immersion chiller fittings

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slim chillingsworth

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so i'm finally getting around to doing a proper soldering job on my immersion chiller, but i'm having trouble finding the right fittings. i'm modeling the chiller after the version in Bobby_M's video (thanks again for posting that), but i'm using 3/8" copper tubing. i need some part numbers to get from the 3/8" tubing to the 5/8" barb on the female hose fitting. does anyone know the best way of getting there?
 
I actually think a 1/2" barb would present the right diameter but I'm not 100% sure. A workaround would be to use a 3/8" compression fitting and adapt that to garden hose. It's a little more pricy, but it's one way.
 
i really don't mind spending the extra couple of dollars for a compression fitting, i'd just prefer to solder it for a better connection. i took the fitting off the hose i had been using for the chiller, and i'm assuming it's 5/8".

i don't quite follow you, bobby. are you saying that i can get a female hose fitting with a 1/2" ID barb that i can solder on? i noticed that in your video you said that you drilled a 5/8" fitting to 1/2", which i didn't understand either. how exactly did you drill a fitting to make it smaller?

also, while i'm asking questions, what did you use to straighten the pieces you used for rising up and over the kettle edge?
 
I built mine with compression fittings a year ago. It didn't really cost much, and I've had exactly zero leaks in it so far. I know you really want to solder it, but to be honest, if you ever need to change things, it'll probably be easier to do it with the compression stuff.
 
my company does a TON of hydraulic testing at very high pressures and temperatures, and we have never had any issues with running 100 gallons/minute of jet fuel through 1/2" SS tubing with compression fittings at 200+ degrees F. We have done that during vibration as well, so those fittings aren't going too far if installed correctly for the proper usage.
 
slim chillingsworth said:
i don't quite follow you, bobby. are you saying that i can get a female hose fitting with a 1/2" ID barb that i can solder on? i noticed that in your video you said that you drilled a 5/8" fitting to 1/2", which i didn't understand either. how exactly did you drill a fitting to make it smaller?
Click to expand...

My guess is he opened up the INSIDE of the fitting to slip the copper into it.
 
Hose barbs are rated/sized for the ID of the tubing you'll be slipping on. In this application, we really don't give a crap what hose ID it's meant for since we're trying to slip the IC copper tubing INSIDE the barb to solder it. On a 5/8" brass barb, the inside diameter was a little smaller than 1/2" so the copper wouldn't slide in. I used a 1/2" drill bit to open it up ever so slightly.

If you've got 3/8" OD copper, it's going to fit very sloppy inside a 5/8" barb (if they're anything like the ones I had). I know they make garden hose male/females that are meant for 1/2" ID hose and that would probably be closer to the size you need even though you might have to drill out with a 3/8" bit.

Make sense or no?
 
Bobby_M said:
Hose barbs are rated/sized for the ID of the tubing you'll be slipping on. In this application, we really don't give a crap what hose ID it's meant for since we're trying to slip the IC copper tubing INSIDE the barb to solder it. On a 5/8" brass barb, the inside diameter was a little smaller than 1/2" so the copper wouldn't slide in. I used a 1/2" drill bit to open it up ever so slightly.

If you've got 3/8" OD copper, it's going to fit very sloppy inside a 5/8" barb (if they're anything like the ones I had). I know they make garden hose male/females that are meant for 1/2" ID hose and that would probably be closer to the size you need even though you might have to drill out with a 3/8" bit.

Make sense or no?
Click to expand...



yes, very much. thanks.
 
this:
copperfitting-reducing-coupling.jpg


with this:

copperfitting-female-adapter.jpg


then this:
resize


Solder the copper fittings, then put some thread tape on the hosebarb.

B
 

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