Solar Pump Help!

[dojodan]

I've searched a lot but couldn't find anything to assist.

I recently bought a plate chiller and pump, and spent this morning giving everything a trial run as I'm planning to brew on Monday.

I have my boiler on a chair, the pump and plate chiller are on the floor. I thought the pump would prime via gravity but it didn't seem to work that way for some reason! After I'd switched it on and off a couple of times it worked fine and I just ran some warm PBW through the system.

Started the cold water and pulled the hose out of the boiler to feed the solution into the 'fermentor' - all good, temperature drops amazingly quickly.

Once the boiler was nearly empty and the pump started sucking on air, I switched the pump off. There was still liquid in the tube to the pump, between the pump and the chiller, and between the chiller and the fermentor... It was a massive ballache to try and get this out! I lifted the (now empty) boiler up to the kitchen counter and let gravity feed the liquid through as far as it would go. I lifted the plate chiller up to let this liquid drain into the fermentor and had to repeat this process a few times to completely clear the lines.

So - questions as follows:

1. Is there any way to prime the pump other than some on / off toggling?
2. Is there an easier way to clear the remaining wort from the pump / plate chiller and the tubing inbetween?

Cheers for any help you could provide!

Dan

[Fil]

gravity should prime the pump ok as long as the tubing/path is unrestricted, but if u sanitised the chiller wet it could contain some liquid between the plates causing some bubbles n resistance which knocking or agitating may cure.

if using 1/2" bsp fittings n valves you could perhaps mount the pump directly to the kettle valve? assuring its primed as soon as u open the valve up.

i pump from a low down kettle thru a pipe chiller up to the fv..

sitting the chiller above the fv so it drains naturally may also make things easier, you will have dead space or lost beer in the pipe between kettle and chiller. some loss is inevitable trick is i think to not waste tubing getting to the apex of the system from which it should drain naturally. a break or bleed fitting at the apex of the system will allow a easy drain without spills

orientation of the plate chiller may effect both how it drains and performs? as i dont have one i cant say what?

i also think some pre chiller filter might be a good idea i think the Y inline strainers are popular?

a few water experiments should give you the losses to expect.