RIMS - Schematic - Need your input

Hey guys,
Another post about a new system! This is what I am planning for my next project. I have never set one of these up, but have done a lot of trolling on here!

So, the first slide is the plubming. A combination of ball valves and disconnects. I like the idea of one pump and two hoses. Any issues with this?



And here is where it gets hairy for me. The electrical part.. Does this look right. Two seperate elements. One controlled by a PID, the other by an on/off. Figure i will add the water a little cooler than strike temp, and let the PID finish it off.

I see my first issue. I think I can do away with the disconnects on the top of the RIMS and MLT. I will use barbs and connect hoses on brew day (easier to clean without the disconnects). And then to fill the MLT from the water tank I will just pump it through the rims.

Something I built into my RIMS was an electrical interlock for the heating element.
The interlock prevents the heating element from coming on unless the pump is running and circulating past the in-line heating element. This keeps your system from scorching the wort or blowing up the heating element because of no flow condition.

processhead said:

Something I built into my RIMS was an electrical interlock for the heating element.
The interlock prevents the heating element from coming on unless the pump is running and circulating past the in-line heating element. This keeps your system from scorching the wort or blowing up the heating element because of no flow condition.

Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, when would the pump be off? I plan on re-circulating the entire time. Also, I am not exactly sure what interlock is, but I figured I might wire the pump and heater such that the pump can only turn on if the pump is running.

How has your system worked out for you? I am not too concerned with the plumbing aspect. But I am a litlte freaked out by the all the wiring that I will have to do for this!

Ordinarily, the pump would run most of the time on your system. But if you had an unexpected problem, i.e. stuck mash, system leak, or other problem, you might want to shut off the pump. In that situation, if you forgot to turn off the heater, you could burn up something or scorch your mash. This interlock would keep that from happening even if you forgot to turn off the heater.

An interlock is just an automatic, fool proof way to prevent something undesirable from happening. They are put into different industrial processes all the time when you want to control how things happen in the process.

If you wire your heater so it can come on only when the pump is running, then congratulations!, you have engineered an electrical interlock.

I have been really happy with my system. The worts run off crystal clear and make fine beer. My RIMS does a good job of controlling mash temperatures and takes a lot of the work out of mashing.

I had to solve some minor issues at first with minor leaks on the suction side of the pump. The leaks were allowing air to be sucked int the system in the form of fine bubbles. Replacing some plastic pipe fittings with brass and stainless fittings solved that problem. I think that the heat caused the plastic fittings to expand and create the leaks.
I have some pictures of it posted on this site someplace.
http://w200.photobucket.com/albums/aa97/processhead/RIMS/?action=slideshow&current=919fe2cc.pbw