bargainfittings.com cam locks disappointment

[weirdboy]

I don't have camlocks because I did my research on them, and saw MANY threads discussing them. I have no desire to grind threads and what not to achieve "acceptable" flow rates. Many people use them because their "cheap" for stainless, I choose not to. Not that hard to make an informed decision before buying.

So, what do you use with your 1/2" tubing?

I ask because pretty much any setup that goes from 1/2" silicone (or whatever) tubing to NPT fittings is going to have hose barbs that restrict the flow. I can't figure out why everyone is up in arms over this as it's a consistent, known issue for ANY system. If you really want higher flow rate there's no sense in using 1/2" ID tubing at all.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

I ran into the exact same mishap when I purchased some barbed tri-clovers from Derrin at www.brewershardware.com. When I contacted him, he was very understanding and allowed me to swap to 3/4" barbed with 1/2" inner tri-clovers. It seems the best place to start is communicating the confusion to the vendor and asking the vendor your options. It's a pleasure to do business with vendors who are reasonable and customer-focused, like Derrin.

If there is a problem with an order and it's not communicated to the vendor, it seems unreasonable to think the problem is anything but your own.

Good luck!

 

[wildwest450]

So, what do you use with your 1/2" tubing?

I ask because pretty much any setup that goes from 1/2" silicone (or whatever) tubing to NPT fittings is going to have hose barbs that restrict the flow.

You're 100% right. I don't care about flow, I don't whirlpool. I use brass qd's for now, until I can afford stainless ones. They have more than enough flow for my setup.

 

[Homercidal]

So what's my best option when I go with a pump? I can drill/lathe whatever at the shop to make them the best. I've been shopping a bit, but a bit confused over the options. Speed is not a huge deal to me, just want to make sure the pump works with as little trouble as possible.

 

[wildwest450]

So what's my best option when I go with a pump? I can drill/lathe whatever at the shop to make them the best. I've been shopping a bit, but a bit confused over the options. Speed is not a huge deal to me, just want to make sure the pump works with as little trouble as possible.

I have no problems with march, there is a small learning curve, then it's off to the races. I also have a small Gorman Rupp pump I recirc my hlt with, it's awesome as well. Basically, any magnetic drive pump with the proper heat range.

 

[Bobby_M]

With a lathe, you can use a type B and just turn the threads down until you're flat. It turns it into a high flow barb that easily accommodates 1/2" ID silicone tubing. If you want an elbow, use a type A with a street L on it. You can turn the street L's threads down into a barb also.

 

[BendBrewer]

With a lathe, you can use a type B and just turn the threads down until you're flat. It turns it into a high flow barb that easily accommodates 1/2" ID silicone tubing. If you want an elbow, use a type A with a street L on it. You can turn the street L's threads down into a barb also.

Do you mean A or D when using the Street L? Isn't A a Male fitting?

 

[tasq]

OP: You should have done better research. There are a few threads on these loaded with info.

I have mine setup the way Bobby M does with the street elbows and they work great.

Don't blame the product because you didn't read up enough before making your purchase.

 

[Bobby_M]

Do you mean A or D when using the Street L? Isn't A a Male fitting?

The male threads of a type A thread into the female side of the street L, then you put your tubing on the male threads of the street.

Doh!!! edit edit... I meant type B.

 

[BendBrewer]

So you are connecting your elbow to one of these and then the hose to the theads of the elbow? I thought your video showed you using a Female Cam Lock with the Cams to connect to the elbow? Am I a video or two behind again?

 

[Flomaster]

So you are connecting your elbow to one of these and then the hose to the theads of the elbow? I thought your video showed you using a Female Cam Lock with the Cams to connect to the elbow? Am I a video or two behind again?

-=Jason=-

 

[BendBrewer]

Right.

http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/Type-A-Adapter-Stainless-Steel_P356C68.cfm

That doesn't look like the Type A fitting to me that is attached to the Elbow. What am I missing? Is there a Type A Male and Type A Female?

 

[BendBrewer]

Putting the Male fitting on the hose might be an option to consider. Look at the hole in that barb.

 

[BendBrewer]

Doesn't that look like what Bobby has connected to the Elbow? That's a Type B.

 

[jeffmeh]

Doesn't that look like what Bobby has connected to the Elbow? That's a Type B.

I believe that is one way to do it. (f) Type B (m) <-> (f) street elbow (m) <-> hose. The Type B female end will mate to a Type A if you want it to terminate with a female NPT, or Type F if you want it to terminate with a male NPT.

