Removeable elements

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guypettigrew
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Removeable elements

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Jun 15, 2020 3:42 pm

Following on from this thread I'm wondering if this would be a way of easily disconnecting the two 2.4 kW elements in my boiler?

My boiler has one of these in it. But it would be good to try one of these.

Only possible, though, if the elements could be easily removed and replaced.

To be honest, Jocky, I couldn't understand how the parts you've linked to would work!

Guy

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Jocky
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by Jocky » Mon Jun 15, 2020 3:54 pm

What's stopping you from removing the elements currently?

I remove mine at the end of every brew day for cleaning, you just undo the nut holding it in place.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

guypettigrew
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:58 pm

It's the thought of having to leak test the boiler with 30+ litres of boiling water every time the elements are replaced which has put me off.

A triclamp fitting seemed easier and more reliable..

Guy

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Jocky
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by Jocky » Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:49 pm

Is it the curly 2.4 kW element (this: https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/2-4kw-ket ... ments.html) or the 2.4 kW immersion element (this: https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/2-4kw-lwd-elements.html)?

If it’s the former, I’ve done 56 brews with them, removed the element for every one and never had any leaking issues.

I do use the element shroud from brewbuilder, which makes tool free removal easy. The only danger with them is that I think they radiate heat into the connector, causing the connector on the cable to overheat and melt once every dozen or so brews.

I’ve switched to the immersion style element now, but I may shorten the shroud anyway in case I want to use those elements in future.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

guypettigrew
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:58 pm

It's the first of the ones you've linked to. Is this the element shroud you use? What's the benefit from using it?

Guy

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Jocky
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by Jocky » Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:02 am

guypettigrew wrote:
Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:58 pm
It's the first of the ones you've linked to. Is this the element shroud you use? What's the benefit from using it?

Guy
It replaces the nut you'd normally use so you can detach the element with your bare hands rather than needing a tool. It also protects the electrical connections in case of a boil over or spillage.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

wilfh
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by wilfh » Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:21 am

This is what I use with the 2.4w curly element. Dead easy to take apart and no leaks
Getting the shroud just made life much simpler to take the elements out fir a scrub
Wilf

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Kev888
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Re: Removeable elements

Post by Kev888 » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:23 pm

If you actually need to remove the elements every brew (to get the big filter in/out from below them), then yes - I'd definitely want something extremely reliable or else it might cause more annoyance than it is worth. (If you didn't need to remove them, then I probably wouldn't or at least only very infrequently).

I'm happy with external threads, no great inconvenience and they can work well to provide the clamping force, its much more about the actual seal IMO. They can be completely fine, fit and seal reliably without any special care - that really is how they should be and it wouldn't concern me to refit them every brew. I might just get spare seals due to the extra wear and tear.

But in practice, some setups just don't seal very easily for a variety of possible reasons - such as a sloppy hole, rigid curved wall, sealing-washers that squidge out of place, sealing washers that don't squidge enough for curved/uneven walls etc. If there is a problem area that can be traced, it may be possible to improve but it kind of depends what it is.

The bees knees might be the tri-clamp option - seals designed to be assembled frequently with ridges that retain them in purpose-machined flanges. But costly - especially if they don't work with existing elements (and sometimes the easier/weldless methods of fitting them to element and kettle can be a bit unwieldy), so not for everyone. FWIW I'm currently making a hybrid, with ferrules to hold the seal and a screw-thread to clamp them together, but thats quite a DIY-heavy project and only being done because easier alternatives are awkward in this case.
Kev

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