Camco 1500 watt ULWD Elements

Yakima 728
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thargrav said:
Wurt is not that acidic which is why you can use copper and brass fittings in brewpots. Beer gets more acidic as it ferments and the acidity shows on the inside of any brass fittings, like brass faucets you may have installed in your kegerator. And BTW, modern brass is a alloy of copper and zinc. The anodes are zinc, not magnesium. Magnesium would react violently with water.
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Interesting that in the first post of this entry https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/element-rust-no-more-235704/, the magnesium anode is not reacting violently with the water. I think you're misinformed regarding the reactivity of solid magnesium in water. http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/magnesium/magnesium-and-water.htm

Perhaps you are thinking about sodium or potassium?

http://www2.uni-siegen.de/~pci/versuche/pics/natrium3.jpg
 
I probably was thinking of sodium. But I've changed enough anodes in commercial water heaters to know they are made out of zinc. So was what was left of the anode in my last water heater that died.
 
The debate over the saftey of the zinc plating goes on, but I figured "better safe than sorry."

The link I posted above suggested soaking in an acid solution, so I thought I'd try Star San. I let the entire 120V/1650W Emerson element soak for a few hours in gallon bucket of some old Star San that was getting pretty cloudy. That turned it from a shiny chrome finish to a flat black. After that, all it took was some light polishing with Scotch-Brite to clean it up to bright copper.

Here are a couple of shots from before and after polishing. Might not mean anything, but it was easy and I'll feel a little safer using the element now.

DSCF4107.jpg


DSCF4110.jpg
 
Nice. Mine looks like the first pic. When it came it looked like chrome. It's boiled wort twice now and prior to that water a few times. I've yet to taste either batch, but I wonder if anyone has done the math to figure out how much zinc would be in the beer and whether it constitutes dangerous? We take Zinc supplements at times, yes?
 
thargrav said:
I probably was thinking of sodium. But I've changed enough anodes in commercial water heaters to know they are made out of zinc. So was what was left of the anode in my last water heater that died.
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Magnesium anodes are the most popular. Aluminum, some with up to ten percent zinc content, are used in areas of hard water. No such thing as pure zinc rods.
 
A note on the Camco 02853 elements that started this thread:

I did some testing on the elements that I have. The resistance of the Camco 02853 was 10.2 ohms. But according to their specs it works out that it should be 9.6 ohms. What that means is that at 120V it actually puts out just over 1400 watts (not the 1500W listed.) And as to their claim that it's low watt density. Doing the math it comes out somewhere around 125 watts/sq in. That puts it much closer to a HWD element than to a LWD, and nowhere near the ULWD they call it.

By comparison, the Emerson 1650W element that has also been discussed here works out to around 50 watts/sq in. That actually puts it in the range of an ULWD element. Also, my meter read 8.7 ohms, which is exactly where it should for the voltage and watts listed in thier specs.

The thing to take away from this is to not trust anything that Camco says or prints about their elements. Check for yourself before installing.
 
AnOldUR said:
By comparison, the Emerson 1650W element that has also been discussed here works out to around 50 watts/sq in. That actually puts it in the range of an ULWD element. Also, my meter read 8.7 ohms, which is exactly where it should for the voltage and watts listed in thier specs.
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I like my emerson a lot, but it's just so darn big! Not really a big deal, but it makes it harder to place two of them.
 
AnOldUR said:
A note on the Camco 02853 elements that started this thread:

I did some testing on the elements that I have. The resistance of the Camco 02853 was 10.2 ohms. But according to their specs it works out that it should be 9.6 ohms. What that means is that at 120V it actually puts out just over 1400 watts (not the 1500W listed.) And as to their claim that it's low watt density. Doing the math it comes out somewhere around 125 watts/sq in. That puts it much closer to a HWD element than to a LWD, and nowhere near the ULWD they call it.

By comparison, the Emerson 1650W element that has also been discussed here works out to around 50 watts/sq in. That actually puts it in the range of an ULWD element. Also, my meter read 8.7 ohms, which is exactly where it should for the voltage and watts listed in thier specs.

The thing to take away from this is to not trust anything that Camco says or prints about their elements. Check for yourself before installing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for doing this, how did you measure the surface area? The element is much thicker than the HWD elements I've seen.
 
I used a digital caliper to measure the diameter and a tape measure for the length. I'm not sure how close to the end that the coil actually heats and I approximated the length over the bend radius, so my total length number could be off a little, but I don't think too far.

The formula for watt density is:
Watt Density = Watts / (3.14 x Diameter x Length)

For the 1650W Emerson I used .319 diameter and 34" length and came up with 48.4 for the watt density (rounded to 50 for the earlier post.)




