Beer Chiller Motor/Mixer

[fredrick_more]

Hey everyone,

Sorry if this is the wrong section to post this.

I was given a beer chiller for free but was told that the motor inside (which mixes the coolant) might not work, but i might not need it. However it seems like i do need it as im running it on a aquarium which is currently at 20 but i need it down to 14.

However what did i need to get, as theres no info on the page other than whats in the picture? Also can i wire the new motor in with the old ones block terminal?

Pictures;

I cant show the pictures im afraid.

All it says on the pump is;
240V 50Hz .48A
and then a load of numbers.

Any advice will be highly appericated.

[fredrick_more]

Also (sorry for double post) am i able to add a thermostat that will start when the temp of the tank goes over 14oc?

[Brian_UK]

Hi, second post first ;)

Yes, you should be able to add a thermostat.

First question second...

The 'motor' that you are talking about might, in fact, be a refrigerant compressor.

Apart from the volts etc that you posted the most important details are the "load of numbers". From those we might be able to identify the pump.

If it is a compressor then I think that the repair will be outside of your capabilities. I don't mean that you are not technical or mechanical about it but that you need a fair amount of equipment to perform the repair.

Such as---
Recovery machine
Recovery cylinder
manifold guages
Nitrogen
nitrogen gauge
Vacuum pump
Vacuum gauge
Brazing torch
Brazing rods
Filter drier (perhaps)
Bottle of refrigerant
Refrigeration Safe Handling Certificate.
Goggles
Gloves
etc

It might be more prudent to find a local technician who can do the job for you, if nothing else it should be cheaper than buying all that kit :)

[fredrick_more]

Hey Brian,

Thanks for the reponse.

My knowledge on these things are non existant so please excuse my irrogance.

It doesnt look like a compessor, the motor in question sits on top of the coolant liqud tank and just as a metal shaft with blades/impellors at the end, which is right in the middle of the metal coils (the heat exchange element?)

Ill have a look at the number and write down everything it says on the pump, ill also take some more pictures and send them to you in PM if thats alright?

[Brian_UK]

Good stuff, go ahead.

[fredrick_more]

Hi,

Sorry for delay, was a bit busy.

All it says on the motor is

MKR
240v 50Hz .48A
341-4486
Class B

Is that any help to you?

[Brian_UK]

Sounds like you are correct, it is a 'simple' electric motor.

Your best bet then is to remove it and find a replacement or get it repaired. Can't help you with local suppliers though, sorry.

[fredrick_more]

Cheers Brian, have u got any ideal size wise, rpm or anything?

Also what type of idustrty should i be looking to get it repaired as when i go to yell.com, all i get is car repairs?

[Brian_UK]

Try looking for 'motor rewinders' in your yellow pages or Yell.com (I've just checked them and they do have listings under that search string.

[fredrick_more]

Thank you Brian, i had a search just after posting and found motor rewinders and wasnt sure if is was what i was after but thank you for comfirming

Hoprefully when is is sorted the chiller will work spot on, if not its off to some one else to look at.

Cheers again
Phil

Also what type of thermostats am i looking at?

[Electrocoolman]

Hi fredrick,

have a look at

www.remco.co.uk

should be able to help


Motors tend to be standard frame sizes.

[wilks]

i know its abit late , but your looking for a " top pump " which pumps the cool refrigerated water around the beer lines as to keeping them cold , ive got many of these pumps if you stll requir one fredrick ??

[taz24]

i know its abit late , but your looking for a " top pump " which pumps the cool refrigerated water around the beer lines as to keeping them cold , ive got many of these pumps if you stll requir one fredrick ??


I agree with Wilks on this one.
you need the circulation pump and it circulates the chilled water around the beer lines to keep the beer cold.
You will be circulating the water through your aquarium so make sure you clean the inside of the beer cooler out first.

Cheers taz.

[fredrick_more]

Hey guys,

the pump in question, is not a water pump, im using the external filter (with in built pump) to circulate the water.

The actual pump, just mixes the coolant liquid.

But cheers anyway,

Also it was used previously on an aqaurium so was clean inside before hand.

[Plank!]

Sounds like a bit of a language issue here. ie different dialects of techno babble. ;)

Its been 20 odd years since i touched a beer cooler, but the item you describe sounds like the agitator "pump" in other words a device to keep the water bath moving and therefore providing even heat distribution around the heat exchanger coils.


