How to use the Tesco Value kettle heating element

[loady]

looks like water was tripping it out for sure, have managed to get a boil going without leaking today, 8th time lucky i gues !!!...my local plumbers merchant keeps all sorts of washers and things from valves and traps etc instead of throwing them out, i managed to hotch potch a combo together to get it to seal...great heads up on baking sheet, will be off there tomorrow and going to order a 38mm qmax tomorrow

 

[buffoon]

is there any chance the fermentig bin would melt near where the elements are installed, its just that my fermenting bins look to be made of quite thin plastic (ones a youngs the other ones a ritchies)

 

[bobsbeer]

It won't melt but will get very flexible. The newer fv's from Youngs are fairly thin, so I would avoid them. I know some people have used them but I don't want 30lt of boiling sweet wort all over me and the kitchen if it decided to split. :wha: There are other buckets which are not much more expensive that are thicker and can be used. I have one and it works fine. Although I plan to just use the plastic bin as an HLT and have a stainless steel one now for the boiler.

 

[buffoon]

thankyou!

 

[TRXnMe]

Where about are you? I can let you have a decently thick plastic pot that will hold 50+ litres if you're anywhere near me.

I'm in South Wales and travel to South Yorkshire every month or two.

The pots have bene used for brewing by a few members now and so far no one has told me of any problems with them.

 

[buffoon]

thanks for your kind offer but alas i stay in the orkney isles,a bit far to drop off a plastic bin!

 

[TRXnMe]

thanks for your kind offer but alas i stay in the orkney isles,a bit far to drop off a plastic bin!

Even my world travels don't take me to the Orkneys, although I used to have a mate with family who owned a small farm out there. I've lost touch over the years so can't even drop a pot or three off with them for the next family visit.

Small world really isn't it? :)

 

[tazuk]

i got 57 ltr i think to the top lip the only thing i going to to do is fitt a sight glass as its hard to see though container ill up load new pics over week end :thumb:

Where about are you? I can let you have a decently thick plastic pot that will hold 50+ litres if you're anywhere near me.

I'm in South Wales and travel to South Yorkshire every month or two.

The pots have bene used for brewing by a few members now and so far no one has told me of any problems with them.

 

[Trinips]

A silicone rubber baking mat does the same job, but you get loads of 'washers' out of one mat, Poundland sell them :)

Excellent idea! - i had the same issue with my stainless pot but the baking mat works like a charm with the tesco elements.


Apologies for changing the conversation back to the safety issue but i thought it was worth sharing - As a few people previously mentioned the tesco elements are 2k2W each and running them in parallell can be dangerous, i've found some online for slightly less than the £6 for the Tesco kettles and are 1k5W which in paralell should be ideal for most standard 13A plugs. It won't quite be as fast at boiling as two Tesco ones but in my opinion is the ideal compromise

They are from a Hong Kong retailer so i can't say how reliable the delivery will be but i ordered two and they took about a week to arrive and all was good.

Unfortunately i can't post the URL's with me being a new user but if you search : "Stainless Steel Electric Kettle Element Tube Heater AC 220V 1.5KW" on eBay it should some up as the first item.

 

[Trinips]

Beware the poor quality screws though....i've just had one shear on me ...hope i have a drill bit strong enough to drill it out.

 

[Robbo100]

For those who are having problems with the seals leaking, I have a really cheap and effective solution.

I made 2 doughnut shapes out of the lid from an ice cream tub (with the inner hole being the same size as the hole cut in the boiler bucket, and the outer shape being about 1.5 cm larger), and positioned them within the red rubber seal on the outside of the boiler bucket to thicken the walls of the bucket. It has to be two, because using only 1 doesn't quite make it thick enough!

No glue is required, because the rubber seal holds them both in place (it can be a bit fiddly to get them in position, but once there, they stay). When you then tighten the screws to connect the two sides of the kettle element, they then have a nice snug (and waterproof) fit.

I suggest you do a material check before going into production, by boiling a sample of the ice cream tub plastic in a saucepan to make sure that it doesn't melt (a slight change in shape is acceptable, as long as they return to the same rigidity when they cool down).

I hope this helps.

 

[Belter]

Can you still do this? The tesco website says it doesn't sell them

 

[Robbo100]

I bought mine in late Dec 2012

 

[TRXnMe]

I've found some online for slightly less than the £6 for the Tesco kettles and are 1k5W which in paralell should be ideal for most standard 13A plugs. It won't quite be as fast at boiling as two Tesco ones but in my opinion is the ideal compromise

They are from a Hong Kong retailer so i can't say how reliable the delivery will be but i ordered two and they took about a week to arrive and all was good.

Do they fit the usual 38mm hole? If so I'll order a couple to try out, now Tesco have put the price of the value kettle up these look like they are worth a try :)

 

[Robbo100]

Can you still do this? The tesco website says it doesn't sell them

Are you sure? http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-jk12-value-kettle/379-3813.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=379-3813

 

[Belter]

Can you still do this? The tesco website says it doesn't sell them

Are you sure? http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-jk12-value-kettle/379-3813.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=379-3813

that's a different link to the one in the post and a different model but I assume just the same.

hiw many KW is it?

edit: anyone know the difference between jk2 and jk12

 

[Robbo100]

I am 99% sure that I used the JK12, which is 1.7 KW.

 

[Belter]

ah... I'm going to need larger than that

 

[Cononthebarber]

A silicone rubber baking mat does the same job, but you get loads of 'washers' out of one mat, Poundland sell them :)

Excellent idea! - i had the same issue with my stainless pot but the baking mat works like a charm with the tesco elements.


Apologies for changing the conversation back to the safety issue but i thought it was worth sharing - As a few people previously mentioned the tesco elements are 2k2W each and running them in parallell can be dangerous, i've found some online for slightly less than the £6 for the Tesco kettles and are 1k5W which in paralell should be ideal for most standard 13A plugs. It won't quite be as fast at boiling as two Tesco ones but in my opinion is the ideal compromise

They are from a Hong Kong retailer so i can't say how reliable the delivery will be but i ordered two and they took about a week to arrive and all was good.

Unfortunately i can't post the URL's with me being a new user but if you search : "Stainless Steel Electric Kettle Element Tube Heater AC 220V 1.5KW" on eBay it should some up as the first item.

I like the look of those elements, nice simple design may have to invest in a couple of those :)...unlike my messy boiler! Still it does the job...

 

[tazuk]

you mean these :thumb:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 5899968377