 

[BendBrewer]

Yeah, that is what I am thinking, but I normally take Bobby's advice to the T when doing something he suggests. That why when he said:

Nope, type A. The male threads of a type A thread into the female side of the street L, then you put your tubing on the male threads of the street.

I couldn't make any sense of it. I still have to assume that he meant to say Type B not Type A. There isn't a Type A featured in the picture supplied by Jason, but I am pretty damn sure that is how Bobby has explained it to be built. I have already jumped the gun and got the Female types with the barb. I don't want to buy these a third time.

 

[wildwest450]

Putting the Male fitting on the hose might be an option to consider. Look at the hole in that barb.

Why aren't more people using this? Is the hose barb smaller than it looks? The camlock would be on the kettle, but it seems it would lend itself to an easier one hand operation, as the weight of the kettle would halp steady things? Am I nuts?


_

 

[weirdboy]

I think my personal reason would be because it seems like there's a lot of potential for burning my fingers on the side of the kettle when I'm screwing around with the wings.

 

[jeffmeh]

Yeah, that is what I am thinking, but I normally take Bobby's advice to the T when doing something he suggests. That why when he said:

"Nope, type A. The male threads of a type A thread into the female side of the street L, then you put your tubing on the male threads of the street. "

I couldn't make any sense of it. I still have to assume that he meant to say Type B not Type A. There isn't a Type A featured in the picture supplied by Jason, but I am pretty damn sure that is how Bobby has explained it to be built. I have already jumped the gun and got the Female types with the barb. I don't want to buy these a third time.

I don't get it. On http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=142, the Type A is a male camlock x female npt. There are no male threads on the Type A for the female side of the street L.

http://proflowdynamics24.reachlocal.net/cam-and-groove-couplings.html shows the same part for Type A.

BobbyM, do you have your parts mixed up?

 

[Flomaster]

partB is what goes on the street 90 OR part F depending on how you set up your system.

PartA would go on your pump since it has MIP threads.

-=Jason=-

 

[jeffmeh]

partB is what goes on the street 90 OR part F depending on how you set up your system.

PartA would go on your pump since it has MIP threads.

-=Jason=-

I agree that B goes on the street elbow. PartA is a male cam/groove x female NPT, so would go on a pump that has male threads. PartF is a male cam/groove x male NPT, so would go on a pump that has female threads.

 

[bruin_ale]

Putting the Male fitting on the hose might be an option to consider. Look at the hole in that barb.

Are you sure that's a 1/2" barb? That looks eerily like the 5/8" barb there. Take a look at the Style E picture on bargainfittings website. That's the 1/2" male barbed connector and it doesn't look anything like the picture you posted.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, I was doing it from memory and screwed it all up. TYPE B. Every time I talk about these damn things to someone in person I mix up the letters also. Type B to Street L, just like Flomaster's picture. My bad.

Does anyone actually have a Type E? The picture makes it look like the ID of the barb is like 5/8" but I doubt it's like that in reality.

 

[Flomaster]

Yes, I was doing it from memory and screwed it all up. TYPE B. Every time I talk about these damn things to someone in person I mix up the letters also. Type B to Street L, just like Flomaster's picture. My bad.

Does anyone actually have a Type E? The picture makes it look like the ID of the barb is like 5/8" but I doubt it's like that in reality.

didn't some one in the OG SS camlock thread buy one and use a fancy measuring device to compare the two?

-=jason=-

 

[bbognerks]

For those that don't want to grind street elbows and the like, you could always use these barbs
http://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-Threaded-Hose-Barb-TFB58.html

 

[Flomaster]

For those that don't want to grind street elbows and the like, you could always use these barbs
http://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-Threaded-Hose-Barb-TFB58.html

OR just thread the 90, Hex nipple, or MIP camlock into the silicone tubing.

I have one brew under my belt, several hot testing / cleaning sessions and i don't have ANY leaks at all and I threaded the 90 into the silicone tubing.


-=jason=-

 

[bruin_ale]

For those that don't want to grind street elbows and the like, you could always use these barbs
http://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-Threaded-Hose-Barb-TFB58.html

Those are pretty sweet, but $10 each?

 

[SankePankey]

Does anyone actually have a Type E? The picture makes it look like the ID of the barb is like 5/8" but I doubt it's like that in reality.

I think the pictures the use on the pro-flow site are of a larger version, like the 3/4" or the 1" or something. It's definitely not the 1/2" that is pictured. IMO.

 

[jeffmeh]

Yes, I was doing it from memory and screwed it all up. TYPE B. Every time I talk about these damn things to someone in person I mix up the letters also. Type B to Street L, just like Flomaster's picture. My bad.