What is confusing all of us on this side of the screen is the comment about "mixing the coolant liquid"

Could you please clarify make/model of cooler
and exactly where the motor is installed in the cooler, my guess is that it sits in the lid and circulates the water inside the bath, and may once have circulated water thru the beer lines to keep them cool.
The good news is that these are off the shelf items and readily available.

Anything else is likely to be a compressor, in reality not worth replaceing, as even 20 years ago the replacement part was about 80% of the units cost new.

Regards
Steve

[Plank!]

Ooops just noticed you did clarify in post #4

[icecube51]

i think its best to take the "small" motor in question to a local shop in cooling parts, pay the 15 € , sorry 10£ and be happy to gain a new toy for the fishtank.

the are standard motors, just the connection can be different.

Ice

[fredrick_more]

hey guys,

great news, went down stairs and the tank was below 14 which was my target, so im happy (seems moving it outside has really helped) however now i need to get a thermostat so it dont dip below 14oc.

Can anyone suggest any to look at or what type to look at, as ones aimed at aquariums are too small.

cheers guys

[fredrick_more]

Would something like this work, but am i able to attach an external thermometer?

If you go to b&qs website and search for
"Sunvic Digital Room Thermostat TLX7501 Neutral"

[Brian_UK]

I would suggest something like this....

http://www.cewal.co.uk/catalogue/p40.asp

because it has a capillary bulb that you could suspend in the aquarium water for a better response. However I don't think that copper should be in the water with the fish if I remember my fish tanks correctly.

I'll keep looking...

The Sunvic is an OK thermostat but how are you going to get it to monitor the water temperature?

[edit1] Reading back up the thread I believe that the aquarium water is passing through pipes so does not actually touch the 'cooling water' itself. If so then the above thermostat could have its sensing bulb placed in the tank. (Not ideal though).

[fredrick_more]

Hey Brain,

I didnt know if i could wire and external thermometer with the Sunvic thermostat.

On that page you suggested, there was stainless steel ones, would that work? Also the 1.5m cable wouldnt be long enough, so could i replace it with a new longer module?

[Brian_UK]

Fredrick, I don't see how the Sunvic could be used as the sensing devices are built into the thermostat itself and you need to have a sensor in the fluid being controlled.

2nd. Yes the stainless probes should be safe enough to use.

The 1.5m probe length should surely be long enough as it only needs to be within the aquarium water or the attached to the circulating water pipework.

It is easier/cheaper to extend the wiring from the cooler to the sensor than have specialist controls sensor made up.

I appreciate the electrical connection are spade terminals but I would suggest the the thermostat is mounted inside an enclosure (plastic box) of some sort.

[taz24]

Hey Brain,

I didnt know if i could wire and external thermometer with the Sunvic thermostat.

On that page you suggested, there was stainless steel ones, would that work? Also the 1.5m cable wouldnt be long enough, so could i replace it with a new longer module?


Hi Fred.

Where in the UK are you mate.
I think you are making this more complicated than it should be. Can you take some photos of the setup so we can see what you mean.

This is how I see it, so correct me if I'm wrong.

You have an aquarium........................................ YES?

You have an old beer cooler as a water chiller........ YES?

You have a filter and pump setup......................... YES?

You have put the cooler outside to keep it cool and you are pumping the water inside to the aquarium via the circulation pump........................ YES?

So if I have it correct you want to fit a new stat to stop the water getting too cold? That can be done inside the cooler itself Using the type of stat Brian suggested.

You are then left with a water chiller that runs down to, lets say 11degC for the sake of argument and the water is circulated via a seperate water pump.

Is this correct?

If that is the case you might not need the agitator motor working anyway. That can be replaced by ensuring the water into the chiller water tank and the water out of the chillerwater tank are as far apart as possible and at different heights.

Cheers taz.

[fredrick_more]

Hey guys,

So let me get this right, the thermostat Brain suggested would go in side the chiller it self and the temperature probe does NOT need to be in the aqaurium?

Taz,

Im a bit confused with
"If that is the case you might not need the agitator motor working anyway. That can be replaced by ensuring the water into the chiller water tank and the water out of the chillerwater tank are as far apart as possible and at different heights."

Also im in the Notts area matie.

The main problem is where the tank is placed, it sits half on a brick wall, so any cables have to go to left hand side, down through the board and then the hole in the wall to the chiller is about half way along (its a 8ft tank) so its some distance.

