Heatstick...no leaks, no glue, repairable - DONE!!

[chezhed]

I have completed a 1500 watt heat stick that does not leak and uses no JB weld or epoxy or glue and is cheap and can be disasembled for element replacement. It's really no different than most cheap builds except for the gasket and sealing method and the PVC attachment to the waste line piece.

A guy at Home Depot steered me to a packaged collar nut with a different gasket; flat that fits perfectly around the terminal block of the heating element. So the gasket sits extremely tight in the waste line piece and the element is then pressed against the gasket and secured with the lock nut. I used a pipe wrench to tighten it. I immersed it in water for 3 days without leaks, took it apart, re-immersed it for a couple more days and then last night heated about 4 gallons of water without leaks. I was going to put the HD part number for the collar nut/gasket but SWMBO cleaned up and threw out the package. I plan to build another one and will definitely get more pics as I do...but this one has been assembled and re-assembled three times so that could be the life of the gasket...don't know and not going to find out.

 

[doc5md]

I'll be the first one here to post that we'd like pictures!

 

[djt17]

Yes, pictures...or it didn't happen.

 

[EZCyclone]

Agreed pics or it didn't happen.

 

[chezhed]

Pics will come...actually took some last night I thought but for some reason they aren't there.....must have picked up SWMBO's phone (we have the same ones). But like I said I will be assembling another one and show detail. Can't find the little package image of the washer and collar nut but here is how I connect the tailpiece to PVC

I attach the ground to the worm screw let it wind right in. This way the "apparatus" can be taken apart and enough wire supplied to work with at the other end.

 

[RJSkypala]

I am also extremely interested in this part. My heatstick crapped out on me after about 4 years, and I am wondering what design improvements have come about since I last built mine.

 

[chezhed]

Found the washer/collar nut....it worked on the element I used...success could vary by element terminal block I suppose. it's acutally a 1-1/2 nut and a 1-1/4 washer for coupling the two different sizes.

Home Depot SKU 316601

 

[opusx11]

There is also another thread for a no silicone/jbweld heatstick build: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/all-stainless-heatstick-design-379729/

 

[chezhed]

There is also another thread for a no silicone/jbweld heatstick build: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/all-stainless-heatstick-design-379729/

At $150 it ought to do more than heat...not knocking the device as it does work but that's a lot of money in my mind for something that can be done for less just as well.

Here are pics and it was under $30 excluding cord.....will get a pic of connection tonight

fittings above - about $7
chrome 12" waste arm - $7
heating element - $9
pvc pipe cap - $2 (not really but rounded way up)
scrap pc 1-1/2" pvc pipe - $0
PVC p-trap for hanging over pot - $3

I had a 14ga extension cord to use.....add about $1.40 per foot of cord. I still plan to make a GFCI switch box so the cost will go up but that is completely optional. And I have some of the JB Weld putty that I will put on the terminal connections just because I can....and if the element goes bad, the terminal connections are junk anyway...just cut the wires, restrip and voila.

 

[chezhed]

The gasket shown. This is the gasket for reducing from 1-1/2 to 1-1/4. The element also had a gasket on it in fornt of the threads but I had to remove it because there simply weren't enough threads on the waste piece to get the collar nut started easily. It's a real push to get the collar nut to the piece.
I think the major difference is that I have sealed in the pipe instead of sealing the element to the nut and the nut to the pipe.

I just took this apart again and retested with success

 

[chezhed]

And here's the pic of the grounding wire, which I plan to bring thru a hole in the p-trap section.

 

[RJSkypala]

Alright, I've followed your design exactly, its all wired up.

I cannot for the life of me get the nut on!

Any advice from someone who has struggled with this?

 

[wilserbrewer]

And here's the pic of the grounding wire, which I plan to bring thru a hole in the p-trap section.

Your ground looks to insulated from the chrome pipe and the element base?

You want the chrome extension tube and the element grounded IMHO.

 

[RJSkypala]

Does the gasket go inside the waste pipe or outside and against it?

And do you use the nut that came with the pipe or the one that came with the washer?

I have been trying this all day with no success....

 

[chezhed]

The gasket kind of sits inside the waste pipe. It gets deformed to a conical shape in there. It really takes some careful pressure to get the nut started on the pipe. The nuts are the same so I don't see any difference.

Make sure you have removed any other gasket/ring that may be on the heating element....that prevented me from getting the nut started.

As for the ground, you are right, that is not a good ground and and I am going to change it.

 

[RJSkypala]

The gasket kind of sits inside the waste pipe. It gets deformed to a conical shape in there. It really takes some careful pressure to get the nut started on the pipe. The nuts are the same so I don't see any difference.

So what you mean is that you put the gasket partially inside before trying to start the nut? The gasket becomes kind of oblong for me by the terminal block pushing two ends of it out.

Sorry for all the questions, but I am excited to figure this out and get it done and also frustrated at myself because I am seemingly missing something here.

 

[chezhed]

My heating element terminal block is square so the gasket sits around it .... square peg in a round hole. Looks like this one....and notice the black rubber gasket on the other side which is where the element would normally seat in a tank....that one has to be removed to enable the nut to engage.

 

[RJSkypala]

Alright, I started school and had no time to mess with this for a couple months.

I finally got it, what I did was sand the thickness of the gasket down slightly on a piece of sandpaper. Still goes on tight but much easier.

Also I mounted the ground wire to the pipe by drilling a small hole towards the top and slipping it through, pressing it tight with the rubber coupler that joins the pipe to the PVC. With the hose clamps tightened down I sincerely doubt there is any chance of it moving.

Thanks for the instructions and troubleshooting help!

 

[chezhed]

Glad to hear it...I revised my grounding. I used a push on grounding terminal that is for sheet metal and it works well on the top of the pipe. I think they are made by ITT Fastex....not sure.

Mine works great...hope yours does

 

[ross_daly]

I just wanted to check on how it's working. Did that gasket hold up in the long run? I love this idea, and I'm really hoping it's still working beautifully for you!