Pigtail Heating Elements

[periolus]

Hi!

Okay - I am going to be a real t**t now and confess that I am potentially backing out of my plan of a gas-fired boiler to go electric instead. My problem had always been a 20A ring in the garage, but I can still support 4.4kW with that with a bit of headroom - SO my question is, are there any 2, 2.1 or 2.2kW pigtail elements out there? The ones most people use are 3kW, and I will use one of those for my HLT.

Ho-hum. Pigtails look so nice and so much more friendly to fit than most kettle elements, but I don't really want a 6kW boiler!! And couldn't anyway. Unless I get a rewire in the garage to support my potential rig

 

[will_raymo2000]

Hi!

Okay - I am going to be a real t**t now and confess that I am potentially backing out of my plan of a gas-fired boiler to go electric instead. My problem had always been a 20A ring in the garage, but I can still support 4.4kW with that with a bit of headroom - SO my question is, are there any 2, 2.1 or 2.2kW pigtail elements out there? The ones most people use are 3kW, and I will use one of those for my HLT.

Ho-hum. Pigtails look so nice and so much more friendly to fit than most kettle elements, but I don't really want a 6kW boiler!! And couldn't anyway. Unless I get a rewire in the garage to support my potential rig

I have seen people wiring them in series, so each element gets 110/120V, and hence half the 3kW max. That'd only total 3kW still but might be better from a watt density point of view - less chance of scorching the wort.

The only downside to that plan is that 2 25quid elements is rather more expensive than other alternatives to then run them at half power. However you would then have the capacity to upgrade should you decide on a bigger brewery or faster boils in the future...

Just an idea!

 

[Wendy1971]

Try looking here
http://www.heatingelementcompany.co.uk/default.asp

 

[Springer]

I wouldn't worry about changing tactics, I constructed a bottom pocketed outlet in my boiler suitable for gas, before going down the electric route, 2 X 3 kw. immersion heaters
Toolstation do 2 1/4 bsp flanges, immersion heater size for a couple of quid, which might be suitable for mounting immersion heaters available for about a tenner. :hmm:
I also messed about recently trying to seal one of those kettle elements into my copper heat exchanger, eventually giving up and getting a proper element from Backer, much more expensive, but hey, a proper job and only two 13 mm holes to drill and nice meaty washers and nuts
Have you actually priced up getting your electrics up graded, might not be as bad as you think
S
Edit Wendy's post popped up while I was messing about, not sure if there is anything there to solve your problem as posed. :?

 

[periolus]

Just out of interest, how long are these pigtail elements? I am trying to work out how much space I will have in my HLT for my ball valve, manifold and sightglass/thermometer. It could get crowded in there!

 

[Springer]

Well if we are talking about one of these like the ones I bought it measures 125mm, from the "top of the nuts to the end" , :? :) if you see what I mean. :lol:
Very pleased with them, nice big copper sealing washers, built to do some work for a long time I hope
S

 

[periolus]

That's a length to be happy with! And it's curly too - some people would pay good money for that! :rofl:

That's grand. I am trying to work out how much room I have inside now for the other gubbins. The probe on the thermometer is 4", and I have a manifold (albeit small) to make to help draw the water out.

Happy days!

 

[periolus]

On this basis, is it well over the top to have two of these 3kW elements and have a 6kW boiler based on a 70L stainless pot? I am guessing that I could get the thing going with both and then drop to 1 close to the boil, or alternate or something. I am just worried about having too much whoomph in there! A 6kW rig would also warrant a rewire of the garage.

I am SURE that somewhere I have seen 2.2kW, or 2.4kW elements of this design. It's driving me nuts now!

 

[Springer]

Thats what I did, in my 90 litre boiler, 2 X3kw immersions, about £9 each at the time. They are mounted into a BES socket which was cut into three bits, want to buy the leftover? :lol:
Also with two elements you are not in the do doos if/when one fails. 90 litres of warm beer is a problem. :lol: I use both to get up to speed and then drop down to one.
Even using one 3 kw you still need to make sure that all your wiring is to current rules, 2.2 kw seem to be the norm now. Each of my immersions are wired separate to an isolator switch. I had to stagger the height to stop them touching at the other end.
S

 

[jokeyjon]

Sorting out the heating element for the HLT is the last thing standing between me and a working brewery (ignoring the not inconsequential job of actually bolting it all together :whistle: ....

I think the pigtail element looks like the best option, but have a couple of questions. The HLT is a plastic HDPE one from Minibrew which has a threaded 1" hole for the element, but that is the wrong size for anything we can get in the UK and all the US stuff is 110v. Anyhoo, I am happy drilling the HDPE to accommodate the pigtails, but I wondered if there was a danger of the plastic melting where the element meets the body of the vessel. I could put a cork washer in to protect it a little, but I wonder if it is actually heated all the way down the nuts, so to speak. If the hot bits start a cm or so from th nut, then it should be OK.

Second (probably dumb) question is how do you attach the wiring to the elements? It looks from pics like you would solder heavy duty wiring to the back end of each element, but I assume that you would have to make some sort of enclosure to protect against shock and dropping water onto it.

 

[periolus]

You need to make a project box housing for each element which will 'weather proof' it and contain the wiring on the outside. I only know this because I was planning on using these elements in my build, but have now changed my mind.

I will send details I received form another member on how to do this (also posted on the forum somewhere).

Sorry, I would be more specific but I have just come back from a local beer festival and am typing like a llama, and can't remember where any of my archived pages are. God bless good beer.

Will come back to you tomorrow.

Hey, I'll share a joke with you.

A man and his son are at home when there's a knock at the door.
"Dad! Dad! There's a man at the door with a bill!"
"Impossible, son! It must be a duck with a coat on!"

I'm here all week! (Trombone sounds all round)

One more? Alright, if you insist. What's yellow and flickers? A faulty lemon!

I need to go to bed. :?

 

[jokeyjon]

thanks periolus.

Seems rude not to reply in kind.

Just hired an Eastern European cleaner.
It took her five hours to Hoover the house.

Turns out she was a Slovak.

I thank you......

 

[periolus]

HA! HA! That's a corker. Hell, I didn't even know until I just logged in that I had even posted that last night!

Oh well - I did have a good time!

 

[jokeyjon]

OK, I found Aleman's excellent femtocopper how-to and I can see what I need to do in order to attach the wiring and then waterproof the housing. Thank you Aleman.

I went ahead and ordered the pigtail element and am hoping that it doesn't heat all the way down to the nuts as I am a little worried about my HDPE HLT melting :pray: Still, it won't be heating for as long as the copper, which is stainless steel sitting on gas. So much easier.

I saw the link to this http://www.amazon.com/Camco-5500W-Eleme ... pd_cp_hi_1 from the electric brewery page. The HLT I have is actually threaded for this (and I will be in the US next week and could pick it up from there), but the 23A draw makes it impractical for our shed-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden brewery as we don't have a domestic ring of that amperage and the cable reels rated to 30A are HUGE (if we paid to have a 30A spur). Ho-hum, pigtails it is.

I am also in Aus a couple of times each year (going again in October), so if anyone wants some Mashmaster stuff, just let me know. I might have a spare Chillout plate heater exchanger going if anyone is interested and possible a thermometer; will let you know once I have finished the build.

cheers all