Wort chiller pump problem

[MrBarrySir]

Hi all,

Looking to get everything set up for my first all grain brew - hopefully this weekend. I've attached the hoses to each end of the wort chiller with jubilee clips and was hoping to use the submersible pump I bought (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DT47G74?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 ), however upon testing it doesn't seem to have enough power to push water all the way through. Should I be looking at shortening tubing lengths and adjusting the height or is the pump I bought to small for the job? It's 8w if that helps.

Thanks

 

[ManseMasher]

Hi all,

Looking to get everything set up for my first all grain brew - hopefully this weekend. I've attached the hoses to each end of the wort chiller with jubilee clips and was hoping to use the submersible pump I bought (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DT47G74?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 ), however upon testing it doesn't seem to have enough power to push water all the way through. Should I be looking at shortening tubing lengths and adjusting the height or is the pump I bought to small for the job? It's 8w if that helps.

Thanks

What type of wort ciller? Immersion, cfc or plate? I notice it can pump water to a height of 90cm. Whichever type of chiller you have, this doesn't seem to me like it will have enough power to push water through metres of piping.

 

[Spapro]

Hi all,

Looking to get everything set up for my first all grain brew - hopefully this weekend. I've attached the hoses to each end of the wort chiller with jubilee clips and was hoping to use the submersible pump I bought (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DT47G74/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 ), however upon testing it doesn't seem to have enough power to push water all the way through. Should I be looking at shortening tubing lengths and adjusting the height or is the pump I bought to small for the job? It's 8w if that helps.

Thanks

I've got a very, very similar pump I bought off ebay and have found to get it started I have plug the pump in so its runnnig and then lift the builders tub I use it in and leave the return hose down at ground level to create a syphon effect to get things started.

Only have to do this for 20-30 seconds, once things are flowing smoothly I can place the tub down on the ground and pop the return hose into the tub.

I suspect this helps to flush any air out the pump/hose/wort chiller which the pump may struggle to purge otherwise.

Give it a try and hope it sorts things for you.

EDIT: just another thought, I use everything down at ground level, if you are pumping from a sink down to the boiler on the floor, then back uphill to the sink then maybe worth lifting the boiler so the sink and the boiler are on the same level. Still trying the syphon approach to help the pump get started.

 

[MrBarrySir]

What type of wort ciller? Immersion, cfc or plate? I notice it can pump water to a height of 90cm. Whichever type of chiller you have, this doesn't seem to me like it will have enough power to push water through metres of piping.

It's a typical coiled immersion chiller, perhaps it might need a bit of help as Spapro pointed out. I'll give it a go and see what happens. If not I may just have to pop to B&Q and get a fitting for the outside hozelock tap.

 

[MrBarrySir]

OK so the pump isn't suitable for the job, even after trying Spapro's method it stops moving water when returned to normal height. I'm now looking at using an outside tap with hozelock attachment going to a meter long regular hose with a female hozelock attachment each end (picture attached).

What would I need to attatch the 3/8 clear line that's already attached to the wort chiller to the female hozelock attachment?

 

[Leon103]

I have put a compressor on each end of my wort chiller, a 10mm to 15mm compressor. You then just screw on the hose connector and slot on the female to that.

 

[MrBarrySir]

I have put a compressor on each end of my wort chiller, a 10mm to 15mm compressor. You then just screw on the hose connector and slot on the female to that.

Thanks for the reply. Are these the correct parts?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/reducing-coupler-compression-fitting-15-10mm/51238?_requestid=253774

http://www.diy.com/departments/hozelock-hose-inlet-connector/189839_BQ.prd

 

[ManseMasher]

Thanks for the reply. Are these the correct parts?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/reducing-coupler-compression-fitting-15-10mm/51238?_requestid=253774

http://www.diy.com/departments/hozelock-hose-inlet-connector/189839_BQ.prd

They look good. Another way to do it would be to use the reducing coupler, but instead of screwing a hoselock connector onto the 15mm end, get a short length of 15mm copper pipe, put that in the 15mm compression joint end, take one of your female connectors off of your hose and attach the hose to the 15mm pipe with a jubilee clip or two. The reason I'm suggesting this is I have one of those hose connectors on my outside tap, and no matter what I do I can't get a good seal - water sprays out and it would be a shame if that happened and you ended up watering your wort....

 

[Spapro]

Here is the shopping list, all from B&Q:

2 x Brass 10mm to 15mm couplers (you ditch the nut and olive from the 15mm side): http://www.diy.com/departments/plumb...m/34126_BQ.prd
2 x B&Q Blue Tap Connectors: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-1/.../189833_BQ.prd
2 x B&Q Blue Hose connectors: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-1/.../262127_BQ.prd

Plus some plumbers PTFE tape as the brass couplers are designed for 10mm pipe and my wort chiller was made with 9.5mm copper pipe. 5-6 layers of PTFE tape bulks out the width of the copper tube so the olive fits more snugly for a better seal once tighten up.

 

[MrBarrySir]

Here is the shopping list, all from B&Q:

2 x Brass 10mm to 15mm couplers (you ditch the nut and olive from the 15mm side): http://www.diy.com/departments/plumb...m/34126_BQ.prd
2 x B&Q Blue Tap Connectors: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-1/.../189833_BQ.prd
2 x B&Q Blue Hose connectors: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-1/.../262127_BQ.prd

Plus some plumbers PTFE tape as the brass couplers are designed for 10mm pipe and my wort chiller was made with 9.5mm copper pipe. 5-6 layers of PTFE tape bulks out the width of the copper tube so the olive fits more snugly for a better seal once tighten up.

Ace, thanks for this, i'll pop along on Saturday. I'm going to keep the pvc tubing on the 'out' side and i'll go with this set up for the 'in' side. Is it better for the cold water to travel up the coil or down, or doesn't it matter?

 

[Leon103]

I followed spapro design and worked a treat. Get them from a local plumbers merchants they will a fraction of the cost

 

[Spapro]

I followed spapro design and worked a treat. Get them from a local plumbers merchants they will a fraction of the cost

You may get the brass couplers a bit cheaper from a plumbers merchants, they are £3.98 each at B&Q and the B&Q 'blue value' hozelock connectors are £1 each so you are looking at £12 all in at B&Q.

 

[rodabod]

Poundland sell hose connectors and adapters in a small kit. Works fine for me.

I use this pump which works fine, and accepts wort at boiling point:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281708749751

 

[MrBarrySir]

All set up using the B&Q blue connectors and 15mm - 10mm reducers, no leaks. Thanks for the help.

 

[ManseMasher]

Top hole, well done!

 

[Spapro]

All set up using the B&Q blue connectors and 15mm - 10mm reducers, no leaks. Thanks for the help.

Pleased you got it sorted.