8x40 Recirculation Pump

[bmbmkr]

Good morning!

I'm upgrading my 4x4x40 RO to a single 8x40 this year. Any of you guys who have built or bought an 8" RO, would you mind sharing the make & model # of your external recirculation pump. I'm looking for something in the 50-60 gpm range that will handle 300 PSI, maybe a little more.

There's a post on here somewhere mentioning a pump that will handle high PSI input. Over the last 7 years I've read every single page on the RO thread and home made thread, taken my gas powered Deer Run 125 to electric 2 post and the last 2 years, I've been running 4 posts. This forum has been invaluable. I thought I'd saved that pump data somewhere, but I can't find it.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Walk

[darkmachine]

I'd like to know too, I have a 2 membrane 4x40 system and just have passive re-circulation and would love to add a circulation pump. would it be better to just go up to a 660gpm procon from my 330, or add another pump, inquiring minds want to know....lol
I can't seem to find any circulation pumps that are rated for the psi I run at.

[bmbmkr]

With 14 gpm maximum flow in 4" membranes, it's pretty easy wo get good flow with procon pumps. I started out with a 330, when I bumped up to 4 membranes I got a 660 (11gpm) and used my 330 (5.5) for recirculation. I split the vessels into two banks of two, so two in series in each bank that was parallel so i didn't exceed the max flow. I was able to get really good numbers when i ran it with warm (50F) permeate but when the season got here and i started running cold sap. I had all kinds of problems. I eneded up running them in series this past season and using passive recirculation. Procons will handle high input pressure, you could either run recirculation with another 330, or just bump up to a 660 and use passive, same plumbing, just a bigger pump. One thing I did was plumb a valve on a tee in right before the membrane that I opened, ran this back to my bulk tank, I'd start the RO with this open so that I could gradually introduce flow to the membranes instead of all at once- this can cause hydraulic shock-damage to the membranes. Once I got the HP pump flowing pretty good, I'd slowly close this valve, get all the sap running through at LP before I'd start closing off the pressure valve.

I'm fairly certain that Goulds makes a centrifugal pump that withstands high input pressure, I've just not been able to call them during the week.

[WMF]

If I was graduating from homemade 4 inch membranes to an 8 inch I would watch adds for used stuff and buy a used name brand 8 inch post with built in recirc pump like a CDL.
By the time you buy an 8 inch vessel and a pump that the housing and seals can hold up to several hundred psi and get it plumbed up you would probably have as much or more into it than a used factory post and it probably would not work quite as well. Plus you will always be able to sell for about what you paid.
There were quite a few used ones for sale this spring on various sites and they will always be easy to get parts for if it goes down during the season. Most CDL stores have spare parts in stock including motors.

[BAP]

If I was graduating from homemade 4 inch membranes to an 8 inch I would watch adds for used stuff and buy a used name brand 8 inch post with built in recirc pump like a CDL.
By the time you buy an 8 inch vessel and a pump that the housing and seals can hold up to several hundred psi and get it plumbed up you would probably have as much or more into it than a used factory post and it probably would not work quite as well. Plus you will always be able to sell for about what you paid.
There were quite a few used ones for sale this spring on various sites and they will always be easy to get parts for if it goes down during the season. Most CDL stores have spare parts in stock including motors.
Good advice. Check with the major maple manufacturers, they tend to have used equipment for sale including various RO parts. Some list them on their websites. Right now CDL USA has a RO vessel listed on their website.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

There's an 8" Lapierre vessel for sale in Essex, VT on Craigslist for $2400.

[bmbmkr]

Thanks for the info on CDL. I just got my 8" vessel in, $760 plus $100 freight for a 600 psi codeline pentair. I really wanted SS, but couldn't find one not made in China and under $1k. I get the factory part. I took a single post gas powered deer run to a 4 post electric, upgraded from piston pump, to Procon 330 to Procon 660 over 3 or 4 upgrades. Last season I was able to take 90% of water our with one pass while recirculating without a pump. A single 8" membrane = roughly 5 each 4" membranes, there's a lot less plumbing to leak. BUT, 4" membranes max flow is 14 gpm, with me running 11 gpm through, I had zero issues with fouling. Now an 8" membrane max flow is 75-80 gpm, my Procon 660 will build 300+ Psi no problem, I've heard second hand, that a factory rep said they'll run 450-500psi with no problem, but I need a lot more gpm of recirculation just to keep the membrane from fouling. 11 gpm just isn't goin to cut it.


Somewhere on here someone mentioned a few years back the make and model of a pump, goulds I believe that would handle high input pressure, it doesn't need to build any pressure, just push concentrate back through, but be under the same pressure the booster pump (PC 660) is building.

I appreciate the buying new or used. I'm in the southern edge of maple production, southernmost county of Ohio, right across the river from WV & KY. 38.5N My nearest dealers, both CDL are over 2 1/2 hours away, I built my first arch and bought pans for it without ever seeing a real evaporator. Bought used RO from another sugar maker who lives over an hour away the next year.

We're spread thin, few and far between down here. I've since bought a used evaporator, from the classifieds on here that was in North Carolina mountains of all places, had to fab floats and plumbing between flue & syrup pans, as these walked away in the 8 years it sat unused in a barn, just bought a used steam away that I've done the same thing with, it's sat for years, no float, no plumbing, float box is on the wrong side for my ol Maple pro's float box. I picked it up back in June, 3 hours away in WV, I've already got that ready to go for next year. Lots of sanitary spools, elbows and my wife is a welder. Making/modifying my own equipment is half the joy for me & my small slice of the maple syrup enterprise.

I'm fortunate to be farming full time, retired from the USAF 10 years ago, have a secondary income, even though 80% or so of what we eat comes off the farm, inflation and property tax increase severely limits my maple equipment budget. I SWEAR this is the last $$ I'm goin to spend on equipment upgrades lol yeah right, said that to my wife every other year for the last 8 years.

Thanks y'all

Walk

[bmbmkr]

Good advice. Check with the major maple manufacturers, they tend to have used equipment for sale including various RO parts. Some list them on their websites. Right now CDL USA has a RO vessel listed on their website.

Can you share a link, CDL's websites are incredibly NOT user friendly, haven't been able to find it

Thanks

[bmbmkr]

I reached out to a couple of Maple Equipment manufacturers a couple weeks ago looking for a recirculation pump. H2O was the only one who replied. Parts rep called me 8 minutes after i sent an email. He patched me through to one of the Leader guys who still woks there. He's puttin a pump together for me, custom fit to my vessel. It seems they had some surplus pumps that weren't goin to be used since H2O already has their own line of RO's. Both were very friendly and really helped me out. I'll post more when the pump comes in.