Plastic eHLT Failure

[Spintab]

So I figured I would be clever a while back and throw an electric heating element in the side of my bottling bucket and double it's purpose to include heating mash and sparge water. I took a 1.25"-1" pvc bushing and a pvc locknut on the inside and jb water welded it in place on the outside. Say what you will about hot water in plastic and jb water weld, that's not the issue here. I used this setup for a while, maybe 8 or 9 batches without issue. Worked great, no off flavors or anything. This weekend I was brewing and I noticed there was a leak at the element. I figured "oh the seal got warm and loosened up" and I cranked it in a little further. About a turn around the threads slipped and the leak got too large for comfort. Luckily I was able to get it seated in the threads again and my sparge was nearly finished anyway.

Long story short, I'd advise against using a plastic vessel as a HLT. I suppose if the element was connected using a metal locknut and a o-ring, it might be ok. I narrowly avoided several gallons of 180+ water gushing out everywhere and needless to say I hopped on bargainfittings.com and bought up what I needed to convert an old turkey fryer pot to an eHLT.

Just thought I'd share. Pinching pennies may be a great way to cheaply patch something together but dollars = durability.

 

[cwi]

So I figured I would be clever a while back and throw an electric heating element in the side of my bottling bucket and double it's purpose to include heating mash and sparge water. I took a 1.25"-1" pvc bushing and a pvc locknut on the inside and jb water welded it in place on the outside. Say what you will about hot water in plastic and jb water weld, that's not the issue here. I used this setup for a while, maybe 8 or 9 batches without issue. Worked great, no off flavors or anything. This weekend I was brewing and I noticed there was a leak at the element. I figured "oh the seal got warm and loosened up" and I cranked it in a little further. About a turn around the threads slipped and the leak got too large for comfort. Luckily I was able to get it seated in the threads again and my sparge was nearly finished anyway.

Long story short, I'd advise against using a plastic vessel as a HLT. I suppose if the element was connected using a metal locknut and a o-ring, it might be ok. I narrowly avoided several gallons of 180+ water gushing out everywhere and needless to say I hopped on bargainfittings.com and bought up what I needed to convert an old turkey fryer pot to an eHLT.

Just thought I'd share. Pinching pennies may be a great way to cheaply patch something together but dollars = durability.

Wow! I thought you said you thoroughly researched and tested all of your DIY contraptions. Maybe you will remember this when you attempt to build your own E-brewing controls based on your gut instincts. I would add that dollars = durability = safety many times also, as this event almost proved.

 

[Spintab]

Yeah...well live and learn. The electronics work flawlessly. I only intend on replacing the plastic with metal.

 

[Duckfoot]

I had a 100qt Coleman Cooler I was using as an E-HLT... The plastic got too soft and did the same thing...

I replaced it with a Sanke E-HLT...

Good luck with the turkey pot...

 

[ekjohns]

I spilled 180+ water on myself for split second and had severe 2nd degree burns. The girlfriend got me silicone gloves for Xmas and I'm alot more care with hot liquids.

 

[EarthBound]

So I figured I would be clever a while back and throw an electric heating element in the side of my bottling bucket and double it's purpose to include heating mash and sparge water. I took a 1.25"-1" pvc bushing and a pvc locknut on the inside and jb water welded it in place on the outside. Say what you will about hot water in plastic and jb water weld, that's not the issue here. I used this setup for a while, maybe 8 or 9 batches without issue. Worked great, no off flavors or anything. This weekend I was brewing and I noticed there was a leak at the element. I figured "oh the seal got warm and loosened up" and I cranked it in a little further. About a turn around the threads slipped and the leak got too large for comfort. Luckily I was able to get it seated in the threads again and my sparge was nearly finished anyway.

Long story short, I'd advise against using a plastic vessel as a HLT. I suppose if the element was connected using a metal locknut and a o-ring, it might be ok. I narrowly avoided several gallons of 180+ water gushing out everywhere and needless to say I hopped on bargainfittings.com and bought up what I needed to convert an old turkey fryer pot to an eHLT.

Just thought I'd share. Pinching pennies may be a great way to cheaply patch something together but dollars = durability.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Chalk another one up to experience, I guess!

I've seen many plastic eHLTs (e.g., Brute cans, coolers, etc) on this forum that work great, but I've never heard of anyone doing it with a bottling bucket until now. Based upon your experience, I would advise everyone against using a bottling bucket as an eHLT. The plastic of a bucket is much different (thinner and more dense, methinks) than the plastic of all the plastic eHLTs that I've seen, so I think that's what the problem was. I think the other problem was using JB weld. I would think that a weldless bulkhead fitting would work just fine on a Brute can, cooler, etc. What do you think?

 

[Spintab]

Actually the bucket and the JB Weld were pretty solid. The bucket gets a little soft, but nowhere near dangerously soft, and the True Brew buckets are fairly thick. Probably not much thinner than most cooler walls. I wouldn't trust something like 5 gallon Lowes bucket though. They are much thinner.

The failure happened at the threads of the pvc bushing. I'm assuming the plastic softened as the sparge water got up to temp. That and the fact that most bushings are FPT where as the heating element is MPS. Straight thread into a tapered socket. I ordered a 1" locknut and o-ring from bargainfittings that would probably work fine in the bucket, but I just upgraded to a SS kettle from this turkey pot so I have an extra metal pot kickin around anyway.

 

[rug]

I have been using a plastic HLT for awhile without problems. Although I am using an element which is made for installing in a plastic bucket so that might help a little... ;-)

 

[Spintab]

That and the fact that most bushings are FPT where as the heating element is MPS.

Not sure wtf I was typing here. Should be NPT/NPS.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Yeah, PVC will definitely soften at 180F. Plastic eHLTs work fine, just use SS or brass locknuts instead of PVC ones to hold the element. The plastic Brute cans, Vittles Vaults, Ale Pales, etc. are all HDPE, and quite fine at 180F.