Does anyone actually have a Type E? The picture makes it look like the ID of the barb is like 5/8" but I doubt it's like that in reality.

No worries Bobby.

From your videos it appears you really recommend the street elbow to keep the hose from kinking, so even if the Type E barb has full flow it could be moot.

 

[Flomaster]

I think the pictures the use on the pro-flow site are of a larger version, like the 3/4" or the 1" or something. It's definitely not the 1/2" that is pictured. IMO.

exactly I seem to recall some one buying the E fitting, and the ID of the barb was much smaller than appeared to be.

-=Jason=-

 

[Homercidal]

With a lathe, you can use a type B and just turn the threads down until you're flat. It turns it into a high flow barb that easily accommodates 1/2" ID silicone tubing. If you want an elbow, use a type A with a street L on it. You can turn the street L's threads down into a barb also.

Ok, I understand after all is said and done. I can easily lathe down the threads and make a nice connector for the silicone.

 

[bbognerks]

OR just thread the 90, Hex nipple, or MIP camlock into the silicone tubing.

I have one brew under my belt, several hot testing / cleaning sessions and i don't have ANY leaks at all and I threaded the 90 into the silicone tubing.

Those are pretty sweet, but $10 each?

Well, if you are the type that doesn't want to kludge it together and want it to be as close to perfect as possible, then the full bore barbs are the best option. As with anything, throw enough money at it and you get what you want. It still comes out cheaper than what Kal used, heh

I too went with the street 90 with hose threaded on instead of grinding them. Tight fit, no leaks. I actually like this better so I don't have to put clamps on them.

 

[BendBrewer]

Yeah, the 1/2" E style on Bargin Fittings site looks like it is back to square one if going the barb route. Sorry for the misleading picture above.

 

[gunner65]

Yeah, the 1/2" E style on Bargin Fittings site looks like it is back to square one if going the barb route. Sorry for the misleading picture above.

This is the ones I use and I still have to close the valve half way in order to get a flow rate that doesnt slosh liquid. I see no issue with them. YMMV

 

[Budzu]

Those are pretty sweet, but $10 each?

I bought a bunch of those (high-flow 1/2" barbs from brewershardware.com) to use with camlocks. It does make a dramatic difference in flow (over the camlock barbs), even with the march 809. I tried them all side by side. The camlock barbs ARE causing alot of flow restriction. With the bigger march nano pump they are even more helpful. Very glad I bought them, but yeah they are a bit expensive..
BTW the high-flow barbs are merely 1/2" threads and 5/8" barb. They are very highly polished stainless as well (unlike most stainless fittings you buy). I've not been able to find that fitting in stainless from another source. But you can buy 1/2"x5/8" barbs in brass from cheap local big box stores.

 

[Bobby_M]

The only reason I don't like putting the hose over threads is that it is stretched pretty far and the first thread provides a pretty sharp knife edge. If you stepped on the hose the right way while in operation, you could cut the tubing. I've also noticed that the interior of the silicone tubing gets all cut up. It may not be a problem, but grinding the threads off takes the sharp edges away and reduces the OD from .83" to about .7". The tubing still fits tight and doesn't require a clamp, but it's a little more comfortable.

 

[BendBrewer]

I found this out there which has better product descriptions and actual specs and dimensions.

http://www.chemray.com/industrial_products/pdf/flow_lock.pdf

The diameter of the E fitting looks a little deceiving though. Dimension A reads 13 mm but it also looks tapered. I doubt that the wall of the barb is 1 mm thick at the end.

 

[SankePankey]

. The tubing still fits tight and doesn't require a clamp

...which is pretty cool. The only place I really care to have high flow quick disconnects in this configuration you came up with is in wort chilling... where I'd want to disassemble my tubing every brew for sanitary reasons. Having a quick disconnect that fits without a clamp (and on tubing where you wouldn't want to have any pressure buildup anyways to necessitate a clamp) is actually usefully convenient.

 

[tch1980]

For the money I'm very happy with these fittings. I had some sputtering issues too and it was caused by too hot of water coming through the tubing. My thermometer was off and caused cavatation in the pump head.

 

[ekjohns]

so what is the general consensus about these. I am getting ready to buy a bunch for my pump and confused on what it better, a Type B and just thread the hose over the threading or Type C with the hose barb. Mostly just going to use the pump to move liquid between pots so I dont have to do any heavy lifting. Might start wirlpooling in the future. I want to be able to disassemble everything for storage as well. I like to keep everything safe so I will use hose clamps on everything.