Silicone tubing float

[shushikiary]

Well, I tried normal pipe insulation, but the foam and rubberized foam from lowes/home depot to make a silicone tubing float like what they have on the blichmann auto sparge. Before use I tested it in boiling water just to make sure, both failed miserably at that temperature.

So I shot an email over to blichmann engineering and found out that the little black piece of foam they use on the auto sparge to make the outlet silicone tube float is a silicone foam, also sometimes called silicone sponge, and I want some.

My silicone tubing its self does not float and I want it to to prevent back siphoning while my pumps are off. The thing is, Mcmaster carr is the only place I've found so far that will sell it without requesting a quote, but it's 60 bucks for 6 feet, and that's the shortest they sell it, when I only need maybe 5 inches of the stuff.

So my question is, does anyone have an idea of where I could grab some silicone foam/sponge pipe insulation 3/4 ID by the foot, etc?

thanks!

 

[airbalancer]

I made mine from a stainless float switch ball. It has a 5/8" ID so I got some 1/2" silicone tubing with a 5/8" OD and Da Winning
The ball was $12.30, and the tubing from McMaster.
http://www.naugatuckmfg.com/shop/list.html?perPage=6&IC=7&categ=167&alpha=

 

[itsme6582]

I can't think of a situation where a back siphon would happen. Help me out.

 

[shushikiary]

Well it depends on how the valves are setup, but with the pump off on my setup you can back siphon from the BK to the MLT once the sparge pump is shut off sense you have a direct line out from the bottom of the MLT to the top of the BK. So if your hose is submerged after sparge the volume in the MLT will be less than the volume in the BK usually, and thus you will back siphon from the BK to the MLT if the pump is off unless you have a valve that is closed.

The simple solution is to close a valve to prevent the siphon, but in case I'm an idiot and forget or something it would be nice to just make sure it cant happen.


I like the ball float idea, I'll need 3 of them though, but that's still cheaper than the 6 ft of silicone foam, haha. Problem is I dont seem to see them in .75 inch which is what I'd need

 

[itsme6582]

I see. That could be a problem. What about using loc-line instead of floating some tubing? Or what about keeping the tubing short enough that it won't get to the surface in the BK? Even if the tubing floats, it's still possible the end would be submerged.

 

[shushikiary]

I'd setup the float so it doesnt get submerged like they do with the auto sparge. As long as 1/2 of the tube diameter is above water it wont siphon.

The issue also happens on the HLT to MLT transfer, and I dont have a sparge arm, and dont really need one if I can get this to work, just like the auto sparge again.

I could try line lock but then I'd have to adjust it each brew and the whole point was to not have to do that, haha.

 

[Wheelspin]

I've used loc line for about 2 years now and it really is great BUT the heat eventually gets to it and it gets creaky and frequently dissembles itself.

I'm going to give this silicone hose with float idea a go tomorrow.