Keg washer with 15mm pipe?

[gingerneil]

Looking at building a keg washer using a 400w pump I have handy. Many guides seem to use 22mm pipe, but the cost of the bits in screwfix etc is significantly higher. Would 15mm make that much difference? I'm even thinking that the water pressure will be higher through the narrower pipe, so maybe better than 22mm rather than being a compromise?!
I have a rotary 1/2" bsp spray ball coming from amazon for the main spray head, and will also have a 3/8 John Guest line connected for a couple of disconnects to put on keg posts.
Any tips for those who have done those before? I'll likely do a little 'how to' post as I stumble my way through!

 

[Mash Monster]

Hi I’m no expert and am expecting to be shot down in flames by those in the know. But something in the back of my mind says that 1 meter of 22mm pipe will hold more than twice the amount of water than 1 meter of 15mm pipe and bearing in mind you will get less frictional losses in 22mm pipe you will get a greater flow rate with 22m than 15mm hence the reason why kitchen taps and hand basins are 15mm and a bath is 22mm in the UK. How that equates to using a pump as opposed to gravity is above my pay grade
BTW I have a KK washer and that uses 22/25 mm pipe

 

[MashBag]

It will be fine. Are you putting a cip head on it?

 

[LeeH]

15mm works fine, that’s what I used with a fixed CIP ball.

400w is BIG for a keg washer.

 

[MashBag]

Yeah I thought that. Might be worth strapping a satellite to the keg

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Just to say for your plan of tubing.
Double the radius of the tube and the flow rate will increase by 16 times, ie proportional to the 4th power.
So a 2mm diameter tube will have flow 16 X less than a 4 mm diameter one. The radius is only increasing from one to two mm.
This applies for laminar flow of fluids so water reasonably close.
This is not to say that your 15mm tube won't be sufficient.

 

[gingerneil]

I went with 22mm!
A few photos attached, but seems to work well. The spinning head seems a little reluctant to spin now and then - likely down to crud stuck in the jet holes. Chemsan foamed to the point where there wasn't enough liquid for the pump after about 5 mins!
Did a round with oxy cleaner for about 10 mins in both the All Rounder and keg, then a minute or two of chemsan. Both came up looking great. I needed to briefly wipe the inside of the All Rounder to dislodge some stubborn krausen.
Awaiting a 1/2" BSP to 3/8" John Guest fitting. Once that arrives I'll add in the tee piece and disconnects for the keg posts.
Pretty happy with it! Probably not much benefit over a good wipe down manually, but where's the fun in that!

This is the pump: Kingfisher DIYPUMP 400 W Submersible Dirty Water Pump - Green Amazon.co.uk

Spinning head: 1/2" Stainless Rotary Spray Cleaning Ball Female Thread Sanitary for CIP Tank Cleaning(360º Rotary) https://amzn.eu/d/3zeGV5b
Probably paid way too much for this! Could easily use an end cap with holes drilled in it. But I wanted spinning!

Other bits - hozelock to 3/4" bsp (B&Q), M-M 1/2" bsp adapter (lying around!), M 3/4" to F 1/2" bsp adapters (lying around), 2x 22mm speedfit to 3/4" bsp F (B&Q), 22mm pipe (screwfix, 2m - but needed only about 40cm!)

Not used yet - 22/15/22 tee (screwfix), 15mm to 1/2" bsp (screwfix), 1/2" bsp to 3/8" pushfit for beer line to disconnects (ebay - hard to find!).

 

[MashBag]

Result. Nice one.

 

[gavp1979]

Looks good and I do like a good DIY project but do you find any benefit to using a keg cleaner? I tend to just half full mine with chemclean and then turn upside down after a while, after a rinse with the shower it seems clean. I am however always open to learning benefits of other methods (and an excuse to make something )

 

[Mash Monster]

Looks good and I do like a good DIY project but do you find any benefit to using a keg cleaner? I tend to just half full mine with chemclean and then turn upside down after a while, after a rinse with the shower it seems clean. I am however always open to learning benefits of other methods (and an excuse to make something )

For me it saves the time in dismantling the posts and dip tubes every time as it blasts water / cleaner through them via the disconnects on the pump

 

[LeeH]

I built one but do not use it now. Find it quicker to 1/4 fill with TRF and squirt some gas in to clean the posts.

Rinse out with star san.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I used to just run cleaner through the disconnect posts and then rinse them through; but at some point I had to take one off and then I realised they were pretty gunky inside.
It’s easy to take them off and chuck them in a bucket of cleaner, with the added advantage that the dip tube then just slides out which makes it easier to clean the keg.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I use warm PBW, not hot then rinse out with water warm and then starsan before use.
Starsan is a sanitiser, so clean first then sanitise.
Regarding tube diameter.
Flow is proportional to the 4th power of the radius.
So if you double the radius of the tube you will increase flow by 16 times.

 

[dcbrookes]

Looks good and I do like a good DIY project but do you find any benefit to using a keg cleaner?

The biggest advantage is that a keg cleaner uses much less water and oxy soluntion - mine needs 7 litres: it would be less if I changed to a smaller bucket.