Pump Help, Please!

[Nil]

Hello guys, got one chugger pump and worked fine for the first 5 batches. Got a second one, and I have to send it back for repair as it did not survived even one batch.

Now, I made a batch last weekend, and despite tested, it stop working in the middle of the process: no flow at all. I have to replace the impeller and worked until the end of the brewing day, yet after that, the flow problems started again. At that day, my first pump also failed during flushing/cleaning (no flow also).

Any advice? Supposedly, Chugger Pumps are the Holy Grail of brewing yet I am not impressed at all.

Thinking to get March or StainlessSteel Head. Any experience with this brands?

Thanks, Nil

 

[EuBrew]

Lots of missing info here, what's your pump orientation? Are you drawing air into the inlet? I have 3 and I have to watch the HLT pump as I have a bottom drain and it will draw air in it if the volume gets too low, think whirlpool tornado.

 

[mabrungard]

Be aware that impellers with plain bushings that are operating in a sugar-rich liquid can seize on the shaft due to the sugars plating on the shaft. This is true of any pump like Chugger or March and probably StainlessSteel head. I've been dealing with this for over a decade. My solution is to never stop the pump motor once I've started the brewday. The pump will keep running forever as long as I don't shut off the motor, but can't get the impeller respinning if I stop. So when I need to stop the flow, I just shut the discharge valve and keep the motor running. That doesn't hurt the pump.

Since I perform my mash runoff through the pump, the sugar solution becomes more dilute and apparently that removes that plating of sugar on the shaft and the pump is fine after that. Its just that period when I pump high gravity wort that the problems begin.