Why a ball valve in the HLT on single tier systems?

[coldrice]

Just curious why everyone pays for a ball valve and holes to be drilled when couldn't you just have the pump suck the hot water out of a dip tube through a hole in the lid then distribute it over the mash for sparging? Magnetic pumps don't have to be gravity fed, right?

 

[runningweird]

they don't have to be gravity fed but they( most of them)_ are not self priming so having gravity to prime them helps. Also - a ball valve makes the HLT more versatile - you can use the coil for cooling, heating and the water for sparging. The ball valve with quick disconnect makes this easier.

 

[outside92129]

the magnetic coupled pumps don't self prime... airlocks are a pain and gravity gets things going.

 

[biestie]

No. The pumps are not self priming

 

[coldrice]

Yeah I got my pump confused, thanks.