Connecting Immersion Chiller to Faucet

I'm having a lot of trouble setting up my homebuilt immersion chiller.

My local hardware store didn't have a long enough piece of 3/8" OD copper tubing, so I went with a 1/4" OD ice maker kit. I've got the copper formed into a coil without too much crimping, and I've got some 1/4" ID / 3/8" OD plastic tubing which fits over the copper nicely, and now I'm trying to connect the plastic tubing to my kitchen faucet.

Unfortunately, I've struck out at every hardware store I've gone to. No one has been able to help me figure out what adapters/fittings I need.

So, do any of you fine homebrewers know what fittings I need to connect a standard kitchen faucet to 3/8" OD plastic tubing so that I can use my fancy immersion cooler?

I'd go with garden hose fittings on the vinyl tube (secured with a hose clamp), and connect that to your faucet (with the aerator removed) via a hose thread adapter.

There may be better ways, but that's how mine is set up.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any adapters that would connect the garden hose fitting to the vinyl tubing. Do you know what that adapter is called?

natmartin said:

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any adapters that would connect the garden hose fitting to the vinyl tubing. Do you know what that adapter is called?

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Female garden hose thread barb - looks something like this:

natmartin said:

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any adapters that would connect the garden hose fitting to the vinyl tubing. Do you know what that adapter is called?

Click to expand...

Look in the hose section of your hardware store for a hose repair kit. I think that is what you are looking for.

Something like this right?

Rittenhouse | Garden Hose Thread Hose Barb - Brass - Female

ArcaneXor said:

Female garden hose thread barb - looks something like this:

Click to expand...

Funny how we posted the exact same one.

Look at the connectors section of HD or Lowes (usually near the toliet repair stuff). I think the brand is watts.

this is what you need. I think HD and Lowe's have them. I got mine at Ace/Tru Value.

SchizoFilly said:

this is what you need. I think HD and Lowe's have them. I got mine at Ace/Tru Value.

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You need both pieces - the Female garden hose thread barb and the faucet hose thread adapter.

Great, thanks!

I'll look for that at my local Ace. Home Depot had the garden hose side, but the only barbed adapter they had was either too big or too small, and the guy there told me they didn't carry one in the size I needed.

SchizoFilly said:

this is what you need. I think HD and Lowe's have them. I got mine at Ace/Tru Value.

Click to expand...

I picked up that adapter and it fits my kitchen faucet with the aerator removed. There's a little bit of a leak when I hook the short piece of hose up to my wort chiller. Did you use teflon tape on the threads on the faucet side? I'm afraid of overtightening it in the faucet so I'm going hand-tight. I think that small drip will reduce the cooling effects somewhat.

natmartin said:

Great, thanks!

I'll look for that at my local Ace. Home Depot had the garden hose side, but the only barbed adapter they had was either too big or too small, and the guy there told me they didn't carry one in the size I needed.

Click to expand...

You may have to use 2 prices. First find a garden hose to pipe thread price, lowes has several choices. Then find a bard with the mating pipe thread. Worst case you you might need a reduction fitting in between.