Stainless Boiler - 3kW Immersion elements

[Garth]

Cheers Vossy, thanks again for the JG and 90 bends idea for the sight glass,

when I ordered the JG fittings from a local dealer he got me 12mm by mistake, luckily I noticed before ordering the polycarbonate tube, it would have been an expensive mistake if I'd ordered 10mm tube.

it ain't cheap with postage is it?

[Garth]

Boiler is finally ready for action with the addition of my hop strainer which I've just finished. The mesh ain't my prettiest bit of work but it holds and wasn't sewn with mesh wire so it can easily come apart for cleaning.

Thanks to Aleman for the instructions to make the hop stopper, and where to get the mesh, it is all totally stainless steel, it uses a T piece connected to a 90 bend with a nipple inside the stopper which you can't see. There are a few washers to hold the mesh in place where it is cut.

It's just finishing draining the test water now, the T piece does a good job of collecting the liquid from the bottom of the boiler. I'll check in a minute and see what the deadspace is.

[jamesb]

BUMP.

Just got a couple of the same elements myself and they're still the same as Garth's with the removable thermostat. I just ripped it out and used a GRP (150°C max) terminal block to connect the live straight through.

I like Graham's point about being able to stick a pt100 in the now unused probe housing. Might do that myself on the HLT.

[Graham]

I like Graham's point about being able to stick a pt100 in the now unused probe housing. Might do that myself on the HLT.

I am currently looking at using that probe housing for doing some sort of boil-dry protection so that the commercial guys, like Brupaks and Hop 'n' Grape, can use them confidently. It requires a thermally conductive clamp of some sort connected externally between the element and the probe housing. Then it would require either a thermostat that will go up to about 120°C (but locating one might be tough), or a thermal fuse shoved up the hole. I have found some 120° thermal switches, but the blighters are only 10 Amp.

[jamesb]

I like Graham's point about being able to stick a pt100 in the now unused probe housing. Might do that myself on the HLT.

I am currently looking at using that probe housing for doing some sort of boil-dry protection so that the commercial guys, like Brupaks and Hop 'n' Grape, can use them confidently. It requires a thermally conductive clamp of some sort connected externally between the element and the probe housing. Then it would require either a thermostat that will go up to about 120°C (but locating one might be tough), or a thermal fuse shoved up the hole. I have found some 120° thermal switches, but the blighters are only 10 Amp.

Could you not use the 10 amp switch to switch a higher rated electromechanical switch?

[Bionicmunky]

BUMP.

Just got a couple of the same elements myself and they're still the same as Garth's with the removable thermostat. I just ripped it out and used a GRP (150°C max) terminal block to connect the live straight through.

I like Graham's point about being able to stick a pt100 in the now unused probe housing. Might do that myself on the HLT.

I'm just about to wire mine up. Can you let me know where you got the terminal block James?

Thanks in advance,

John

[jamesb]

BUMP.

Just got a couple of the same elements myself and they're still the same as Garth's with the removable thermostat. I just ripped it out and used a GRP (150°C max) terminal block to connect the live straight through.

I like Graham's point about being able to stick a pt100 in the now unused probe housing. Might do that myself on the HLT.

I'm just about to wire mine up. Can you let me know where you got the terminal block James?

Thanks in advance,

John

I used a bit of Farnell 1130908 that I had lying around at work.

[lopytog1]

Not sure is this is related but its a general Immersion element question and I can't find the answer in other posts. I have a stainless keg that im going to use as my HLT, I'm thinking of making a lid for it and fitting 3kw Immersion heaters into the lid. My thinking is one that it will save me cutting a big hole in the keg and also it will lift out so everything will be easy to clean. What im not sure about is does the element have to be fully submerged to be safe? Coming from the top there will be a gap between the level of water and lid.

[ryanmanchester]

not a good idea to have electrical contacts facing upwards! water would come into contact with them eventually. I doubt you'd be able to fit them through the sides either as they need flat walls. leads would keep getting in the way too, if you tripped on one the whole thing would topple very easily!

why don't you just use it as a keg? is it broken?

[sparky Paul]

What im not sure about is does the element have to be fully submerged to be safe? Coming from the top there will be a gap between the level of water and lid.

Yes, immersion elements must be completely covered, i.e. immersed. Heat is emitted from the full length of the element, and any exposed areas will quickly burn out.