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Author Topic: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums  (Read 5174 times)

Offline adamant

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in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« on: November 22, 2015, 02:33:54 am »
I've never used a honey pump but am in the market for one.
my current situation is that i am buying honey in buckets that is already filtered and i am dumping them in my 300 lb maxant bottling tank and filling bottlings with a ez fill machine from mannlake.
 i need to start operating out of drums of honey. the honey that i will be getting is unfiltered and crystallized.
i am looking for a pump that will suit my needs and some kind of strainer to strain out the bee parts and wax at the discharge end of the pump.
I don't need anything big. i just need to pump out of a barrel of honey through some sort of strainer to my bottling tank.
Any info or thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Offline little john

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2015, 07:35:30 am »
No takers ? Well, I'll attempt an 'armchair' answer.

My first thoughts were along the lines of oil pumps used to dispense from 55 gallon barrels or marine bilge pumps which can easily handle small-sized debris - but the problem then becomes one of their spring-loaded ball valves or flap valves handling the viscosity of honey. They'd be far too sluggish, and being hand-operated, such pumps would be very hard work indeed.

So - I'd recommend Googling for "food processing gear pump" which does throw up some far more realistic ideas, although my guess is such pumps would be seriously expensive.

If it were me, then I'd make some kind of box to contain the drum, lined with heater tape. After a suitable period of warming, I'd then fit the drum with a gate valve and hoist it into the air using a gantry or tripod/ block & tackle/ sling etc. so that it is positioned over the receiving vessel and tilted slightly downwards.
It would then be a case of simply opening the valve and allowing the honey to run through a 'frying-pan' type of filter and into your receiver.

That's the best I can suggest at 11 a.m. on a rainy November morning ...

Best of luck.
LJ
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Offline Wombat2

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2015, 06:48:16 am »
I think thick fluids are best pumped with a diaphragm pump rather than an impeller pump - less torque involved
David L

Offline rober

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2015, 10:11:56 am »

Offline buzzbee

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2015, 09:29:57 am »
I would also consider what little john said about heating the honey a little in the barrel. Most bee supply shops have a barrel band for just such purpose. They are a bit pricey, but you could build  a insulated enclosure and heat it up to a workable temp.
Put a couple hundred watt bulbs and a temp control like this and your off:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/fermenting-equipment/johnson-refrigerator-thermostat

This may take a while to heat a large drum to 100 degrees or so, but may ultimately be more cost effective than a pump. Crystallized honey is hard to move and probably doesn't bottlle as nicely either.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2015, 09:03:43 pm »
Have seen a Beek that uses an electric blanket wrapped around his 44gal drum to warm it to keep it flowing
David L

Offline D Coates

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2015, 01:50:49 pm »
I just bought the Maxant version but haven't gotten it yet so I can't review it.  I am excited about it taking me out of the bucket brigade business while extracting.
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Offline adamant

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2015, 12:14:07 am »
  I am excited about it taking me out of the bucket brigade business while extracting.

please keep me posted.. please pm me your e mail address please.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2021, 12:07:07 am »
This was posted about 6 years ago. Some good ideas posted here though I question the post of the diaphragm pump. I do not know if a simple diaphragm pump will handle raw honey which may be partially crystalized? I suppose if the honey is warmed enough, converting the honey into a thinner state after being de-crystallized , it would work just fine? However if it is to be transferred in that same warm state, after being de-crystallized, wouldn't it be just as, or more practicable to do it Little Johns way?




« Last Edit: September 22, 2021, 12:31:06 am by Ben Framed »
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2021, 08:15:44 am »
Unless you warm the honey to about 40C you won't pump it or filter it.
Slow turning neoprene impeller gear pumps work OK. Food grade for pumping viscous liquids.
If the honey is not warm enough it will tend to churn it.
If the honey has any crystals it will clog any filter.
Drums are hard work.

We store all our honey in 10 liter buckets which makes warming and handling very easy. We have had up to 700 buckets in storage at times.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2021, 05:42:06 pm »
Diaphragm pumps do work well for honey, at lower pump rate needs. They also take through solids and debris (wax, bees, etc), crystallized globs, etc. The are also of light and portable construction. Obviously the colder and lower MC the honey is, the thicker it is and thus the slower the pump function. The nice thing about DPs is they do not cavitate nor will they whip the honey.  Some DPs have built in non-stall auto-switching feature.  Those non-stall ones you do NOT want for honey. Else when the honey gets thick the pump will be in constant auto-unstall mode and not pump at all.
Depending on unit size, air operated diaphragm pumps can use up alot of compressed air volume. That is OK if your shop is setup and can supply it. Little porta-compressors will have a tough time and can barely keep a 1/2inch pump going. There is an electric DP pump option (no air), which is very pricey.  I hope to try one of those eventually.
With those caveats - the DP is otherwise a nice clean and simple option for pumping needs of high viscosity and low volume rate.
A step up in reliability would be low speed big bore plunger pump. (sludge pump)
« Last Edit: September 24, 2021, 03:01:52 pm by TheHoneyPump »
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: in the market for a honey pump to pump out of drums
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2021, 08:16:23 am »
Pumping honey is slow, the impeller pump we use is rated at 11 liters per minute, the honey has to be at 35C to get near that.
Bit cooler and you are at 6-7 liters per minute.
Need to run very slow 200rpm.