Making an immersion cooler

PaulStat · Post by **PaulStat** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:46 pm

Sooo i've bought 10m of 10mm copper tube now what? obivously I have to coil it but does it need any special connectors to fit the tubing for the tap?

I'm getting one of these to connect to my tap, but do I need anything else?

mooj · Post by **mooj** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:07 pm

If you want it simple then coil it round a demijon or similar, add 15 x 10mm reducers to the ends (these will fit snug into garden hose). You will need a jubilee clip or similar to secure the outlet hose as it gets hot and softens the hose, may as well add one to the inlet for peace of mind.

There are many examples with pictures on this forum. You could also make a twin immersion as per gurgehs which seems to be the mutts nuts.

PaulStat · Post by **PaulStat** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:29 pm

mooj wrote:add 15 x 10mm reducers to the ends (these will fit snug into garden hose).

By reducers is THIS the sort of thing you mean?

Edit: Hmmm link no workie

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/John-Guest-Speed- ... 286.c0.m14

mooj · Post by **mooj** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:23 pm

I have no experience of them I'm afraid so not sure if they'll work, certainly be convenient if they do.

I meant std copper reducers, you will need to solder them or use copper glue. For an illustration look at BES website, item 6787. Pick them up from your local plumbers merchants. Make sure they are end feed not a female x female reducer as otherwise they won't fit the garden hose.

Talisman · Post by **Talisman** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:25 am

This is how i did mine.

10 meters of 10mm Copper. 2x 10mm to 15mm attached to the end of the arms. and 2x 15mm sleeves to go over the step up to bring it to 15mm.

Used Hoselock Connectors to push onto the 15mm which you just tighten up..

I can take the wort from Boiling down to 22*C in 20 mins.
A few pics of it.

Demi John Holding it up.

Hoselock Connector

With the Hoses connected to the Tap and the IC.

Hose Lock Connector

Hose Lock Connectorer Rubber piece goes over the tap, tighten the clip to clamp seal

Pipe with the 2 Soldered Connectors On

15-15mm Sleeve (or 15-15mm Straight as i call them)

No pics of the 10mm-15mm Step Up/Adapter as i only bought 2 and used them here. Dont keep spares of those.

Tally

PaulStat · Post by **PaulStat** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:06 am

^^^ That's brilliant thanks very much, the hozelock connector that you've got on the copper tubing is that the same as you've got on the tap?

Could you point me to the item numbers for the 10-15mm adapters and the 15mm sleeves on BES, sooo much stuff on there!

crow_flies · Post by **crow_flies** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:32 am

I'll try and get a pic of mine - I just used a compression adapter that took the hozelock plastic adapter directly - no soldering at all.

in fact here we go

this shows the 10mm compression adapter to the size of the plastic adapter you get with the hose connector

Here it is with the hose parts removed

Hose parts....

Works perfectly!

/CF

Talisman · Post by **Talisman** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:30 pm

PaulStat wrote:^^^ That's brilliant thanks very much, the hozelock connector that you've got on the copper tubing is that the same as you've got on the tap?

Could you point me to the item numbers for the 10-15mm adapters and the 15mm sleeves on BES, sooo much stuff on there!

15mm to 15mm straight

Page 156, P/n 6768

10mm to 15mm
Page 156 P/N 6772

PaulStat · Post by **PaulStat** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:40 pm

Talisman wrote:
PaulStat wrote:^^^ That's brilliant thanks very much, the hozelock connector that you've got on the copper tubing is that the same as you've got on the tap?

Could you point me to the item numbers for the 10-15mm adapters and the 15mm sleeves on BES, sooo much stuff on there!

15mm to 15mm straight

Page 156, P/n 6768

10mm to 15mm
Page 156 P/N 6772

Also had a response from BES themselves

"Hi Paul

The parts you are referring to can be found on page 147 of the 2008/09 catalogue â€“ End feed/Capillary

PN 6787, 15mm M x 10mm F endfeed reducer. Cat. Page 147

PN 6768, 15mm F x 15mm F endfeed straight coupler. Cat. Page 147

Regards

Ahsan Hamid

BES Technical Dept."

PaulStat · Post by **PaulStat** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:43 pm

crow_flies wrote:snip

Where did you get those parts from

crow_flies · Post by **crow_flies** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:03 pm

the plastic parts are standard tap adapters - they usually come with two parts. The compression adapter I got from a local hardware store - Coopers in great yarmouth. I cant remember what it was called - I know I didnt buy it originally for the cooler, but just tried it one day with the small adapter and thought bingo! it fits....

Next time I go to Coopers I'll take a look again - I like the fact it doesnt need any soldering and it was very cheap - couple of quid i think.

/CF

wetdog · Post by **wetdog** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:45 pm

my main concern is bending the 10mm pipe to form the uprights that eventually hook over the rim of the boiler. I don't want to buy 10m of pipe and knacker it by over bending. I see they do an external pipe bender in most DIY stores for a couple of quid, has anyone ever tried these?

edit1now · Post by **edit1now** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:04 pm

Wetdog - you want one of these:

There is a little tube cutter as well in the pic. I think the bender was about Â£11 from Toolstation.

Talisman · Post by **Talisman** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:07 pm

I did mine by hand, its simple really with 10mm as its quite soft. Just take your time, no rush and small steps on the upright bends.

dont try to bend it up all in one place, bend it an inch in one section, then move up the pipe a tad (or down) and bend a bit more, then go back over it unil u get the angle you require.

wetdog · Post by **wetdog** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:11 pm

edit1now wrote:Wetdog - you want one of these:

There is a little tube cutter as well in the pic. I think the bender was about Â£11 from Toolstation.

I saw one of those in B&Q but it was nearly as much as the piping and I'd only use it once

I called a plumbers merchant who asured me the external spring was easy to use and more effective than the internal...

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Making an immersion cooler

Making an immersion cooler