I'm sure there is a thread about this already, but I'm in search of a pump and need some advice. I recently upgraded my equipment and need a hot-side pump. I prefer quality over value- I'd rather spend a bit more and have a really solid pump than go for a deal and have issues. Thanks for the help!
March is probably the most popular. It comes 'standard' with a polysulfone (plastic) head that some people don't care for. Stainless is a bit more pricey. Mine is Brass (bronze?). I didn't order it this way -- it's just what I got. Center inlet seems to be preferred, though I'm not sure the difference is significant. You want the High Speed (HS), High Flow (HF -- bigger impeller) version. Chugger is gaining in popularity. The consensus is that it's the same pump, but with a Stainless head and a lower price. I can't confirm that, but it sure looks like it. You'll be safe with either one. You're looking at around $150 , either way. A 'better' pump will cost considerably more.
I use LG pumps. Never have had an issue with it working/priming/losing a prime. They are a poly head though. One thing i wish it had was a stainless head. That way you can tighten some fittings and not worry about stripping the plastic.
You're only going to put the fittings on once. Just be careful on the first try and you'll be fine. And don't over tighten. That doesn't make anything better.
I take stuff off periodically to clean. I understand "don't over tighten", but sometimes that's easy to do with plastic. For the piece of mind, I would have rather the stainless. However, that wasn't an option with the pumps I chose. That said, they are much quieter than march pumps, and again, never had an issue with a prime. And according to the spec, can run dry for an hr before having an issue (not that I've ever tested that). I'll take that over the plastic/stainless head issue.
Just got a chugger. Works great so far although I haven't actually brewed a beer with the new setup I'm moving liquid 6 vertical feet and it tackles the job no problem.
Hmmm... Since the therapy, I've been able to resist the urge to run my pump dry for an hour, so that wouldn't be a deciding factor for me. Regarding taking it apart to clean - that's a good point but, again, it's not difficult to not strip the threads. I think that's largely a manufactured criticism. Regarding priming - once you get the hang of it, it's pretty much a non-issue, IMO. I can't remember the last time I had a priming problem with my March pump. Most significantly, though, the LG pump is not rated for boiling temps. People do it, seemingly without issue, but it's still something to consider.
I've had a march pump with poly head that I got for christmas in '08, missed the threads right off the bat and kept losing prime, but ended up corrected the error and lucky the threads were not ruined. I run the pump probably for 2 hours on a typical brew day, brewing about 10-20 times a year and besides my own error with the threading, have never had an issue. Speaking of...should probably look into to see if I need to do some maintenance since it has been 5 years. I may get the center inlet now if i had to do it again, but overall couldn't be happier with the pump.
I'm sorry I didn't say "march pumps are awesome". I offered a different option, and what I would have liked to see different on the option I chose. I did the research on the LG pumps. yes, they aren't rated for that, mainly (from what I could find) that they didn't want to go through the extra testing costs. The fact that people had been using them for 5 years straight was good enough for me. The OP was asking about pumps. I was just saying there are other options other than a march...
...as was I. I thought it useful to add some perspective to the perceived advantages/disadvantages -- useful when trying to choose, IMO.
I have a March 809 HS with the brass(or is it bronze) head, it is getting old, at the wifes urging I got a Chugger with the high flow As head. That really pumps the liquid!
