Quick Counterflow Build Help

[butterblum]

Hey all, I just bought a rubber hose to convert my immersion chiller into a counterflow chiller. I was looking for a few pieces of information:
1) Do I need special high-temp tubing to go from my kettle to the chiller inlet?
2) I don't have a pump, so what's the best way to sanitize?
3) I live in Ohio, so I can't use my outdoor hose for many months out of the year. Do I have enough head pressure at my kitchen faucet to feed a 5/8 I'd chiller that sits below counter top level? Should I increase my tubing diameter? Do I have enough head pressure to feed a cooling coil before it reaches the chiller (for the summer months)?
4) Is the Thrumometer the easiest way to grab wort temps? I would love something more robust and permanent, but it seems to be hard to find a good dial thermometer and rig it up without quite a few fittings.
5) How hard is it to uncoil the copper to slide it through the rubber hose?
6) Where is the best place to dump your chilled water? The sink?
Thanks

 

[BeardedBrews]

I think the first question is why are you switching to cfc?

Assuming you do the project:

1. Yes, most use 1/2 id silicone
2. Clean with Oxyclean, rinse thoroughly, run a quart of starsan through
3. Hook the hose you bought up to the faucet, coil most of it on the floor, turn on the faucet, and see how high you can raise the outlet before the water stops. Short answer, probably ok, but not ideal.
4. You could use your hand to hold a kitchen thermometer where the wort is coming out...
5. Difficult to do without kinking... work very slowly
6. While it is coming out hottest, save five gallons for clean up in a bucket or cooler. After that, put it in the garden, wash he car, or whatever, sink is fine.

 

[butterblum]

I think the first question is why are you switching to cfc?

I am switching for greater cooling efficiency and quite honestly, I think i can build a better and more polished CFC than I can an immersion chiller. I am not setup to whirlpool, so I don't really see any advantage in continuing to wait and wait and wait and stir for my immersion chiller to drop the temp.