menoetes
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 19/5/13
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Hi guys,
I have a simple DIY immersion chiller of a pretty common design, see below. Easy and relatively cheap to make but not always as reliable as we would like...
We've all seen them and a lot of us know that they can spring a leak quite expectantly. With the simple design of some garden hose slipped over some 10mm copper piping and clamped down with a couple of hose clamps they are prone to the occasional failure due to the heat that gets pushed through them during chilling. In other words - they can leak and contaminate the wort you're trying to chill. It's happened to me :mellow:
Most people seem to just cut back the garden hose, reclamp them and pray they stay working for a while longer, or at least this is the only solution I could find out there on the interwebs. So I wandered down to Bunning to see what I could find and I think I've come up with a super simple and cheap solution that even someone as bumbling and un-handy as me could manage.
Firstly I picked up a few essentials...
That's two hose clamps and a vinyl hose joiner from Bunnings - total cost was under $6.
Then I cut the vinyl joiner in half and slipped it over the end of the copper pipe where the garden hose fits over it. The idea here is to reduce the space between the copper and the garden hose for a tighter seal. If you are having trouble making it fit, soak the vinyl joiner in hot water from the kettle for a few seconds to soften it...
Not a great pic, sorry.
Then we slip the hose back over the copper pipe sleeved in vinyl and double clamp it with both our old and new clamps, each facing alternate directs to get the best seal. The idea here is the vinyl not only makes it a better fit but kinda acts like a washer between the hose and the copper too so the clamps dig in for a tighter seal.
..and vola... viola... ummm... Tada! It works.
The true test will be in a pot full of boiling wort of course but I am pretty confident in it.
I know I've not reinvented the wheel here or built a better mousetrap but I couldn't find much info on fixing these things so I hope this helps someone else with the same problem I had. Like I said it was simple and cheap and if I can manage it then anyone can.
Cheers,
- Meno
I have a simple DIY immersion chiller of a pretty common design, see below. Easy and relatively cheap to make but not always as reliable as we would like...
We've all seen them and a lot of us know that they can spring a leak quite expectantly. With the simple design of some garden hose slipped over some 10mm copper piping and clamped down with a couple of hose clamps they are prone to the occasional failure due to the heat that gets pushed through them during chilling. In other words - they can leak and contaminate the wort you're trying to chill. It's happened to me :mellow:
Most people seem to just cut back the garden hose, reclamp them and pray they stay working for a while longer, or at least this is the only solution I could find out there on the interwebs. So I wandered down to Bunning to see what I could find and I think I've come up with a super simple and cheap solution that even someone as bumbling and un-handy as me could manage.
Firstly I picked up a few essentials...
That's two hose clamps and a vinyl hose joiner from Bunnings - total cost was under $6.
Then I cut the vinyl joiner in half and slipped it over the end of the copper pipe where the garden hose fits over it. The idea here is to reduce the space between the copper and the garden hose for a tighter seal. If you are having trouble making it fit, soak the vinyl joiner in hot water from the kettle for a few seconds to soften it...
Not a great pic, sorry.
Then we slip the hose back over the copper pipe sleeved in vinyl and double clamp it with both our old and new clamps, each facing alternate directs to get the best seal. The idea here is the vinyl not only makes it a better fit but kinda acts like a washer between the hose and the copper too so the clamps dig in for a tighter seal.
..and vola... viola... ummm... Tada! It works.
The true test will be in a pot full of boiling wort of course but I am pretty confident in it.
I know I've not reinvented the wheel here or built a better mousetrap but I couldn't find much info on fixing these things so I hope this helps someone else with the same problem I had. Like I said it was simple and cheap and if I can manage it then anyone can.
Cheers,
- Meno
