HLT sizing.

[bsfixit]

Sorry you had such a big problem with them . If they are that bad when they arrive I will just send them back and order from the link you supplied
Thank you for the heads up .
Brett

[bsfixit]

the stainless steel half couplings arrived today . they thread on the elements one way just fine but not turned around.. They should work great though.
Brett

[mpilchuk]

These are the ones you'll thread on the elements and use the half coupler and element with heat gaskets to weld-lessly attach right?

[bsfixit]

RIght , they are round couplers much like the SS ones used in weldless fittings sold by northerbrewer.com and other beer supply stores. Except they are much wider to fit the standard water heater element. there is a small gasket that came with the water heater and I just screwed this coupling on to the heater from inside the HLT . I will try to take a picture later today of what I have done so far with them . I lost my hole saw to put a spigot into this HLT..looking for it... and need to run 2 separate 20 amp lines to the brew area and these will power the two 2kw heater elements I have.

[bsfixit]

I got the HLT up and running.. some very small drips from the o rings on the heater elements, but I am not worried about it as long as its not a shock risk. I got 5 gallons of water to a roiling boil in about 20 minutes.
After a bit more time I will see if it can be used as a herms or just as a HLT. pictures:
pictures : http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/k2 ... directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Vo ... directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MX ... directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YB ... directlink

[mpilchuk]

I got the HLT up and running.. some very small drips from the o rings on the heater elements, but I am not worried about it as long as its not a shock risk. I got 5 gallons of water to a roiling boil in about 20 minutes.
After a bit more time I will see if it can be used as a herms or just as a HLT. pictures:

Looks like you are getting there. It was interesting to see your fittings inside the kettle. You have two types of methods to mount, the more beer.com half coupler and the stainless 1 inch nut. Either one easier or better in your experience?

[bsfixit]

actually the nut you see is a 1/2" NPT weld less thermometer fitting. It was my old boiling kettle, I resurrected it for my HLT. It seems to be easily able to heat 8 gallons of water.
the 2 elements come at each other at a 90 deg. angle. It looks like they are touching but they are not. the smaller long coupler is the spigot. I installed the temp 0 probe just now and will connect the pump and hoses tomorrow before the big game and try the PID. I will also see if it can transfer enough heat through a coil to another liquid, after I get the PID working.

[bsfixit]

I have the BCS working great, but ran into another problem . Apparently the elements rust while the water( softened) sits overnight
in the HLT. In another forum a fellow brewer provided a link that stated Aluminum or Magnesium suspended in the water, connected to the SS kettle
will prevent rust from forming on the element. Before I run down to the boat/marine store to find an anode. I have a small piece of Magnesium.
the diameter is about 1/4 inch and the piece I could cut off would be about 1/2 inch. I wonder if that is large enough. Has anyone found a good solution to this
problem???
TIA