[fredrick_more]

Also, i might be able to get a ATC800 cheap, which ive been told can be used, if you go to

monitors-direct co uk and then search ATC800, you should find it

[Brian_UK]

That ACT800 looks like the ideal solution.

I am having trouble seeing the problem with extending electric cables when it comes in 50m reels ;)

[taz24]

Hey guys,

So let me get this right, the thermostat Brain suggested would go in side the chiller it self and the temperature probe does NOT need to be in the aqaurium?




Thats right. The water will be the coldest in the chiller. So set your stat to 14degC and that is the coldest the water gets.
If you put the bulb (the phile) of the stat in the water you then just wire the stat into the suply to the compressor. When the water gets cold the stat will stop the compressor from running and the water will still be circulalateing and will warm up, when it gets too warm the stat will start the compressor and chill the water again.



Taz,
Im a bit confused with
"If that is the case you might not need the agitator motor working anyway. That can be replaced by ensuring the water into the chiller water tank and the water out of the chillerwater tank are as far apart as possible and at different heights."


Start at the begining for me:o

You have a chiller conected to the aquarium by pipes and the water is pumped around by a seperate water pump?

If that is the case you do not need an agitater motor inside the chiller, all you do is take the water from the bottom and at one side and you let the water return to the top at the other.
The water will circulate and even out the temp.



Also im in the Notts area matie.


I am not a million miles away from you. if you get all the bits I would look at it for you and connect the stat.
I must warn you though I am expensive. When I do favours for people I charge one cup of coffee an hour:D


The main problem is where the tank is placed, it sits half on a brick wall, so any cables have to go to left hand side, down through the board and then the hole in the wall to the chiller is about half way along (its a 8ft tank) so its some distance.


Cheers taz.

[fredrick_more]

Cheers everyone, and cheers for the offer Taz, its very appericated.

I think im going to go for the ACT800 unit, as although its a coldwater tank at the moment, i might change it to tropical or even marines in the future and with the unit i can control heaters as well.

I am very thankful for all your advice everyone, its often very hard to find a decent forum with helpful and freindly members so thanks again.

[taz24]

Your welcome..

Al the best

taz

.

[Brian_UK]

Slightly off topic but --

What type of fish etc are you keeping at the moment Fredrick ?

[fredrick_more]

Hey Brian, im currently keeping British coarse fish, ive got two perch and a 30" eel.

[fredrick_more]

Hi guys, me again im afraid.

Ok ive got a serious problem, for some reason the chiller keeps blowing the fuse in the plug and the fuse in the multisocket.

When i replaced both and turned it on, i got a horrible burning smell and again it blew the fuses. So opened the chiller up and again smelt the burning smell.

Any ideas whats caused it and more importantly is it fixable?

[taz24]

Hi guys, me again im afraid.

Ok ive got a serious problem, for some reason the chiller keeps blowing the fuse in the plug and the fuse in the multisocket.

When i replaced both and turned it on, i got a horrible burning smell and again it blew the fuses. So opened the chiller up and again smelt the burning smell.

Any ideas whats caused it and more importantly is it fixable?


Hi Fred there could be lots of reasons why its blowing fuses and burning.

Start with the information you know

Was it working before you made the alterations?
Have you fitted a new stat? and have you fitted it in correctly?

Unfortunatly Fred I think this might be too much of a job for you. Somtimes we have to hold our hands up and admit we are in too deep. You may need somone who knows what they are doing, to look at it.

Not much help I admit but it's hard to diagnose electrical faults without having the offending item in front of you.

Cheers taz.

.

[fredrick_more]

Hey Taz,

Well i havnt made any alterations, i decided to use it as it is and just switch it on and off myself when the temperature got to high or too low, however on this occasion, i went away on holiday and had a freind to come and switch it on and off.

No i perfectly agree, i have no idea even where to look, i cant see anything burnt or anything inside but some times you dont.

There is a place quite near to be so i might give them a ring tomorrow and see what they say, hopefully it willnt be anything to serious as a new chiller is going to cost me alot.

[fredrick_more]

hey guys, another quick question, what type of trades person am i best taking it to, to haver alook at it?

[Brian_UK]

You need a refrigeration type person.

[wilks]

hey guys, another quick question, what type of trades person am i best taking it to, to haver alook at it?

any cellar service brewery technician could help , if you need any changeable parts , eg agi pumps or fan motors let me know , got garage full of spairs an stuff.