Outlets affected by boil?

Hi guys,

I just roughed in some new 20 amp circuits for heat sticks. I put in four new circuits and ran each to a box with a single 20 amp GFCI receptacle and a switch in the box to control the receptacle. I mounted the boxes in the ceiling near where my brew stand will be.

My question is, will a rolling boil in the vicinity of my GFCI circuits cause any issues? My keggle will be about 24" off the ground. I think the power cords to my heatsticks are 8' or so and the brew stand will be on wheels, but what kind of experiences have people had boiling in the brew kettle with outlets above in the ceiling?

Many thanks. Cheers.

Never done it but I would expect issues, especially if there is cooler air in the ceiling. Condensation!

Have you brewed in the space before? Were there issues with moisture collecting on the ceiling?

No, I have not brewed in this space. It's basically my basement tool room. Would a fan help?

I can move the brew stand so it's not directly below any outlets, but it will still be with 5' of the outlets.

Any ideas? How have people used heat sticks indoors and gotten around this issue?

Thanks.

Move the brew system close to a window and put the fan in it blowing out. Venting is the only thing I can think of.

You're going to boil off easily a gallon or two of water (depending on the size of the boil kettle).

I do have a window right nearby. Any tips on a fan?? I could possibly install a bathroom fan and vent it out the window when I use it. Or maybe a box fan or two mounted nearby. Or should I move the circuits and make heat sticks with longer cords?

Thanks.

Just to play devil's advocate a bit here, there are gfci's in small bathrooms that steam and condensate like mad with a shower going, no? I mean, even with my bathroom exhaust fan on, I will that room with steam like crazy and nothing seems to happen with my gfci outlets.

Anyone actually had condensation trip their gfci in bathroom, kitchen, or while boiling wort in a basement?

for long term use, find a method to evacuate the steam. highly suggest pulling it out the window, i would actually be mor concered about mildew/mold/condensation buildup than the gfci. especially if there is long term exposure i.e. several years of brewing in that space. but that is just my 2 cents.

bf514921 said:

for long term use, find a method to evacuate the steam. highly suggest pulling it out the window, i would actually be mor concered about mildew/mold/condensation buildup than the gfci. especially if there is long term exposure i.e. several years of brewing in that space. but that is just my 2 cents.

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What he said, you may have a problem, but probably not. The moisture in the air should really be your concern. Houses are not meant to have that much moisture in them. Bath fan may work, make sure it is the biggest baddest one you can find. That is a lot of humidity to disperse. Use your air conditioner to help soak out the moisture also.
About the gfi's they are designed to monitor a leak of current, as long as everything is wired correctly, moist air will not bother them, but moist air over time will corrode anything and everything.

Good luck.

i did 2 brews in my basement with some ventalation and found the 170-200 cfm range hood to be underpowered. i would suggest something in the 300cfm or larger range. i am currently in the process of putting in a fane from an old furnace, hopfully that will do it.

If I was going to be using a serious ventilation system, why not just do propane? I thought the benefit of the heat sticks was less need for ventilation.

Dgonza9 said:

If I was going to be using a serious ventilation system, why not just do propane? I thought the benefit of the heat sticks was less need for ventilation.

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Water vapor won't kill you... carbon monxide will.

You can use propane but then you need a REAL SERIOUS ventilation system.

sparkyaber said:

What he said, you may have a problem, but probably not. The moisture in the air should really be your concern. Houses are not meant to have that much moisture in them. Bath fan may work, make sure it is the biggest baddest one you can find. That is a lot of humidity to disperse. Use your air conditioner to help soak out the moisture also.
About the gfi's they are designed to monitor a leak of current, as long as everything is wired correctly, moist air will not bother them, but moist air over time will corrode anything and everything.

Good luck.

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+1. moist air isn't going to conduct the requried current (5mA) to trip a GFCI. They are pretty sealed too that even some splashed water won't hurt them (they are designed to go next to a sink after all ).

i though the beneifit of heatsticks was not to have to use propane, but either way you are generating more wator vapor doing a ful boil vs partial.