Brewmonk pump

[labrewski]

Done a brew today with no pump
I normally run the pump for a few min to clear out any debris or dust before a brew
Today it started and after two seconds it stopped and would not run again
No blockage there as far as I know I can suck or blow water in both directions
Anyone got any ideas all other parts working fine

 

[Agentgonzo]

If you can blow/suck water through it, I assume it's not an air lock (which is normally my first guess).

Can you hear the pump turning like normal or does it sound like it's stuck? If it sounds like it's stuck, maybe a few gentle taps with a soft mallet or back of a shoe in the hope that it'll knock it into life.

 

[labrewski]

No sound at all it just stopped completely

 

[Agentgonzo]

Are there any cut -out reset buttons on the unit? Some have them on the bottom (normally for the element). I don't have a brew monk, so am guessing here.

My next guess would be a fuse, or the wiring, which will be mains voltage and probably sealed, so I wouldn't recommend tinkering with it unless you know what you're doing.

I assume the control panel still has power? Otherwise it may be the fuse in the plug

 

[labrewski]

Yep all other items working fine it is odd

 

[Agentgonzo]

Randomly guessing, if there is something physically blocking the pump, you could try attaching a hosepipe to one end of the piping and force water through at high speed in the hope it dislodges something... But I have no idea whether that would cause damage to the pump

 

[Agentgonzo]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/robobrew-pump-blocked.84092/
There are a few other threads like it. General advice seems to be reverse flushing it (what I tried to describe above) with a hosepipe. After that, people seem to take the pump apart and give it a clean. Common causes seem to be bits of grain or hops getting into the pump and blocking it

 

[Agentgonzo]

@labrewski - any joy?

 

[labrewski]

Going to try later gave a good clean to everything yesterday

 

[foxy]

T

Going to try later gave a good clean to everything yesterday

They are a mag drive pump, take the cover off the front of the pump and have a look inside. I fixed one recently where the user had added sugar to the boil without first dissolving it and he had the pump running during the boil! Some sugar set inside the pump so no way it was going to work. Not much can go wrong with them apart from grain husks blocking it.

 

[labrewski]

T

They are a mag drive pump, take the cover off the front of the pump and have a look inside. I fixed one recently where the user had added sugar to the boil without first dissolving it and he had the pump running during the boil! Some sugar set inside the pump so no way it was going to work. Not much can go wrong with them apart from grain husks blocking it.

I had a look today nothing visible, I do clean properly after every brew never used pump during boil I reckon its just broken
But I definitely will open pump before I go through the customer care route

 

[labrewski]

So after a visible check I couldn't see anything
Opened up the pump still couldn't see anything
I really thought pump was gone, last resort I attached a hose to curved arm to flush pump which is the first thing I should have tried
Flushed didn't notice dirt or grain come through
Plugged in and back in action happy days

 

[Agentgonzo]

Great to hear it's working again! Anyways try the simple things first. Sometimes these things are a mystery. I had a broken toaster years ago. Took it apart, couldn't see anything wrong with it. Put it back together again and it worked! Plus I had a spare screw leftover after reassembly.