Anyone used the new electric diaphragm pump filter presses

[motowbrowne]

I see them in the D&G catalog. Don't know if anyone else is using those pumps. I guess it's a food grade nylon pump from flojet but that's about as much as I know. Seems handy not to need air. I know an air pump is seen as the best, but I only make 200-300 gallons a year and not needing another air compressor would be great. I'd love to hear whatever thoughts you night have.

Thanks!

[wiam]

Is it variable speed. Biggest thing I like about my air pump.

[motowbrowne]

Is it variable speed. Biggest thing I like about my air pump.

I don't think so. Has a bypass valve on it, but from what I can tell it's an on-off switch for the pump.

[maple flats]

I can't speak about the electric diaphragm pump but once I went with my air diaphragm pump I decided I would never go back to a gear pump. The compressor I use is just an average size pancake style pump. My only complaint was listening to the compressor, so when I ran power from my sugarhouse to my new shop 125' away, I buried an air line (just 1" black poly rated at 200 psi), now i like the diaphragm pump even more, the little compressor is in the shop and it's much quieter in the sugarhouse. I find it desirable to regulate the pump speed by either opening or closing the air valve I put on the air supply line right at the diaphragm pump, or turning the air pressure up or down, also right at the pump while my compressor is running up to 135 PSI, I usually have the inlet air at 40-50 PSI. It's all about control.

[motowbrowne]

Having never used a press, or even seen one in use for that matter, I really don't get the nuance if them. That said, I see that the way these are plumbed, there is a ball valve between the pump and the frames. I imagine that this valve could be used to reduce the flow, right? Would that give similar control to an air pump, or good enough anyway?

[steam maker]

I got sick of listening to compressor too.. so i bought a 200 dollar california air compressor from home depot. Best thing i ever did and if it craps out im gonna by another .

[maple flats]

The valve between the filter and the pump is not the best way to control the pump, a bypass back to the mixing tank is better. I use both the air pressure and air flow along with the bypass. On a fresh set of papers the bypass is used just to mix the DE a little better, then I open the valve to the filter and slowly close the bypass valve. Then as subsequent batches are mixed and ready to filter, as the pressure climbs towards 40 PSI I slowly open the bypass to hold the pressure to a little under 40 PSI. I was told a paper could blow if the filter was run over 40 PSI, I've never tested that, but have never blown a paper. I think I read that the Leader SS filter supports the papers better and can be run at higher pressures but 40 psi has worked fine for me.

[sapman]

I've been blowing papers between 30-40psi some this year. Doesn't usually, though. Plenty of DE, too. Normally I get 150+ gallons through my 10" press, but second half of season down to 50-75. Niter was real bad. It is very nice to be able to regulate the air pressure and speed/pressure of pump.

[maple flats]

Tim, which press do you have, mine is a Lapierre 7" with 5 sets of plates? I start for the first filtering on a fresh set of papers by using almost double the DE, and only filter about 3-4 gal. Then the rest of the batches I use a single measure of DE and 6-6.5 gal of syrup. With 5 sets of plates that is about 1.75 cups DE (filter aid) on the first batch and about 1 cup on the rest, until almost the end of the season, many years I need more DE then, this year I didn't. Also, what brand of filter papers do you use? I bought mine thru Leader, I wonder if someone had a weak batch of papers?

[sapman]

Tim, which press do you have, mine is a Lapierre 7" with 5 sets of plates? I start for the first filtering on a fresh set of papers by using almost double the DE, and only filter about 3-4 gal. Then the rest of the batches I use a single measure of DE and 6-6.5 gal of syrup. With 5 sets of plates that is about 1.75 cups DE (filter aid) on the first batch and about 1 cup on the rest, until almost the end of the season, many years I need more DE then, this year I didn't. Also, what brand of filter papers do you use? I bought mine thru Leader, I wonder if someone had a weak batch of papers?

Hi Dave, I've got CDL 10", 6 fat plates. Thanks to a post from JoeJ a few years ago, I realized I was using way too little DE. So my precoat to start now is 22 cups, into about the first 8 gallons. Then about 2 cups into every 8 after that. Always been kinda guesswork for me, but seems to work pretty well. The papers I got at Bascom's couple years ago, not sure what brand. I use the sets of papers for a few boils. To reheat the press I run hot condensate over it as long as possible til I need to filter, then "feather" the feed air.

All the best,
Tim