Solar pump question

[Skittlebrau]

Hi all

Tested my solar pump tonight, using the fittings and short lengths of tubing bought from the supplier. Nasty chemical smell coming off the tubing and I can't get it off the fittings. Think I'm going to have to go without it for my first brew. No problem, but in preparation for my second I'm wondering what fittings others use with theirs and where I can get them?

[keith1664]

I think most people use stainless camlock fittings but they're not cheap ( I priced what I'd need up and it came to around £70!, so they'll have to wait). Intrico seems to be a popular supplier. As for the tubing Vossy sells a very good silicone tubing on THBF, I think he's a member on Jims too but I've not seen him selling it here.

[Skittlebrau]

Ouch! There's got to be something cheaper than that... surely?

[196osh]

I use the tubing from the solar pump manufacturers, it is food grade. I found recircing boiling water with some oxi clean in it removed all smells.

[Kev888]

If its the version with threaded outlets, then another option is to use standard plumbing fittings to convert/adapt the threads to a bit of copper tube. Their web site suggests 1/2" BSP tap connectors - I use something similar, as the hose I got is too big to go in the supplied fittings.

But if you already have the bits and if their tubing is food grade (I ddn't realise it was) probably just recirculating hot water/cleaner around for a few hours will help a lot.

Cheers
Kev

[orlando]

I think most people use stainless camlock fittings but they're not cheap ( I priced what I'd need up and it came to around £70!, so they'll have to wait). Intrico seems to be a popular supplier. As for the tubing Vossy sells a very good silicone tubing on THBF, I think he's a member on Jims too but I've not seen him selling it here.

Vossy's is 1/2" and doesn't fit directly to the solar pump if you have the screw on version. I have one and use the black silicon version supplied and have had no problems at all. I use the s/s camlocks from Intrico (best price I could find and a very helpful guy is Calvin) and they work brilliantly, albeit a little clunky for the pump. They do plastic and aluminium as well, if cost is really an issue, I just think you will only buy this stuff once if you get s/s

[Skittlebrau]

Cool. I've left my boiler clean for tomorrow, so will be using the pump to recirc PBW for 40 mins or so. That should get rid of the smell!

[bigrichlock]

Hello, another option (and cheeper) is the Blichmann conectors sold by Hop and Grape, they are 1/2inch NPT but fit on 1/2inch BSP no probs, only SS comes in contact with the wort and very easy to clean.

cheers

rich

[greenxpaddy]

Just looking at this.

Will 1/2" silicon tubing fit nicely onto this one?

SP20/20 Easy Connect 12V Water Circulation Pump



http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/sp2020-e ... -p-10.html

Doesn't look like it will

Or I could stretch and clamp 1/2 inch tubing over the 14mm screw thread inlet and 3/8 inch tubing over the outlet of this one. More a botch job though that

[Fil]

if looking at brass 1/2"bsp fittings take the pump and check they fit.. the 1st one i bought didnt the pump barrel thread was too thick to allow the brass bits insert in. .. a jg 1/2" bsp tap connector did, but i dont think the jg fitting will work with boiling temps. seems to be ok with temps upto 85C so ok for mash recirculation..(i hope)


greenpaddy no the 1/2" silicone tube wont fit on the 1st pump you pictured


im using one of the supplied fittings with a short length of blue silicone tube attached, it was a pit pongy when it first arrived but a few tests later it was flushed clean and either ive grown imune or its lost its pong.

[greenxpaddy]

Just realised I cannot stretch to a water tight seal over a thread. Silly me

In that case I may be able to use the fittings supplied and stretch a 3/8 silicon tube over the tube provided

Silicone Tubing 3/8" (9.5mm id X 14.8mm od)

The 9.5mm ID should stretch to 12mm I reckon seeing as the 1/2inch stretches to 15mm no probs

Just need to join the 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch tubing by running one inside the other.... A lot of joins though!

[Fil]

ive found that the supplied silicone shorts are great to slip over 10mm copper tube without any other further fixing, also 3/8" stem fittings..

i tested my herms h/exhcanger last night and pumped thru the coil and restricted the flow back to the bucket and had no leaks

[Kev888]

I just bought a couple of new blichmann therminator wort disconnects for my plate cooler, but following bigrichlock's suggestion higher up (thanks for the idea!) I thought I'd see how they worked on the solar pump too.

The answer is very well indeed, so unless I end up going with camlocks I can see myself getting these for the pumps in the future:

(thats 1/2" ID tubing, and really needs a hose clip to be safe; they also do a 3/8" version of the disconnects)

I like that they seal with an o-ring rather than on the threads, that should make cleaning easier. They're like a stainless version of a tap connector, except unlike the brass plumbing ones I tried these fit. I currently use 1/2" BSP to 15mm converters and those are one piece so the hose needs to rotate as you unscrew them - the blichmanns are like tap connectors where the nut is separate. They also score by having rubber grips - cooler to undo if you've been running hot stuff through them.

Cheers
Kev

[jaff]

I went with brass hosetails

http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/brass-hexa ... -seat.html

and EPDM hose (much cheaper than silicone)

http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/heater-hose-2186.html

[Deller12]

I use 4117013 Thermoclean 100 Hot Water Hose its food grade, and does not get to hot even with boiling hot wort running through it