Central heating pump for diesel

[jsee]

Hi there

Does anyone know if I can transfer diesel using a standard central heating pump? Thanks J

[Nick]

I have used a drill pump to transfer diesel for a couple of years without ill effect. I would hazard (pardon the pun) a guess that a central heating pump would be ok, although I wouldn't try it with petrol - after all its totally enclosed so no air would be present and diesel is a pretty inert liquid until it gets atomised and aerated. I have a partially seized / nearly new one which I am just about to take apart, so I will have a good look and see what's in there....

.....Ask Grundfos.... ??

Nick

[jsee]

Thanks for the reply Nick!

Yes, I've seen those drill pumps and thought about it, there are probably some plastic parts in the CH pump, I guess if I don't run it at full speed it should be OK.

Thanks again mate

Jon

[Doctor Drivel]

The Grundfos is a plastic impeller and the rest ceramic and stainless steel.

[Michael Chare]

I suppose the pump from an oil fired boiler would be ideal. You might be able to get an old one from a service company.

They generate quite a bit of pressure, so you don't want to block the path.

[Dave Liquorice]

I wouldn't the water is used as a bearing lubricant and surrounds the motor. For =A3105 (Machine Mart, other places might be cheaper) you can =

get a proper mains driven (12 and 24v available) transfer pump complete with hoses and delivery nozzle.

[Aidan]

The diesel would probably knacker the bearings eventually, but I've no idea how long they'd last. The main problem would be that the pump flow rate and the head developed would be fairly pathetic. The UPS 15-50 could only produce a maximum of 0.5m head (with water), and that at minimum/0 flow rate, so it won't move the diesel through much height. It also isn't self-priming so you'd need some cunning arrangement to syphon liquid into the pump inlet before it would start pumping. The oil burner pump would deliver very high (dangerous & unnecessarily high) pressure & small flow rate. An old shower pump might give better flow/head, but still isn't self-priming.

Unless it's for one-off use, you'd do better to buy a proper diesel pump, or recycle a 12V fuel pump from a diesel car/lorry/bus. I think Machine Mart or Screwfix do something intended for this application.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Strange. Most I've seen have a cast iron body. Is this the type used on Zog?

[Grunff]

I have one of these (12V), and it's been very useful.

[Doctor Drivel]

He is strange indeed.

** snip senile babble **

[Tony Bryer]

Surely this would be low volume, high pressure and the OP wants the opposite?

[Ed Sirett]

The pump delivers 5m head with water so you should get 4m head with oil. If the ceramic bearings are lubricated by water then diesel should be OK.

I would make sure you use fibre washers rather than rubber on the pump flanges. The diesel will probably leak very easily. I've not tried this as I have no need to do anything other than fill my van at the filling station. If I had to though I'd reckon it working fairly well if the rise was only a couple of metres.

[Doctor Drivel]

Diesel maybe too thick for it.

One of the heating fitters I know has a Hyundai van, and swears by it. The Speedo started to play up and it was running a bit rough. By mistake he put BP Ultimate diesel in it. The performance and smoothness improved enormously and the Speedo then worked OK. The speedo is taken off the fuel pump. The Ultimate cleaned all the fuel system inside and out and the sensors too. He said was like having the thing serviced. He only ever uses Ultimate now. He used to put Esso diesel in it. Worth trying.

[Matt]

Didn't you realise he was winding you up?

[Doctor Drivel]

The Fitter? No wind up. I have known him for many years.

[Matt]

So what? To lubricate a speedo only very light machine oil should be used. Diesel is far too heavy.

[Doctor Drivel]

Lord Hall, read it again. The speedo drive is taken off the fuel pump drive, or senses the speed from there. Could be electronic. The fuel cleaned the fuel lines and any sensors in the lines.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You don't half talk some s**te. A speedometer has to be driven off something related to road speed, strangely. Like the output of the gearbox, etc.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

To start the engine the fuel pump must run. So the speedometer reads while you're standing still?

What a pillock you are dribble.

Might be the rev counter, I suppose. Although these are usually fed from the alternator on diesels.

[Doctor Drivel]

Richard Cranium, do you know this engine inside and out?

** snip idiotic senility **