Pump problems and repairs. Help needed.

[BeerCat]

I have had a few problems with pumps. Either blocking during recirculating or stopping altogether. Thankfully the cheap solar pumps are relatively easy to get going again and do not block much due to the design of the propeller.
If they do stop take off the cover and turn the prop until it restarts. Don't prise the motor out with a screwdriver as i did as it wont work properly again.

Below is another pump i brought which i thought was a T5 but i am probably wrong? This use to block all the time as my system was not really optimised to prevent stop any grain going through it. I am fairly sure i would work much better with my current setup.

As you can see the water is pushed through these very small holes which are not easy to unblock.



The motor sits on this bevelled spindle which has a bevelled washer on one end. I have taken it apart so much the spindel now spins freely and makes a horrible noise. I am thinking i may have to try and superglue the spindle in place as i cant see what else i can do. The problem is i don't know which way around it should go!
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
This any help?

 

[BeerCat]

Thanks Col. That's a much better quality pump than mine. The impeller will never get blocked as its so wide and it has no spindle. I have realised now mine is not a T5 but one of these. I think the best option might be to super glue the spindle to stop it spinning.
.

 

[AdeDunn]

If you find your pump is stopping for no apparent reason a lot, put a thin smear of something like this stuff over all contact surfaces (shaft, outside of magnet part of impeller, surface impeller blades sit over). The same thing happens in aquarium pumps, and it seriously shortens the working life, and makes them run hotter from the friction. I had one pump though that just did it from the off, and no amount of lubricant would fix it, every time I'd turn it off I'd have to open the impeller chamber and give it a spin to get it going again... lol I binned it and fitted an air driven sponge filter in the end. lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FilterLo...163926&hash=item25e9010265:g:UZ4AAOSwEYBaXNXo

 

[BeerCat]

When you mentioned lubricant the other day i thought you meant ky but now realise you meant graphite. I glued the spindle in place and now the pump works until i tighten all the screws. Would some lube fix this problem? I am confident the spindle is fully inserted so not sure why its not working. I wont ever recirculate with this again but would be good to have a water pump for sparging

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
If you are about to get a new pump, and don't mind modding the old one, I wonder whether shortening the spindle a little might do the trick?
I haven't had my pump apart yet, so can't advise on which way the spindle is fitted.
I'm out of my comfort zone here!

 

[Fil]

RE lil brown solar pumps, a pipe cleaner or other thin stiff wire impliment can with some luck be used to nudge the impeller through the out port without pulling the head when its failing to start..

to help reduce the sticking caused i believe by micro particles finding their way into the spindle/rotor during use, try submersing the pump in a hot/warm biological washing powder solution and running it on a low power 6-8v for 30 minutes or so, before rinsing out thoroughly..

with luck any organic particulate matter will be digested and remnants flushed out, reducing the risk of no-starts..

fwiw im still using my #1 lil brown pump sourced from solar-projects.co.uk, It has been a lil temperamental over the years tho, and i have collected a couple of dust gathering backups..

If however your liquor cant be filtered and your going to inevitably be pumping liquor with some grain content i would suggest moving to a pump that can handle particulate matter, keep an eye on ebay for a 2nd use bargain, or pm me and ask if i want to shift one of the backup dust gatherers ive not needed to use..

 

[Sbond10]

Your problems have given me pause for thought fil. Im about to embark on a counterflow chiller build. And im looking at one of the cheap 20 quid pumps on the bay use to push the wort thru and back out the other side so i hot sanitise it. I may have to add a y filter to stop rubbish enter the pump

 

[Bigcol49]

one of the cheap 20 quid pumps on the bay

Hi!
Make sure it'll handle high temperatures.

 

[Sbond10]

There rated for 100c so im hoping it will last

 

[BeerCat]

Thanks for the advice much appreciated. The solar pump i am using now seems to be good as long as its rinsed out after use. Touch wood it has not conked out for a while. Will try submersing them in soapy water after the next brew day.
I don't get much grain recirculating any more with my new system but still wont use the black pump in case it blocks. Happy with this solar and if i do get a blockage the mash will continue to heat up as i have the sensor on the boiler tap (until i fit a thermowell). Will send you a DM Cheers @Fil

@bigcol101 That's a good idea to sand a bit off. Hopefully i have it the right way around as i cant understand why the washer would sit on the impeller. Probably did not help that i only had 3 screws, just found the 4th. I might also try putting some graphite on it as i seem to remember having some. If only i knew where it was. Cheers

 

[AdeDunn]

My TS5 mini has a washer on each end of the shaft (plastic ones), your pump could be similar maybe?

 

[BeerCat]

My solar pumps stopped working again so i put it in a jug of very hot water and oxyclean. This was a big mistake as somehow the gasket came off and was flushed down the toilet. Not just one pump but all three. Another of the pumps the whole motor unit came unstuck and moved forward 5mm. Was unable to push it back even with a hammer.
Anyway i ordered a new pump from MM which was well overdue. Last 10 times i have brewed the pump must of stopped when i came to pump the sparge water.