Fixes for leaking wort chiller

I purchased the following wort chiller the other day:

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/immersion-wort-chiller-50-x-3-8.html

It uses plastic tubing with those clamps which screw down to make a seal. The problem is mine doesn't seal. I get leaks from both the input and output lines where it meets the copper. I've tried adjusting the position of the hose, force of the clamp, and position of the clamp with the same results.

Would putting some teflon tape on the copper tubing and clamping over that help? Any other suggestions?

They all leak there, but usually simply tightening the hose claps are all it takes to stop them. Have you truly just turned the water on and then screwed the as tight as they can go until the leak stops?

Eventually they all work themselves loose over time and we have to do it while it's running, and usually all it takes is screwing the hell out of it.

teflon will not help. You have a poor connection between the tubing and the copper. Inspect the copper for any damage. If it's smooth, the vinyl tubing is in good shape, and they are the right size for the interface, you need a better clamp.

Try a zip tie in addition to the clamp. The clamps leak because they r not completely round.

drunknmonk said:

Try a zip tie in addition to the clamp. The clamps leak because they r not completely round.

Click to expand...

It's true that worm clamps have a flat spot, but the compliance of the tubing will usually account for that.

The two things I'd be looking at is properly sized worm clamps and tubing. Using the smallest clamp that will fit the tubing diameter is one key, the other is to use food grade tubing with enough wall thickness and compliance to make the clamp flat spot a non-issue...

Cheers!

I've upgraded to a 40 plate CFC, but I had this same issue when I was using my IC. I ended up buying a tube flaring kit at Harborfreight (I think it was around $10-$15) and some flared fittings from Lowes. This solved the problem for me as I had no leaks even if I turned the hose on full blast.

microbusbrewery said:

I've upgraded to a 40 plate CFC, but I had this same issue when I was using my IC. I ended up buying a tube flaring kit at Harborfreight (I think it was around $10-$15) and some flared fittings from Lowes. This solved the problem for me as I had no leaks even if I turned the hose on full blast.

Click to expand...

P.S. Forgot to mention, I used the flare fittings to connect to barbed fittings, then attached the vinyl tubing to the barbs with hose clamps. The hoses fit much more securely on true barbed fittings than they do when they're just clamped onto the copper tubing.

you can also go the ghetto cheap route and flare the tubing a bit. Stick a screwdriver in the end and GENTLY flare the tubing out a bit. Then put the hose on (close to the flare) and clamp it down. Should help quite a bit.

B

The easiest way is to install compression fittings that have garden hose thread.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/brass-hose-adapter-swivel-compression-34fht-38comp.gif



I HATE chillers with PVC tubing clamped to the copper. It's a hack design that needs tightening every use and eventually you have to cut an inch off the tubing and start over again.

When it happened to my chiller, I removed the tubing from both ends of the chiller, cut off half an inch from each tubing to remove the part damaged by the clamp. Then put it back with the original screw on clamp PLUS a oetiker clamp. So now I have two clamps on each end, and it has not leaked since. Oetiker clamps gives you a really good, even, seal.

day_trippr said:

It's true that worm clamps have a flat spot, but the compliance of the tubing will usually account for that.

Click to expand...

depends on how thick the tubing is, on how much of that flat spot it will pick up. cheap, thin home depot vinyl tubing isnt very good at it. if you are using thick walled, softer tubing you would have a much easier time. or use clamps that dont have flat spots (like oteker {sp?})

Bobby_M said:

The easiest way is to install compression fittings that have garden hose thread.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/brass-hose-adapter-swivel-compression-34fht-38comp.gif

I HATE chillers with PVC tubing clamped to the copper. It's a hack design that needs tightening every use and eventually you have to cut an inch off the tubing and start over again.

Click to expand...

I was going to say the exact same thing. Swap out the clamps for compression fittings. Or, use the fix as an excuse to learn to sweat copper, and sweat some fittings on. Either option would be a huge improvement over clamps.

In a real pinch, Sometimes you can get away with using two worm clamps per hose instead of just one. Placed about 0.5-1.0" apart, they seal better than just one clamp. But I agree with the previous post. This is a great excuse to learn to sweat copper...hose barbs exist for a reason. Clamping tubing directly to the copper is just asking for leaks.

I went the route of adding more clamps... I now have 3 clamps, with the flat spot of the worm gearing offset on each clamp and it doesn't leak anymore.

If you have a leak that you're trying to repair mid brew, I advise taking care to avoid dropping the screwdriver into the kettle, and if you should drop it, do NOT succumb to the urge of immediately reaching into the hot wort to retrieve said screwdriver...

That said, I agree with the others that sweating on some hose connections or at least a compression fitting is definitely the way to go. I am planning to upgrade my chiller soon for more length and longer uprights to use in a keggle on 10g batches and plan to add hose connectors then.