Good Aquarium Pump for Immersion Chiller?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by VikeMan, Jun 16, 2012.

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  1. Pegli

    Pegli Initiate (0) Aug 30, 2006 Rhode Island

    I usually buy 2qty 15lb bags at the grocery store ($6 = wicked cheap) if I'm doing a lager and/or 10 gallon batch in the summer. Truth be told, there's probably ~5 lbs left over when I'm done. I don't have the freezer space to make my own ice in this quantity but I'm sure it's doable for a penny pincher...
     
  2. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    That is a good price for 2-15# bags. I guess I think a pre-chiller would use alot less ice and the efficiency wouldn't be that much worse. I have an extra immersion chiller and am weighing out the options. Without anything but my 50' chiller I chilled in 12 minutes last Thursday, but I couldn't get it below 75° which a prechiller would allow me to do.
     
  3. Pegli

    Pegli Initiate (0) Aug 30, 2006 Rhode Island

    The nice thing about recirculation is you can set it up and just let it go while you're cleaning up, sanitizing, etc.
     
  4. WickedSluggy

    WickedSluggy Savant (1,105) Nov 21, 2008 Texas

    I live in Texas and have tried varous prechiller methods. The only thing that has worked resonably well for me is an afro-engineered glycol chiller I made with an old air-conditioner and alluminum cooler. It recircuilated antifreeze through my plate chiller. Unfortunately I blew it up last year when I added warm antifreeze after the coils were already cold. It created too much pressure and quickly sprung a leak, and I haven't fixed it yet.

    The solution you are proposing probably wont be worth the effort. You might reduce the overall temperature by a few degrees (less than 5). You're probably better just using your tap water through your chiller and saving your ice for a fermenter bath afterwards. Otherwise you are going to go through a LOT of ice.
     
  5. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Chill with tap water to less than 100F, switch to the pond/utility pump and you can get down to lager pitching temps with a couple bags of ice for 10 gallons. Once you get to lower temps the delta T is small so time is your friend.
     
  6. tngolfer

    tngolfer Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2012 Tennessee

    When using a pump and ice water running through an immersion chiller I was going to ask if you all "waste" the first run of water or use a tap to keep your ice from melting as fast. I think this answers my question.
     
  7. WickedSluggy

    WickedSluggy Savant (1,105) Nov 21, 2008 Texas

    Oh Yeah, that'll work because your using ice to cool your wort instead of your tap water.
     
  8. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    This is what I do. And I fill the washing machine with the water that comes out before I switch to my utility pump.
     
  9. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    Hi All, I am going to ressurect this thread because I need a pump for my immersion chiller.

    In the past I had one of those cheap pond pumps at 148gph and hated it. I had really work on it to get a flow going, making sure the kettle and cooler of ice water were at the same level. Sucking the hose to get it to flow (insert joke here:flushed: ).

    I went to harbor freight to replace it. They had some 500-600 gph pond pumps but they just looked like bigger versions of the POS I was using before.

    Every pump I liked required some wiring. This one for example, seems pretty sturdy but has two jumper cable type things for power, not a plug. I am not too smart with the electricity, can I cut them off and wire into a plug and plug it in or will I electrocute myself. I get the felling if I have to ask...:grimacing:.

    That one looked promising, but did not have a plug only a cord with bare wire at the end.

    After that the sump pumps got a little pricey. I do not mind spending a few dollars to get something that works but I am cheap. The first one (marine pump) has lower gph but higher lift leading me to believe it is stronger. Plus it looks pretty sturdy. Am I off base here?

    Either way I am going to have to wire a plug on the end it seems.
     
  10. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California
    Deactivated

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  11. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

  12. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I ended up buying the one MattCinatl linked to above. Here it is again.
    So far, so good.
     
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  13. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    Thanks. 1/8 hp gets it done eh? I will go back and check those out.
    I like that marine one I linked above, but by the time I get that and a plug and rewire it I may as well just spend the few extra bucks.
     
  14. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (946) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    I bought one of the small pond pumps from Harbor Freight, one of the $10 or $15 ones. It didn't work at all. I took it back and got a 1/6 hp submersible pump and it works great. I think it was $50.
     
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  15. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The bilge pump is 12V DC, which would not work on the house wiring. It is made for a boat. You might power it off of a battery and a battery charger.

    Get one of the bigger submersible ones.
     
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  16. Mfedonczak

    Mfedonczak Initiate (0) Aug 18, 2008 Texas

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  17. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    Yes, I am pro no pond pump.
    DC? what do politics have to do with it:astonished: ? just kidding.

    I think I am just going to spring for a decent submersible pump. Thanks all.
     
  18. yinzer

    yinzer Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2006 Pennsylvania

    Yes and no. There would be less heat per volume of water, but I can't see where the transfer rate would be less.

    When I start my chiller the output is too hot to touch. Let's sat that it's 25 feet long and the last 6 feet are at 200 * F. That last 6 feet isn't doing much is it? If you can speed up the water and make the whole coil cooler it will cool faster.
     
  19. yinzer

    yinzer Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2006 Pennsylvania

    Here's the one I got. I went through a pond pump in about six months.

    I do use this to clean about everything that I have.

    I use it to chill a starter and to push through my IC . I use it to clean kegs, kettles, carboys, silicone hoses, plate chiller, beer gun, cobra line, etc. Basically I have garden hose threads > 3/8" tubing, 1/2" tubing and a corny out post. I love it.

    http://www.homedepot.com/buy/plumbi...mersible-utility-pump-41729.html#.UCmQv1J9g-A
     
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  20. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    You want the most flow. The heat is transfered over the temperature difference from the wort to the water. Keeping it flowing fast keeps the delta-T high.

    If you want to use the least amount of water go slow. If you shut the flow off, let it reach eqilibruim, turn it back on, stop when cold, shut it off and let it reach equilibrium, repeat many times, and you will have used the least water. That would take a long time.

    Running fast will not seem too hot, but the mass of water used will be heated so that the product of mass*temp rise will be greater than running slow.
     
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