Food grade transfer pumps

[mol1jb]

Hey all,

Looking for a good food grade transfer pump. Most of what I have found is either small and low flow like shurflo or brewing pumps. The large ones are hard to find and usually quite expensive.

The best one I have found is 7gpm and listed food grade, normally used in brew applications
https://www.amazon.com/Blichmann-Engineering-Riptide-Pump/dp/B071LBR9NB/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=brew+pumps&qid=1577743813&sprefix=brew+pump&sr=8-7

I would love to get into the 10-15 gpm range without breaking the bank. Anyone have any suggestions?

[needmoremaples]

seaflow started making food grade submersible but only about 1/2 the gpm you wanted. they do make a 5.5 diaphragm pump similar to your shurflo. Not many strive for food grade equipment and pumps. I do as well and hope to find the same thing you are. are you looking for 120v or 12v in the bush?

[mol1jb]

I have 110 in my sap shack that houses the sap tank and shurflo pumps.

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

I too am looking for a small pump, been leaning towards Surflow. I have a 35 gallon leg tank for collecting sap, then pump to storage at the shack. Maybe 200 taps tops.

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[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Looking for 12v so I can just plug into my 4wheeler

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[cbhansen]

I’ve been looking around for quite sometime for an affordable food grade pump that will push ~10 GPM. March makes a pump that will do around 8 GPM. And there are the Chugger pumps as well. Chugger has a “run dry” food grade pump that I might try out this year.

https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/pumps-parts

Seems once you get above 8 GPM, prices increase substantial. There are pumps with stainless housings, such as Simmers, but I’m not sure if their impellers are food grade.

Now if somebody could make WX15 with a stainless house / impeller similar to these - https://www.barrplastics.com/gas-powered-stainless-steel-chemical-pumps.html#.XhOhdspyaf3
- they would sell a few.

[Sugarmaker]

This type of 12 volt pump could be used for sap transfer.
https://www.nationalsupplydirect.com/rule-10-bilge-pump-2000-gph-12v.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA0svwBRBhEiwAHqKjFjDE94kK2w4 j53eZHCLhIorg-jusQZ9PV4QvWlePKUy4xjMyaUBb8RoCPUMQAvD_BwE
That will pump 33 gpm which is pretty good.
Regards,
Chris

[Cjadamec]

The rule bilge pumps have an ABS housing. ABS plastics generally aren't considered food safe as they tend to have trace amounts of lead and other heavy metal contamination.

[Ghs57]

I’ve been looking around for quite sometime for an affordable food grade pump that will push ~10 GPM. March makes a pump that will do around 8 GPM. And there are the Chugger pumps as well. Chugger has a “run dry” food grade pump that I might try out this year.

https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/pumps-parts

Seems once you get above 8 GPM, prices increase substantial. There are pumps with stainless housings, such as Simmers, but I’m not sure if their impellers are food grade.

Now if somebody could make WX15 with a stainless house / impeller similar to these - https://www.barrplastics.com/gas-powered-stainless-steel-chemical-pumps.html#.XhOhdspyaf3
- they would sell a few.

I may go for one of those brew pumps this year. I'd like to double the speed of my Surflow (3.5 gpm), which has worked great for many years now, just is slow. I have AC power on my truck, so going electric. I'll use the Surflow to fill the head tank, where speed doesn't matter as much.

[Sugarmaker]

The rule bilge pumps have an ABS housing. ABS plastics generally aren't considered food safe as they tend to have trace amounts of lead and other heavy metal contamination.

Contact time being a factor too. How has the lead test results looked on your syrup?
Regards,
Chris

[jdircksen]

Do you think this pump is food grade? https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-dc-transfer-pump-290-gph-63324.html
it says it for water for house so I assume drinking water.

[Biz]

I haven't tried this one yet but just stumbled across it and it may be worth a look. According to the ad, it conforms to NSF/ANSI standards for drinking water and lead free.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Delavan-PowerFLO-Series-5850-201E-SB-Diaphragm-Pump-12V-60-PSI-5-GPM-On-Demand/273078069131?epid=15014963836&hash=item3f94b8a78b:g:FwwAAOSwe6ZajJx~

[Ghs57]

So is think pump food grade? https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-dc-transfer-pump-290-gph-63324.html
it says it for water for house so I assume drinking water.

I've seen this pump under several brand names. I don't recall any of the listings claiming "drinking water safe" though. What's nice is that it's 3/4 garden hose threads with 4.8 gpm flow rate (I use RV drinking water hoses with 3/4 garden hose threads), and a high lift - 40ft - capability. A big limiting factor on the drinking water diaphragm pumps is that they are almost all 1/2 threads. I've found that bilge pumps have little to no lift capability (I have one I can't use for that reason).

I'm still looking at the brew pumps. The March pumps look good, but at a price. Many transfer with pumps not specifically rated as food grade without any issues (bought new, never used for any other purpose). But for those purists among us, the options for portable high capacity food grade pumps are limited.

[Chickenman]

I have one of these (Harbor Freight) I use for draining hot water tanks. The impeller is a black rubber star type. If they run dry for any period of time they shred off little pieces of the rubber. You can smell it and will see it. I would not use for sap.

[Cjadamec]

Contact time being a factor too. How has the lead test results looked on your syrup?
Regards,
Chris

The original question of the post is searching for a "food grade" pump option. The bilge pump won't fall into that "food grade" classification.

I understand contact time and fluid temperature have a great deal to do with contamination coming out of plastics. I wouldn't be concerned about using that bilge pump for my own personal use or consumption. I actually use an imported submersible 12v pump (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P6816RW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for pumping out my 55gal drums. It works great and it is easy to power off of my tractor. It moves around 5 gallons a minute pumping cold sap out of a drum through a 5/8" garden hose.

[mol1jb]

Update: I have settled on the brew pump on the first page as a feed pump for my RO. For a transfer pump I ordered the Simer 2825ss as the manual states it can be used in potable water applications (not all the stainless steel booster pumps state that).

[Ghs57]

I will be very curious to know how you like the Simer. Specs look good. While not specifically stated for potable water in the general usage, they site safety precautions to follow when pumping potable water from a well. I like the 1" inlet/outlet, max 10gpm capacity. I will probably get the brew pump first though.

[mol1jb]

I will be very curious to know how you like the Simer. Specs look good. While not specifically stated for potable water in the general usage, they site safety precautions to follow when pumping potable water from a well. I like the 1" inlet/outlet, max 10gpm capacity. I will probably get the brew pump first though.

There was another section in the manual that said it could be used to replace a house well pump. Pairing that section with the one you stated I think we can infer potable water use with good certainty. Also I have read other manuals of stainless booster pumps that specifically said to not use in potable water applications as well as manuals that did not state one way or the other.

I have to pump about 20 ft uphill to get to the sugar kitchen. I will let you know how it performs.

[Ghs57]

I picked up a 120v Chugger brew pump, rated at 7 gpm (downhill maybe), but disappointed with the results. I have to pump 50 feet away and up about 10 feet, but this is not the pump for that. My 12v Shurflo is faster at 3.5 gpm. It's a nice pump, very quiet, but these little 1/2 inch pumps just can't handle lifting that high or that distance. I'll find another use for it in the saphouse.