Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

I bought a pump, now what? I need some help

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • I bought a pump, now what? I need some help

    Hi,

    Just staring out so please forgive the n00b questions.

    I picked up a filter last weekend and the seller also had a nice 3hp pump motor for sale. So i bought it. Now i need to understand what i purchased and get the other parts required.


    I know i need the following:
    Cart
    power supply
    controller
    impeller and impeller housing

    Can someone point me in the right direction to a good place to source these parts? On a budget and dont need anything fancy. The pump is an overkill for now but hopefully will grow into it.

    Thansk!

  • #2
    All of your questions have answers, but mostly they are just more questions. Your best bet is to go to someone like CPE and see what they've got for that motor, frame, rpm, etc. If it is an AC motor, your power supply is your AC power to the building. I would recommend a VFD for the controller, though this will depend on the motor itself and whether it is designed to use a VFD or not. There are lots of questions that need to be answered, I suggest you go to an expert. Or find out what that motor is worth and sell it, use the proceeds to buy a pump/motor combo from someone who knows what they are doing.

    Comment


    • #3
      Jebzter is right.

      There isn't quite enough information here to help with many answers. Most likely if you don't know much about these items, its likely a 3hp pump motor is way more than you need. Especially for a transfer/CIP type pump. You don't mention the filter style/size, tank size, desired volume per min/hour, ect. There are many variables.

      A cart is not a necessity, but it usually quite nice. Without it, your pump is stationary, so you would need enough hose length to make up for it. Most 3HP pump motors will have the ability to accept 3 phase power, but may require internal wiring changes (usually there will be a diagram on the motor). I believe all VFD's will need a 3 phase power supply. A VFD allows you to control the speed (via Hz) of the pump motor. Impeller is only a piece, you will need a sanitary pump head. I believe a "head" will include a motor mounting plate (lantern?), a backing plate, pump seal, impeller, housing, ect. As suggested contact CPE or the like for more info.

      You may have gotten a good deal on the 3hp motor, but you may end up spending more on the head parts than you will save buy purchasing a proper sized unit. I am still guessing your size, but if your not dealing with tanks above 100bbl, its way overkill. I've used a 3hp for moving mash through a 4" pipe, but I never even brought it above 20hz (its minimum). If you are at 100bbl or bigger, then just bite down and get a fully spec'ed unit from someone who can tell you about pump curves.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by UnFermentable View Post
        Jebzter is right.

        There isn't quite enough information here to help with many answers. Most likely if you don't know much about these items, its likely a 3hp pump motor is way more than you need. Especially for a transfer/CIP type pump. You don't mention the filter style/size, tank size, desired volume per min/hour, ect. There are many variables.

        A cart is not a necessity, but it usually quite nice. Without it, your pump is stationary, so you would need enough hose length to make up for it. Most 3HP pump motors will have the ability to accept 3 phase power, but may require internal wiring changes (usually there will be a diagram on the motor). I believe all VFD's will need a 3 phase power supply. A VFD allows you to control the speed (via Hz) of the pump motor. Impeller is only a piece, you will need a sanitary pump head. I believe a "head" will include a motor mounting plate (lantern?), a backing plate, pump seal, impeller, housing, ect. As suggested contact CPE or the like for more info.

        You may have gotten a good deal on the 3hp motor, but you may end up spending more on the head parts than you will save buy purchasing a proper sized unit. I am still guessing your size, but if your not dealing with tanks above 100bbl, its way overkill. I've used a 3hp for moving mash through a 4" pipe, but I never even brought it above 20hz (its minimum). If you are at 100bbl or bigger, then just bite down and get a fully spec'ed unit from someone who can tell you about pump curves.
        Not all VFD require 3phase input, but they all have 3phase output. Most VFD can make due with one Line to line or line to neutral voltage, though it will pull quite a lot more amperage than if 3 phase. Home machinists often use VFD to make 3 phase power out of single phase, the units can be cheaper than a rotary phase converter. Just a little tidbit there for anyone who has a 3 phase pump and not 3 phase power, you can make it work.

        Comment


        • #5
          VFDs for motors up to around 5 hp can usually be used as converters, taking single-phase line input and outputting 3-phase. The pump motor, however, must be wound for 3-phase. I've never seen a motor that could be wired for single-phase or 3-phase--most can be wired for two Voltages, for instance, 120VAC or 240VAC. The higher the Voltage, the lower the Amperage, so smaller wires (less expensive) can be used for higher voltages for the same size motor.

          Are you sure the pump head is sanitary, food-grade stainless? If not, you have a trash pump or irrigation pump.
          Timm Turrentine

          Brewerywright,
          Terminal Gravity Brewing,
          Enterprise. Oregon.

          Comment


          • #6
            Hey Jerry, give us a shout at and we will get you sorted out right quick. You can reach us at 1-800-668-2268.
            Last edited by CPESystems; 10-03-2017, 01:14 PM.
            Your CPE Systems Team!
            CPE Systems Inc.
            800-668-2268
            CPEsystems.com
            Thinkpumps.com
            sales@cpesystems.com

            Comment


            • #7
              All,

              Thank you for the replies. The motor probably is overkill so ill be calling CPE for a properly sized unit.

              -Jerry

              Comment

              Working...
              X