Product Line Quick Disconnects

[GCB3]

My condenser has a 1/2” od by about 3”, SS exit pipe. I use 1/2” copper from there to collection jars. Currently using SS compression fittings so there isn’t any brass in the product stream. But those suckers are really expensive and not designed to be frequently disassembled and reconnected. After a number of uses, it’s tough to get a good seal.

HD Google yields a number of posts about water lines, but I didn’t see anything for this application. Has anyone found suitable quick disconnects for product lines?

[StillerBoy]

For my product condenser connection, I just use a coupling soldered on the extension end, and wrap the end of the PC tube with a few turns of teflon tape.. works good each time..

The picture is of my thumper setup.. if you look closely, you will see the extension tube helded in place with wrapped tape.. I use the same setup of the extension on all my other units..

Mars

[GCB3]

Well, that seems pretty efficient! I’ve been using these:

SS Coupling

The problem is they are about $25 ea and I have 3 different configurations. Ive been through way too many of them!
I need to do some reconfiguring but I really like this idea.
Thanks for the idea, Stillertboy.

[greggn]

The picture is of my thumper setup.. if you look closely, you will see the extension tube helded in place with wrapped tape.
Mars

Extension tube !?! What I want to know is how the square platform for your boiler is supported ... what manner of magic is that ?

[StillerBoy]

what manner of magic is that ?

One inch dowel.. of the appropriate height to make level, and sit in a slotted piece of 3 x 3" on the under side of the wing ..

The picture shows the stripping jug sitting on the right hand side wing, and supported by the one dowel.. for the thumper setup, there are two such support in place on the left wing when in use..

Mars

[StillerBoy]

And here's more magic greggn..

The picture shows how my take off jars are held in place.. the setup is made using 1 1/4" abs tubing, with tube length being adjustable for the different setup I have..

Mars

[OtisT]

Copper union joints are fairly inexpensive, easy to connect/disconnect with a small wrench, and don’t leak if you line them up well. Sometimes a little PTFE tape on the ball can help if you get some weaping. These have brass nuts, but the vapor path is all copper. You can solder SS to copper.

The pic attached shows some 1/2” union joints I use to connect my mini boiler to the condenser or the thumper.

Union joints

Otis

[OtisT]

what manner of magic is that ?

One inch dowel.. of the appropriate height to make level, and sit in a slotted piece of 3 x 3" on the under side of the wing ..

The picture shows the stripping jug sitting on the right hand side wing, and supported by the one dowel.. for the thumper setup, there are two such support in place on the left wing when in use..

Mars

Damn, that all looks precariously balanced there Stillerboy. Have you considered a longer pot to thumper connection arm and adding two elbows to it? Makes leveling shit a whole lot easier. See my pot-n-Thumper thread (link in my signature) for a picture of what I’m referring to. The same arm design could also address adjusting the output height of your PC, so the collection vessel also has some level adjustment to it. Sorry for hijacking this thread. Otis

[GCB3]

Quote: “Sorry for hijacking this thread.”
No worries,Otis.

I can sweat a copper joint but have only minor welding knowledge. I have seen lots of SS to carbon steel TIG welding in our shop but we don’t use any copper. I was under the impression that a copper to SS joint needed TIG.

I have three different length copper takeoff tubes that I use depending on how the rig is configured. My condenser is SS and I have a SS parrot. The parrot has lost some of it’s appeal to me and I may just eliminate it, which will simplify things. It may be easiest to just put a short (6” or so) copper extension on the condenser outlet using one of the existing couplings as a permanent extension. Then I could just deal with Cu to Cu sweat joints to make up my product lines.

Both your’s and Stiller’s methods have appeal. I’m going to have to do some ciphering.

Thanks for the input.

[StillerBoy]

Makes leveling shit a whole lot easier.

Yah I'm aware of the the double elbow setup for leveling easier jointing..

But that was not my intention.. I wanted to have a compact setup, all within the platform/stand I work off.. plus I have a limitation in space.. Yah it take a little time in making the setup work (leveling it), but once it done, each time the setup is set up, their is no time required to level it, as each unit is already lined up..

Unions work ok if used in the system to break it down into smaller units, but for the take off end on a product condenser, not really needed there.. just wrap the end of the tube with tape, and push the coupling onto the end,, it's quite quick..

Mars

[GCB3]

OtisT, thanks for the heads up on soldering Cu to SS. A quick HD Google search yielded a lot of good info.
Thanks again.

[NZChris]

My condenser has a 1/2” od ...

1/2" id will slip over it. It doesn't even need to be sealed for a condenser output.

[Oldvine Zin]

I'm a big fan of tri clamp fittings, available in many sizes 1/2" up to 12". And not too expensive

OVZ