How do you connect the reflux coil to your water supply?

[Rumhead]

Hi!

I just wound my first reflux coil yesterday without issues. I wonder, how do you connect the coil to your water supply?

I would like to see ideas about this.

As I am indoors, i would prefer to be able to connect my 1/4" or 6,3mm brakeline pipe to an ordinary 1/2" or 11mm garden hose. It would be very convenient as it is no problem hooking up a garden hose to the tap. I have found a two way tap valve that would allow me to regulate the cooling and reflux water flow independently.

What i am more specifically asking for advice on is how to connect my bare 6,3mm pipe up to a 11mm/ 1/2" garden hose pressure "click" connection, with as few parts as possible.
I also want it leak proof and preferably not hose over hose over hose, metal/plastic connection would be preferred.

So, how did you do it?

If you have any other good way of doing it, please advice me and others reading this in the future.

Thanks

[Yummyrum]

Maybe this is classed as hose over hose .Built this about 10 years ago , was my first still build but not much has changed .
1/4” copper compression rightangle with a 3/8” hose barb .

Length of 3/8” PVC tube to a 3/8” barb soldered to a hose fitting . I buy those brass 3 way hose fittings . Some you can unscrew , some need to be hacksawed off …. Then solder than to what ever you have .

I could have soldered it too the top compression 90° but I like a bit of PVC tubing on my outlet so I can watch the water flow .

[Rumhead]

Interesting.

It is solutions like this i ask advice on. What i meant with hose on hose is when a smaller hose is used as a spacer to be able to connect a larger hose on the pipe. I would like to avoid going that route. It probably is very functional, but i prefer solutions using hardware. Screw on/soldering solutions in metal is what would prefer, for the reliability.

I am totally new to working with plumbing and water connections so any advice given is a good advice.

It would be very nice to connect the water using garden hose connections as it is easily connected at different sites and also very versatile, fast and parts is readily available.

[Setsumi]

Get a 13mm or 1/2" copper pipe with copper end cap. Drill through the end cap and solder the 6.3mm to end cap and end cap to 13mm... one go. Garden hose on 13mm copper to click unit.

[howie]

all my water connections have S/S camlock fittings.
hose/camlock, thread/camlock, compression/camlock.
all interchangeable, solid connection and no leaks.

[flange]

How about a John Guest fitting ?

John Guest (CI320816S)

Amazon is one source but a pretty common product. At least in NA

[Salt Must Flow]

Rumhead, I understand you want to use a garden hose directly to your tap. By "tap", I assume directly to the outlet of your faucet? I originally considered doing that or something similar myself, but that became pretty inconvenient. Obviously it put my faucet out of commission (can't use it) when connected. The hoses were unnecessarily large in diameter and and bulky.

I quickly switched over to 1/4" OD polypropylene tube and John Guest fittings/presslock fittings/sharkbite fittings. Both are rated for higher temperature than you'll require for a still. The hose is cheap, light, extremely flexible, not bulky, coils up nice and stows away very easily. These connectors are readily available, very reliable, leak free and easy to connect/disconnect.


The main thing is connecting it to your water line. It's just common fittings regardless what your water line is constructed of. I install a 1/4" ball valve and leave it closed when not in use.


If your reflux tubing is 1/4" OD then these fittings will connect directly to it. I personally soldered a brass female fitting to the ends of my copper coil and screwed in a couple of these 90 elbows.

[Demy]

I soldered a plug with a hole in the center directly to the coil, otherwise you can use compression connections with adapters, depending on what you find locally.

[Salt Must Flow]

I soldered a plug with a hole in the center directly to the coil, otherwise you can use compression connections with adapters, depending on what you find locally.

That is precisely what I did too only I also tapped threads on the inside of the plug . That allowed me to screw in the push lock fittings.

[shadylane]

What i am more specifically asking for advice on is how to connect my bare 6,3mm pipe up to a 11mm/ 1/2" garden hose pressure "click" connection, with as few parts as possible.


Thanks

https://www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-3-4-in-Thr ... 1000504785

Here's the same thing on amazon.

[kimbodious]

Try 1/2” triclamp ferrules

[Eric]

I just use harbor freight pneumatic lines and needle valves

[Oldvine Zin]

Try 1/2” triclamp ferrules

Stay safe
OVZ

[shadylane]

Just my 2 cents worth.
Tri-clamps are great for bigger jobs.
For vapor, 1/2" 3/4" or 1" copper unions are easier and cheaper.
For cooling water, plastic or whatever you can find cheap works just fine.