Got mine mounted into the pot this morning. No leaks. Testing now, but happy so far.
 
WhooHooo! Direct fire EMLT with NO scorching . . .
and a grist of 50% malted wheat and 50% flaked maize.

My first fizzy yellow beer. :D:drunk::cross:

DSCF4131.jpg
 
thargrav said:
Wurt is not that acidic which is why you can use copper and brass fittings in brewpots.
Click to expand...

While it may not be THAT acidic, keep in mind that at a pH of 5, it is 20 times more acidic than water at neutral pH 7. So for materials more susceptible to acid reactions (like Zinc) this could pose a problem.
 
tre9er said:
Tell me more about your manifold
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It's Loc-Line coolant line. I use it for cooling cutting tool in my shop.

The holes in the end of the stems are about 1/8" diameter. Found them not to be enough so I drill more holes in the bottom side of the plastic. Works well now, but no better than the braid I had in there before.

Mostly just looks cool. :cross:
 
AnOldUR said:
Works well now, but no better than the braid I had in there before.

Mostly just looks cool. :cross:
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That's what I wanted to know. I like that it's customizable and bendy and what-not...but I'll stick with my braid for now I guess.
 
Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but is the Camco -2853(err - 02852) incoloy/stainless or zinc plated?
 
D'oh! wish I would have found this thread before purchasing a Camco 02853/02852 element off of Amazon! Now debating if I should return, or live with it. for those of you who own/live with the 02852/3 element, have you been otherwise happy with it? Did you clean the element down to the copper? not sure (like the post above mine) what the coating on it is...if I keep it should I do a starsan soak to remove?

So consensus is that there is no such thing as a 120v ULWD stainless element?
 
Lilrascal said:
I may be wrong, but this is what I am using in my set up. It is listed as a stainless element.
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Hmm...from the Rheem website, it says that the element is made from Stainless Steel and coated with an "outer sheath of Incology® 800" from the looks on the Camco one I have (and reading other threads) mine is copper with the same Incology coating.

Looks like there is already a thread on this topic: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/best-heating-element-material-coating-292217/
 
I've used the "short" camco 1500W elements that aren't actually ULWD for a while now. Still have one in my BK along with a 1650W ULWD (for real). Never had any detectable scorching flavors or anything else. I use a brush on them but don't go crazy. Haven't taken the coating off or anything like that. Aint broke, don't fix.
 
AnOldUR said:
WhooHooo! Direct fire EMLT with NO scorching . . .
and a grist of 50% malted wheat and 50% flaked maize.

My first fizzy yellow beer. :D:drunk::cross:
Click to expand...

How hard are these elements to bend? I don't want to break one, but I'd like to change how mine is angled in the BK. I can't get my IC all the way submerged because the angle of the keg where the element is mounted has the element pointing upward at probably a 20* angle. If I can bend it more level I might get more of my IC in and thus faster cooling.
 
tre9er said:
How hard are these elements to bend? I don't want to break one . . .
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The picture is a 1650W Emerson that's copper. I went slow and easy, fearing it might kink or break something internal, but it seemed to move where I wanted it to pretty easy. Works fine and should spread the heat out a bit more. Not so sure about a stainless element.
 
AnOldUR said:
The picture is a 1650W Emerson that's copper. I went slow and easy, fearing it might kink or break something internal, but it seemed to move where I wanted it to pretty easy. Works fine and should spread the heat out a bit more. Not so sure about a stainless element.
Click to expand...

I think mine is the same emerson. I think I even linked to it earlier in this thread?? I may give it a try. At least they're cheap. I'll do it AFTER my next round of brews though!
 
What about using a 6000W element on a 120V circuit. That should give you only 1500W of working power. Has anyone else done such?
 
A lot of people do this - it's a smart way to turn a high watt density element into a medium watt density element.
 
I am still searching for a 12" long ULWD 240V 1500Watt/2000watt element for my rims tube.

Lots of choices for 120v but not so much for 240v.

I have a 240v circuit.
 
sethhobrin said:
I am still searching for a 12" long ULWD 240V 1500Watt/2000watt element for my rims tube.

Lots of choices for 120v but not so much for 240v.

I have a 240v circuit.
Click to expand...

Boston Heating Company
Product Name / Part No./ Quantity/ Item Price/ Total Price/
Rheem SP10869GL 208/240V 1500/2000W Stainless Steel Element/ 6309/ $22.40/ $22.40/

Shipping was about $14 to STL from Boston.
 

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