Insufficient water flow through condenser!?

[holliday]

I have came across a problem that has kept me from running my newly built boka. I can't seem to push enough water through my condenser. I first hooked it up to the garden hose outside and was pushing more than enough but water limitations and what not make me unable to run my water continuously for 3+ hours. So I hooked my condenser to some 3/8 vinyl tubing and hooked that up to my 1/4 horsepower sump pump and I'm barely getting flow. Maybe 1 liter every 2 minutes or so. When hooked to the water hose I was getting roughly 2 liter a minute. Should I just try to wind a new one and maybe do a coil with a cold finger? You can blow air through it fairly easy without the tubes connected. With them connect you can still blow through it's just harder.

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

Don't mean to be cruel, but those inner coils just above your fingertip look like they are almost completely flat. That, and the bends at the supply and output end are fairly kinked and flat as well. I think it is just too restricted to do much water throughput unless you have a whole lot of water pressure to supply it.

You would do well to make another coil, I think.

[holliday]

Don't mean to be cruel, but those inner coils just above your fingertip look like they are almost completely flat. That, and the bends at the supply and output end are fairly kinked and flat as well. I think it is just too restricted to do much water throughput unless you have a whole lot of water pressure to supply it.

You would do well to make another coil, I think.

I appreciate your input. I was really trying to decide what to do. What would be better could 3/8 with a cold finger or a double coil 1/4?

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[Prairiepiss]

I would try making a new condenser coil. Reasons already pointed out.

Now for the sump pump. A regular sump pump isn't made to push water through a 1/4" pipe. They are made to move a bunch of water through a large pipe. Up and out of the house. So it may not work good in this application. A more appropriate pump mite be in order. One that can handle the pressure and lift height.

[holliday]

Well what I have done for the night and will test tomorrow I cut off the inner coil and replaced. It with a straight piece of 3/8. Right now I'm a bit tight on cash that's why I'm trying to use what I have. I may have to bite the bullet and by 15' of 1/4 copper and a pump before I run my boka

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[myles]

Before you do anything drastic it really is worth checking out your pump.

Take the coil out of the still and connect it up to the pump so you can check the water flow. Start with the coil at the same level as the pump. If the flow rate is OK start lifting the coil higher than the pump.

Many pumps are designed to shift large volumes through relatively big tube , but at low head heights. The flow rate can drop off considerably as the head height increases. If this is the case with yours, then I can strongly recommend the water butt style pumps, as these generate the pressure needed to run garden irrigation systems.

Basically the same as your garden hose - and you said it worked OK when connected to that.

Mine generates a full 1.1 bar and I have had no problems with it at all.

[LWTCS]

Can stuff some scrubber in and around to help increase vapor contact time.

[holliday]

So I went out and got a new pump and 10' of copper. The pics are of the pump I bought and once I get my coil done I'll test. If it doesn't perform it will find it's way back to the store.

[rad14701]

The problem was the flattening, not the pump... It sounds like you could only get decent water flow using full mains pressure and a pond/aquarium pump simply can't compete with that... Mains pressure is generally in the 40 - 80 psi range, at least in my area... A pond pump pushes squat for pressure... The cold finger and scrubber should allow the original pump to provide enough flow and cooling capacity...

[Purist]

What is adequate coil throughput?

Mine is getting 1 Gallon per Minute roughly...from my house supply (very strong pressure...140psi or so when we tested and COLD these days)...I'm guessing this is more than sufficient, but would like to know a recommended number if there is one.

MC

[rad14701]

What is adequate coil throughput?

Mine is getting 1 Gallon per Minute roughly...from my house supply (very strong pressure...140psi or so when we tested and COLD these days)...I'm guessing this is more than sufficient, but would like to know a recommended number if there is one.

MC

I've already answered in your almost duplicate topic... 1 - 2 liters/quarts per minute is sufficient...