Finally got my HERMS built

[Troutman47]

Finally got my HERMS completed.
I'd ordered the PID from Hong Kong but it never arrived, they were pretty good and refunded my money straight away so I ordered another one from Jersey and a PT100 with a quick disconnect from another guy on eBay. All arrived on time.

I'd researched so much waiting for the PID to arrive I wired it all up, switched it on and it all worked first time!
I still need to fine tune it but it's pretty spot on, only about .6C too high.

Keen to use it now but no time to make a brew until between Christmas and new year!
Just a couple of things I need to do/change. TRS glands where the cables go into the box and fit a switched socket

PID

HERMS pot

Coil

[Haydnexport]

Looking good , can I ask what size pot that is and where you got it from ? And what size copper pipe is that and how long it is and how did you get it to coil that neatly !

[Troutman47]

Hi Haydnexport,
The asparagus steamer is about 245mm high and about 170mm in diameter and bought second hand from eBay. The important thing for me was the lid so I could put the fittings through it.
The pipe is 10mm, it comes in 10m lengths from the merchants. Whether you can get it in shorter length at b&q etc. I don't know but I had it on my van. I've no idea how much I used, I just rolled it up some 4" soil pipe to the length that fitted without touching the heating element.
I used a 10mm elbow to bring the pipe back up inside the coil.
What I would change if I did it again would be the fittings on the lid.
I bought stainless 1/2" male to 3/8" compression. The 10mm pipe didn't quite fit so I had to file the copper pipe down until it did fit.
What I would do is buy brass 1/2" male to 10mm compression from the plumbers merchants and use the stainless elbow to secure it to the lid instead of a nut and then the stainless elbow.

Hope that helps.
Cheers.

[Wonkydonkey]

Very nice, I bet you feel happy now, as all your planning has come together,

[Haydnexport]

Thanks, very helpful

[Troutman47]

I am VERY happy!!

[Robski]

What a great and elegant idea... you've got me rethinking my current plan.

[republicofbeer]

In my opinion the Herms pot needs to go after the pump. If it clogs, you will run the pump dry. If it's after the pump and it clogs, the pump will still be primed. Same reason that if you want to throttle the flow on a pump you do it on a valve after the pump


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[Fil]

fwiw you dont need much 10mm copper tube to form a coil which the contents of will pick up 100% of its surrounding water bath temperature. I used a length just over 2m in total length including legs in and out and achieved 100% of the waterbath temp on coil exit. Especially if the difference going in is only a few degrees.