Cooling a Liebig condenser

[JustinBieber]

I created a Liebig Condenser with 1/2 inch couplers for the input and output water pipes, but I'm having a little trouble figuring how to get water in and out of it. I have some 1/2 inch CPVC pipe but I have no idea how to join it to the copper pipe- does the regular PVC glue join the plastic to metal?
Also, I plan on distilling in my kitchen, and the closest faucet is more than 10 feet away from the stove. How would I be able to get a supply of water into the condenser? I was thinking about using garden hose, but I'd also need to find a way to tap into the water supply. Getting rid of the water is not as big of a problem: I can live with using buckets to hold the waste water until later.
Thanks!

[Husker]

You are probably going to need some form of flexible tubing to connect between that CPVC and the copper, then use some form of hose clamp. I am not sure if there is some union fitting, or compression type fitting that would join copper and the pvc. There 'might' be, but I would think it would be likely to leak. Also note, there will be 'some' heat expansion, on the top fitting (where the hot water exits out of). Thus, even if there is some direct from cpvc to copper fitting, it also has to seal over a range of temperatures. Might be easier to simply use flexible tubing slid over the outside of the pipes, and clamped down.

H.

[NcHooch]

Prolly be a good idea to use a reducer to get down to a 3/8 fitting so you can use clear vinyl tubing to and from the sink.
...you might also be able to solder a hose barb adapter directly into the 1/2".
hope that helps

[Washashore]

Lol... Justin Bieber...got a good chuckle out of that

[likkerfirst]

I soldered 1/2" copper nipples onto the condenser than I use one of my sump pumps with a ball valve in a barrel of cold water. Just simple garden hoses with clamps for connection.

[myles]

I am re-doing my connectors but I used to do it this way.

Soldered 1/2" female screw fittings to the condensers, with 1/2" male compression fittings attatched to 3" long sections of 1/2" copper tube. Am using rigid black water supply pipe for the hoses so what you do is gently heat the end of the pipe and insert 1" of the copper tube into the pipe. The hose shrinks onto the copper tube and makes a leak free joint.



I use the same style connector on the supply end of the hoses. Each supply line has a gate valve as I do not always have all the stills or condensers connected all the time, so I can issolate the supplies.



It is rigid though, so I am changing the last foot of each hose on the condenser end to stainless braided flexible hose for convenience. Sorry about the poor photos.

[NineInchNails]

This page shows a diagram of how you can make a liebig somewhat similar to what you're talking about.

Personally I prefer to make a rock solid Liebig condenser using all copper tubing and a few copper fittings. Solder it all up and you're done. Soldering is easy. Mine is way overkill and over 4' long. Since I bought 5' sticks of copper pipe I figured I'd use most all of it.










As far as cooling the Liebig you could run hose from your sink and return the water back to your sink/drain. You could modify the plumbing under your sink with a tee and a valve to tap into whenever you want to run the still. It's just basic plumbing.

You could just recirculate water from a plastic drum or even a cheapo trash can. Use a little submersible aquarium/pond pump to push the water through the condenser and return it back to the reservoir. Keep in mind that sometimes these little pumps might not be capable of 'priming' your hose & liebig. If you prime the hose & liebig with water first then the pump will work to recirculate.

[Shovlryder]

Just a question for NineInchNails,

I purchased the 1"x3/4"x3/4" tee's but the 3/4" pipe doesn't go ALL the way through the tee's. I am wrong in thinking that the 3/4" pipe should go all the way through? Or did I get the wrong type of tee's? It seems like there is a "stop" inside the tee not allowing it to go completely through.

[Coaster]

@ Shovlryder,

You need to take a round file or a half round file and carefully file the ‘stop’ from the inside of the ‘T’ that is preventing the ¾ pipe from sliding through the ‘T’. Once you carefully file the ‘stop’ away from the inside of your ‘T’ the ¾ will slide through the ‘T’.

Regards,
Coaster

[Shovlryder]

@ Shovlryder,

You need to take a round file or a half round file and carefully file the ‘stop’ from the inside of the ‘T’ that is preventing the ¾ pipe from sliding through the ‘T’. Once you carefully file the ‘stop’ away from the inside of your ‘T’ the ¾ will slide through the ‘T’.

Regards,
Coaster

Thanks. I was thinking of doing that. I thought maybe they sold tee's without the stop.

[myles]

Some of the T fittings have the stop formed with a little "dimple" made by a punch. Usually 2 of them and on those the file works fine. Test the fit on a scrap bit of tube first because if you don't remove all the stop it puts a scratch into your tube as you push it through. If you have the fitting with a solid ring reduction as the depth stop, then you might find it easier to drill it out.