Pump inlet at the same height as your bulkhead?

[nyx]

Friends,

I know that the conventional wisdom is to always have your pump's inlet sit below whatever it is you are draining. But is this really necessary?

Imagine connecting your pump's input directly to the ball valve on the bottom of your kettle. Wouldn't the downward pressure of the water in the kettle (gravity) be enough to prime the pump?

Do all the folks who's pumps are three or four feet below their kettles I know something I don't?

I plan to conduct an experiment to prove this theory, but I figured I'd ask you guys first. Any thoughts?

P.S. I'm mostly talking about center inlet pumps.

 

[day_trippr]

You need to fully fill the pump head, so orientation and a way to vent the head play roles here. If the wort is above the pump head, you should be able to prime the pump, even if you have to disconnect the pump output to do it...

Cheers!

 

[BigJay13]

Should be fine.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I have done it as the OP describes and it worked flawlessly.