Is a Flojet necessary for vibe pump drawing from bottle?

#1: Post by **pauljolly65** » June 3rd, 2008, 2:34 pm

I'm tired of all the pouring into my Vibiemme manuale (a real shocker, huh?

). I've got a five-gallon bottle on the floor, and this is about two and a half feet below the machine. So do I need something to help bring the water up to machine level, or can I simply run a longer tube down to floor level?

Thanks in advance,
Paul

#2: Post by **stefano65** » June 3rd, 2008, 4:18 pm

You'll be wearing your pump out prematurely
another options is a water line next to the machine with a cock valve that you can fill the reservoir directly from it ( even better coming from a water softener)

#3: Post by HB » June 4th, 2008, 8:25 am

Stefano is right, your ULKA pump is not spec'd at negative pressure. If however you're willing to accept an impact on the pump's service life in exchange for convenience, remember to add a check valve to prevent water backflow. Personally I think the best option is installing a water filter and softener and converting your pourover espresso machine to direct connect.

#4: Post by **cannonfodder** » June 4th, 2008, 10:56 pm

stefano65 wrote:You'll be wearing your pump out prematurely
another options is a water line next to the machine with a cock valve that you can fill the reservoir directly from it ( even better coming from a water softener)

That is exactly what I do. I have a couple auxiliary lines in the espresso bar. One of which is a small ¼ inch line fed from my filtered mains that I installed a ¼ turn shutoff valve on. I just remove the cup warmer (cups and all) and fill the tank with the water line.

June 5th, 2008, 12:47 am

Thanks for the quick feedback. I don't have a water line within ten feet of the machine, which means that we'll have to buy a new house.

In the meantime, I've got a hand pump for the water bottle with three feet of tubing feeding directly into the Vibiemme's reservoir. When it gets low, I pump for 30 secs and it's full. It's cut down the foot traffic between the machine and the sink tremendously!

Cheers,
Paul