Another pump question (low-tech preheater setup)

[BlueberryHill]

I have a budget preheater that I am working on:

Mason 2x3 with little pre-heater tank in the back.
6" Stack.
I have a copper coil around the stack. Then I wrapped kaowool around the coil and shielded it with an 8" pipe section.
15 gallon keg sitting on the ground with a cone shaped collander that is a good for for 8qt pre-filters.

The plan is to dump raw sap through the prefilter into the 15 gal keg that sits on the floor a few feet away from the evaporator. I want to pump out of that keg and through the coil around the stack and then have it discharge into the preheater on top of the evaporator pan. I always try to keep the valve on the pre-heater outlet cracked open just enough to feed the 2x3 pan at the right rate to keep my desired level. I hope to find a pump that will pump at a rate slightly higher than I will be boiling off. To keep the pre-heater tank/pan from overflowing I plan to drill a hole as high as possible on it and fix a fitting onto it that will drain back into the keg.

The idea is that I will not need to monitor the pre-heater level. It will be automatic. I just need to make sure that my preheater discharges at the correct rate to feed my pan. That is pretty easy to do, and I do that already. Then I just need to make sure that I don't let the 15gal keg run dry. I am hoping that this continuous-feed system will solve any problems as far as scorching or vapor lock. Anything to help heat up the sap before it hits the pre-heater would be great.

So my question is... what would be the best pump. I have scavenged most of what I have into this system and I would rather not drop $100 on a pump if I don't have to. But I also don't want to have to buy a new pump every year either. I found a submersible aquarium pump on Amazon and the price is right and the ratings are good. I just thought I would run it by the experts here first to see if it's a good idea or not. Feel free to bash the pump, or the whole pre-heater idea if you choose. I can take it. If this system is not worth trying I would rather find out now than when the sap is running.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquatop-NP-302-Aquarium-Submersible-Pump/dp/B006K31WLC/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1388863723&sr=1-1&keywords=pump

Thanks!

[psparr]

Why didnt I think of that!

[rayi]

Why not use gravity. It's free

[BlueberryHill]

Gravity is cool, but my sugar hut it at the top of the hill so I would have to construct some sort of stand or tower to utilize gravity. Also, since this is essentially a recirculating system, I can't use gravity for all of it. Technically half is gravity :)

Plan is to use gravity and a proper under-the-hood preheater once I have a proper sugar shack. Hopefully for the 2015 season. Maybe 2016. We'll see what comes up. The slow inexpensive approach probably won't allow for 2015.

[lpakiz]

Could you put your keg up on a 55 gallon barrel, or whatever will get it higher than the pan? When I first started in this game, I used a pail and a step-ladder to get the sap in the feed barrel. I too had a coil around the stack. When the sap ran out, or I wanted to quit for the night, I filled the empty tank with a gallon of water and diverted the stream from going into the pan, into a pail on the ground. Then just refilled the barrel with the diverted water til all was cooled off.

[BlueberryHill]

Yeah, I could do that. Initially that was the plan. But then I thought that incorporating a cheap pump could sort of automate the system and help to eliminate some of the potential problems. I'm not too worried about the electricity to run a 6 watt pump. I have a stereo and a light and a blower running already so it's not like I am off-grid anyway ;)

Does anyone have any experience with the aquarium pump (or one like it) that I put a link to above?

[kiteflyingeek]

BlueberryHill,

I cannot speak for how it works as I'm coming up on my first year using it but I have built a sap collecting bucket with a Rule Submersible Pump (http://store.waterpumpsupply.com/runo12vodcbi.html) for about $25. It will allow me to pump sap out of a 5 gallon bucket on the ground into a tank in the vehicle. I would think you could do the same to keep your keg full. Have the preheater overflow run into the tankthepump sits in. I created my own float switch from some cheap float switches (http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Water-Level-Sensor-Switch/dp/B006Z968TC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388950570&sr=8-1&keywords=Right+angle+float+switch) and a relay (http://www.amazon.com/Amico-HH62P-L-JQX-13F-PTF08A-Socket/dp/B0087ZTEBG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388950811&sr=8-4&keywords=Dpdt+Relay) but you might just buy one for you ground tank. I thought I would share some more options for you. Hope it helps.

My concern with your aquarium pump is the max head of 27". Are you going to have your keg on a stand so you are under that distance? But I will say the adjustable part sounds pretty nice.

--andrew

[BlueberryHill]

Thanks Andrew. I don't know how I missed the 27" max head on that one. Thanks for pointing that out. Guess I'll have to shell out a few more bucks to get the job done. This one is $40 so still pretty reasonable and it has a Max height of 7.9ft. Also: "These submersible water pumps are great for everything from fountains to hydroponic systems. Powerful oil free high magnetic rotor. Ceramic shaft and bearing insures reliability and quiet operation. Trouble free one moving part. Strainer protects impeller from damage.
One year warranty." So that wounds pretty cool. I think I am going to grab this one. Glad I ran this first pump by you guys before I did an impulse buy. Here is the one I will be getting instead.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012V5VNC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TQQ4ZHI2444B

I'll report back on how this whole preheater system works once I get it going.