GR125 pump stopped at beginning of glyc wash.

[neisel]

Today while making a 145 batch my pump stopped & now won't pump.

I had heated the oil to 60 & introduced 20 litres of quite thick but pourable glyc (made from KOH & methanol) from my last batch. The pump slowed right down so I dropped about 10 litres of mostly unmixed glyc from the bottom of my processor with about 10 litres of hot oil & mixed it in a cubie, then re-introduced about half of that back into the top of the machine.

I was a bit surprised that the pump again slowed as this was ½ glyc, ½ hot oil & almost immediately the fuse on the plug of the 3 plug extension I use to bring power from the house to the shed at the bottom of the garden blew & everything - heat, light pump - shut down.

Changed the 13 amp fuse in the plug in the house & heat & light came back on but now the bloody pump still isn't working.

I can hear a sort of soft click when I plug in the pump but no pumping.

Any ideas what's happened or how to fix it?

TIA.

[Jamesrl]

Er! wtf is a GR120 pump.

[neisel]

It's actually a GR125, not a 120.

http://www.goldenray.co.uk/processors.html

HTH.

[Julian]

Bottom of the garden ... how long and what size is the extension lead?

Long lead, heater, pump, lights, sounds like you may be pushing the boundaries a little for a 13amp socket.

Has the glycerine solidified in the pump casing?

[Tony]

GR125 must just be the name that the GoldenRay company assigns them.  It's a standard vane pump by another name.

Vane pumps are noisy little beggers. If you look in the back of the pump (the fan end) their should be a slot in the end of the driveshaft.  See if it turns freely with a screwdriver.  If not, it's take-apart time to find out why not.

If it has been stalled and run too long though, you may have overheated the motor windings - in which case it's new pump time.

[neisel]

I've made about 2000 litres with the same extension cord & set up. Never had an issue with it before. I do not believe the extension cord has anything to do with this.

The fuse on it blew, perhaps caused by the pump working too hard to move thick glyc?

The glyc has never solidified even when stored outside in freezing temps and was being pumped, albeit slowly.

[Jamesrl]

Is our cable at least 2.5mm^2, if not you could be getting a voltage drop.

A voltage drop will cause the windings to overheat and eventually cause an insulation breakdown and pump failure.

Would I be right in assuming the pump is a TAM105 or similar?

[Tony]

Is our cable at least 2.5mm^2, if not you could be getting a voltage drop.

A voltage drop will cause the windings to overheat and eventually cause an insulation breakdown and pump failure.

Would I be right in assuming the pump is a TAM105 or similar?

Nah the GoldenRays use a vane pump, presumably because they're self priming for filling purposes.  But boy are they noisy!

[neisel]

This is the label on the extension cord.

Dunno what kind of pump it is. Unfortunately, the machine is quite close up against a wall so I can't see it.

[Tony]

Well that looks OK.  I used my plant at the end of a 25m extension lead for over a year.  Voltage did at times drop to just 200V, but no harm done.

[neisel]

Anyone know if the extra effort of pumping thick glyc would bugger something up in the pump?

I can hear it humming faintly but it's not pumping.

Do they have a "reset" switch?

[Tony]

No, it sounds like it is stalled.  You should dismantle the pump end and clean it out (be careful not to lose the vanes, they can fall out of the impeller body).

[neisel]

Sorry to be thick, but does that require draining the processor & removing the pump from it or can I isolate the pump & do it in situ?

[Tony]

Depends on your plumbing - does the pump have valves that allow it to be isolated?

I think with those pumps you can take the front cover off without removing the pump from the kit?

[neisel]

Yes, it has valves either side of the pump.

I'll drain it, move it & have better look.

Slightly OT, I'd prepared the KOH + methanol mix in anticipation of processing as normal. It'll now sit until I sort this out. Will it still be usable?