyclean, pump sucks out solution through PVC and pumps into carboy...it then falls down and out back into the bucket...

 

[krops13]

Would this be able to be used for boiling wort?

 

[lustreking]

Would this be able to be used for boiling wort?

It's cast iron, so no.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Would this be able to be used for boiling wort?

Nope....I'm just using it for warm oxyclean/cool starsan. If I'm smart, I'll rinse with water afterwards, but even so, the base/acid environment will probably kill it sooner or later....hopefully it works for a while...can't beat $34.

 

[beerlover69]

those pumps are not self priming and sometimes you have to take to front cover off to get the impeller to turn because there is a bur from the manufacturing when u first use it. you also have to wire a cord to it.

 

[shortyjacobs]

OK, stayed up last night and got high on PVC cement fumes putting a first-glance thing together...works great! I used two PVC unions on my inflow and outflow pipes so I can disconnect the pump easy, (and prime easy). It does require priming, but that wasn't hard....and it fired right up, pumped away.

So far I'm into it for $53. 37 for the pump after tax, plus a 2.50 lowes bucket, PVC, extension cord to cannibalize to wire it, etc. takes me up to $53. I think I'll swing by Northern Brewer and get some more disconnects so I can have it pump through the gas and liquid posts at the same time as it sprays up into the carboy....it certainly has good flow though, even with the restrictions from the PVC unions...

My eventual plan is to have a hose with a union attached to it that I can hook to the input at will, allowing me to flush each keg with fresh water after oxycleaning without removing oxyclean solution from the bucket. I'll work more on it tonight, and hopefully get enough done to post pics.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Success!

This pump IS a beast. I didn't even put a nozzle on the end of my upright pipe. The stream is so strong that I don't need one. Ran it for a few hours last night and got a sparkly clean carboy: