Can a oil burner pump be used for water?

LarryC

Wallies,



I have been searching on the Wall and I am not sure if I can do what I want to do.  I am looking for a small pump for a project.  I am looking at recirculating water at about 60 psi and at a flow rate of under 2 gallons per hour.  I thought of using the oil pump in an oil burner and drive it with a suitable DC motor.



A couple of questions. 



1)  Are oil burner pumps centrifigal or gear pumps?



2)  Are they compatable with water?  If not, can they be made to be?



My thought is to search the local scrap yard for discarded burners and scavenge what I need.  Are there specific models or brands I would need to look for?



Thanks.



Larry C

Steve Whitbeck

oil pump

Yes it will pump water for a few minutes and then it will rust up and sieze.

SWEI

try a carbonator pump

ought to be a few of those in the boneyard, or perhaps a used restaurant supply.

icesailor

Water Pumps:

I'd be looking at an aquarium pump before any of those. They're cheap.

Jean-David Beyer

aquarium pump?

I have a dinky aquarium pump to bubble a small stream of air into a tube carrying essentially zero-pressure water. It is a diaphragm pump. I do not know that it would be even strong enough to pump water, and I have no idea of how long the diaphragm would last if water got into it.



Is there a different kind of aquarium pump that you have in mind? One designed to pump water?

SWEI

pump pressure

It occurs to me this is an open-ended problem statement.  Are you recirculating the water in a closed loop with a static pressure of 60 PSI, or do you need 60 PSI just to overcome the friction head in the loop?  If the former, what is the friction head of the system?

LarryC

More details

What I am working on is a table top EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) machine.  I am looking to recirculate a fluid thru a hollow electrode.  The fluid will flush the tiny metal fragments out of the hole in the work piece.  As I understand it, I will need a relatively high pressure (60 psi?) but low flow rate.  Initially I am looking at water as my dielectric fluid, but it might change to an oil of some sort, perhaps something similar to kerosene.



Other people have mentioned using positive displacement pumps for this, and so I thought a source for an inexpensive low flow positive displacement pump would be an oil burner carcass.  Gear pumps also have the advantage that I can easily change the flow rate by varying the pump speed.



The setup would be taking a suction from a open tank.  Pumping thru the electrode, collecting the runoff in a settling tank where most of the heavy particles fall out, and letting it overflow back into the main tank.  Smallest electrode will probably have an ID of around .040 to .060 inches.  Pressure and flow would be regulated by pump speed and perhaps a needle valve teed off the discharge line before the electrode.



So ...  



1)  Am I on the right track or not? 



2)  Will water destroy the pump immediately or will it take a significant period of time? 



3)  Could I store oil in the pump between uses to extend its life?   I am OK with the idea of having a layer of oil floating on the water in the main tank.



4)  Do you foresee seal or bearing problems?



I appreciate all advice you folks are willing to throw my way.



Thanks,



Larry C

bob_46

Gear pumps

Look at Teel gear pumps at W.W.Grainger

Paul48

Try

Micropump on eBay

SWEI

Fluid-O-Tech

TMSR and TMFR pumps have EC motors, are seal-less, and include control inputs.

http://www.fluidotech.it/Contents/Documents/TMFR%20pump-motor%20unit%20with%20a%20magnetic%20drive%20rotary%20vane%20pump%20in%20brass%20and%20stainless%20steel.pdf

LarryC

Beautiful pumps but a bit overkill for my application

SWEI,



The Fluid-O-Tech units are beautiful units but they are overkill for my application.  I am looking only for 2 gallons an HOUR and price is a significant issue.  That is why I am looking at salvaging oil burner pumps.



What other equipment uses low flow with moderate pressure, pumps?

SWEI

in that case

Rather than trying to vari-speed the motor, you might want to look at using some kind of PRV to dump excess pressure (bypass the closed loop and return to a supply tank.)

LarryC

Any guesstimates on how long it takes to rust?

Any guesstimates on how long it will take for the oil burner gear pump to rust after using it for water?



Do all Becket and Riello residential burners use gear pumps?



Thanks.

Steve Whitbeck

oil burner pump

I wouldnt think that an oil burner pump would live even a few hours unless you are pumping some sort of oil. The pumped media is the lubricant for the gear rotors.

jumper

lots of pd pumps for water

both gear & vane. Use a pulley to get the flow rate you want and a relief valve to limit pressure. try www.proconpumps.com/

billtwocase

If

it is a Kero pump, it might work. we had lubrication issues years ago with Kero only units, and would replace the fuel pumps with one built for Kero. Check with Sids?

Larry Weingarten

you might also look ...

... at peristaltic pumps.  They don't much care what fluid you pump as long as the right tubing is used.



Yours,  Larry

hot_rod

paddle pump

this is a nicer version of those drill motor paddle pumps. This will do 60 psi at about 3 gpm with a higher speed drill motor.



hr