Vinyl Prechiller?

[Chuck_Swillery]

Thoughts on enough heat exchange to use vinyl tubing to throw together a prechiller? Considerably cheaper than copper but wonder if there is enough efficiency in the exchange to make it worth a try.

Thinking 50' 3/8 tubing coiled into a bucket of ice water and eventually working in a recirculating pump to save water...

 

[nukebrewer]

I don't know about the heat transfer capability of vinyl, but I can say that my 10' copper pre-chiller worked very well in a large mixing bowl of ice water. The copper tubing was only like 8 or 9 bucks at HD so I say springing for the copper is both affordable and worth it. Cheers!

 

[bigjoe]

I picked up 25 ft of 1/2" in copper at my local lowes about a month ago for $22 dollars. I didn't even need it as I already had a chiller, but thought if I go to 10 gallons I can expand the one I have or use it for a pre-chiller.

 

[Mista_Sparkle]

OK, so the vinyl tube is essentially a derivative of PVC which has a thermal conductivity of PVC 0.19 W/(mºC) and copper is 401 W/(mºC) where higher numbers are better and is a linear function of thickness.

Since vinyl tube is about twice as thick as a chunk of copper, Using copper instead of vinyl is about 4200 times better so... don't bother

yeah yeah, there are other factors, but they don't play as large of a role in this case...

edit: Source http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

OK, so the vinyl tube is essentially a derivative of PVC which has a thermal conductivity of PVC 0.19 W/(mºC) and copper is 401 W/(mºC) where higher numbers are better and is a linear function of thickness.

Since vinyl tube is about twice as thick as a chunk of copper, Using copper instead of vinyl is about 4200 times better so... don't bother

yeah yeah, there are other factors, but they don't play as large of a role in this case...

edit: Source http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

I'm convinced. Neat chart - looks like silver is the only one listed that is more conductive than copper but doubt I'll save up my money for a silver wort chiller. LOL

 

[goose_on_fire]

I'm convinced. Neat chart - looks like silver is the only one listed that is more conductive than copper but doubt I'll save up my money for a silver wort chiller. LOL

Diamond is better than silver by an order of magnitude.... talk about serious bling! A diamond-and-silver wort chiller would be supremely pimp. If only I could think of a place to put some spinnaz on it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_thermal_conductivities

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

For what its worth I priced out a 50" coil if 3/8' copper at $50. Add in vinyl tubing and brass for connections I'm still going to come in less than buying a chiller and pre-chiller separately. I have access to a pipe-bender so all is good.