[Oldvine Zin]

Just my 2 cents worth.
Tri-clamps are great for bigger jobs.
For vapor, 1/2" 3/4" or 1" copper unions are easier and cheaper.
For cooling water, plastic or whatever you can find cheap works just fine.

1/2" tri clamps are cheap and easy to use

Stay safe
OVZ

[shadylane]

Just my 2 cents worth.
Tri-clamps are great for bigger jobs.
For vapor, 1/2" 3/4" or 1" copper unions are easier and cheaper.
For cooling water, plastic or whatever you can find cheap works just fine.

1/2" tri clamps are cheap and easy to use

Stay safe
OVZ

That's true.
But tri-clamp fittings are SS
It's easier to connect 1/2 copper tubing to a copper union.

[Oldvine Zin]

But tri-clamp fittings are SS
It's easier to connect 1/2 copper tubing to a copper union.

Here is how II do it

Stay safe
OVZ

[Ben]

I use swagelok fittings to adapt tube to npt. Then thread on npt camlock fittings. Lets me use the same hoses and pump as brewery etc, and they are all stainless.

[drmiller100]

Pressure reducer makes it a lot easier to regulate water flow.
https://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/prod ... regulators

[hawkwing]

I put a dishwasher T under my sink and put a barbed adapter on it. The just a hose clamp with a clear garden hose from Home Depot.

[Demy]

I used a 1/2 plug, made a hole and soldered the copper pipe.

Ops......An old post where I had already answered .....

[Knife_man]

Before I had the ability to make my own adaptors I would head down to the local hardware store that had a good plumbing selection and see what fitted.

I didn't usually find what I needed but at least i knew what to look for or even better go to a real plumers merchant and tell them its for watering the garden or something(the truth if you are brave ), they will tell you exactly how to do it and probably have what you need there and then

[Oldvine Zin]

I used a 1/2 plug, made a hole and soldered the copper pipe.IMG_20220727_213333.jpg
Ops......An old post where I had already answered .....

That's so Italian many parts in my old La Marzocco espresso machine have the same look

Stay safe
OVZ

[Knife_man]

This came up in my other thread so thought I would post it here for other people to benefit from.

Here on the UK radiator valves are in my opinion the perfect solution.

They are a needle valve which takes 8, 10 or 15mm copper in and a threaded connection on the other side which is the same as hose connectors. All for a very low price.

I know the OP was asking about 6.3mm but I just use a peice of 8mm soldered as a sleeve to take me to 8mm.

This one cost exactly £5 from one of the expensive sources for plumbing parts

How it comes . Remove the short adaptor for a radiator and throw the plastic "locksheild"

15mm goes in one side (or 8mm or 10mm) and hose connector goes directly onto the other

.

No adaptors or extra parts needed they also come in straight or right angle.

Not sure if you have the equivalent over the pond or if these are easily available but hopefully useful to someone.

[NZChris]

Whatever connectors you are using, reducing the water pressure to all connections and hoses reduces the chances of a loss of cooling due to blown fittings and hoses. Since installing a pressure reducing valve for all of my cooling water, I haven't had any problems.

[bcook608]

If you're going to be running near your sink, why not try this:


It goes in-line with your cold water supply to your faucet. I am using one with my current setup and I love it! I can drain the output directly down the drain, but my sink remains fully functional while the still is in use! Then it's all 1/4" connections for your supply. Just remember that 1/4" compression and 1/4" NPT are different sizes.

Run these off the raw ends of your copper:


Then use these for your quick connects:



You can see how my shotgun is setup for my pot still in my signature. It hasn't leaked on me and as long as I relieve the pressure before disconnecting the hoses, there hasn't been any blow-outs when I disconnect the quick connects.

[bcook608]

you would only need one of the angled valves I posted above.
You could do just a regular elbow for the inlet since you want the control at the output.

[The Baker]

bcook, the pix didn't come through for me.

Geoff

[Knife_man]

You want the control at the output.

Is there a reason for that?

I've always had it on the input with the reasoning that the pressure will be reduced through my dodgy soldering , and flow rate will be the same either way.

[Knife_man]

You want the control at the output.

Is there a reason for that?

I've always had it on the input with the reasoning that the pressure will be reduced through my dodgy soldering , and flow rate will be the same either way.