Trouble with hose/wort chiller

I just hooked up my wort chiller for a quick test run before my brewday tomorrow. It's leaking from where the exit hose screws onto the exit of the wort chiller. I tried tightening it, etc. Then I'm looking at it thinking 'teflon tape'? Is this a bad idea?

Orpheus said:

I just hooked up my wort chiller for a quick test run before my brewday tomorrow. It's leaking from where the exit hose screws onto the exit of the wort chiller. I tried tightening it, etc. Then I'm looking at it thinking 'teflon tape'? Is this a bad idea?

Click to expand...

Teflon tape is fine but will only fix a leak that is coming though the threads.

My wort chiller tends to leak where the barb connects to the threaded sleeve.

If this is the style your using http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/immersion-chiller-garden-h.jpg
you can see the tape on their fittings

Dumb question, but Is the gasket in there? If so, how old is it?

It's a brand new wort chiller, never used. The gaskets are in there.

Yeah mine is very similar to the Northern Brewer one and I just had another go at it. It definitely isn't leaking from the threads, but from the fittings. It looks like I'll have to take it apart, re-affix some new teflon tape, and put them back together.

Orpheus said:

Yeah mine is very similar to the Northern Brewer one and I just had another go at it. It definitely isn't leaking from the threads, but from the fittings. It looks like I'll have to take it apart, re-affix some new teflon tape, and put them back together.

Click to expand...

Try rubbing some keg lube on the rubber gasket. I t might make it easier to push that thing all the way in to where it needs to be.

OK,

I fixed the entire outgoing assembly, but it's still leaking from the intake assembly. It's especially bad where the copper meets the nut of the hose in assembly. I'm wondering how the copper tubing is attached to the threaded adapter part. I tried screwing the entire thing tighter on to the copper tubing and it spun, but is that really tightening it?

Orpheus said:

OK,

I fixed the entire outgoing assembly, but it's still leaking from the intake assembly. It's especially bad where the copper meets the nut of the hose in assembly. I'm wondering how the copper tubing is attached to the threaded adapter part. I tried screwing the entire thing tighter on to the copper tubing and it spun, but is that really tightening it?

Click to expand...

With out seeing a picture it's hard to tell how it is attached. I would guess though that is is using a compression fitting. You will need to wrenches to tighten it down. One to hold it steady and the other to tighten it. If you can, you should take it apart and remove the compression fitting and inspect the copper tubing. See if it is bent where the fitting is meeting the tube. If it is, cut a little off and move the compression fitting back to where the tubing is round. You want about a 1/8 of an inch poking out of the little compression fitting part so that you don't warp the tubing. Tighten down, but not too tight as you may bend the tubing again and cause a leak. Hope this helps.