Home Distiller

Posted: **Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:21 pm**

Ok, to start, I've been a long time lurker. I've read hundreds of threads/posts and have learned quite a lot.

I'm building a still. I've got the boiler, the element, the distilling tower. What I don't have is a way to control the heating element.

The element is a 220V 6000w element that will be hooked up to 110V (I do not have access to 220V). I understand my max wattage will now be 1500w. My boiler holds 30 liters, but, I'll only be distilling 19 liters at a time. According to my research, 1500 watts, is more than sufficient, but probably not ideal.

I was looking at the harborfreight router controller, and will default to that if I can't find a better alternative. MuleKicker made reference to plans to building a phase angle controller and even sells them. I was going to PM him, but, since I'm newly registered, I'm not allowed to PM anyone right now

@MuleKicker - Can I get those plans? or can you provide me pricing on what your selling? Or both? Will it work with my 220V 6000W element running on 110V?

Until MuleKicker runs across my post and replies, I found a possible solution and wanted you all's 2 cents on it. Auber Instruments sells a 25A SSVR. You hook up the element and AC on one side of the SSVR, and a variable rheostat on the other. Adjusting the rheostat adjusts the output voltage to the element. Here's the link: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_ ... cts_id=332" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Quick replies would be appreciated.

Thank you

Posted: **Wed Aug 07, 2013 4:44 pm**

Have you checked out any of the controller threads? It's covered over and over again. You mite even want to read my harbor freight controller thread. Found in the must read new distiller reading lounge. Where this phase angle thread is.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 62&t=17383

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:04 am**

All you need is in this thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 4#p7099716

Also, you DO have access to 220v. Buy a 30 amp 2-pole circuit breaker and install it in your box. Voila', 220V!! (I won't tell you about how to get 220V off two existing CBs, that's illegal)

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:30 am**

Prairiepiss wrote:Have you checked out any of the controller threads? It's covered over and over again. You mite even want to read my harbor freight controller thread. Found in the must read new distiller reading lounge. Where this phase angle thread is.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 62&t=17383

I'm sorry, i should have been a little more detailed. When i mentioned i was looking at the harborfreight router controller, I should have also mentioned that I did indeed find the thread by you, talking about it. That is the reason why I'm considering it as a fallback solution.

I did in fact, find several threads on heating element controllers, to include the one you linked.

Not too long after posting my thread here, I convinced myself that the thread you linked answered my questions.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:41 am**

F6Hawk wrote:All you need is in this thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 4#p7099716

Also, you DO have access to 220v. Buy a 30 amp 2-pole circuit breaker and install it in your box. Voila', 220V!! (I won't tell you about how to get 220V off two existing CBs, that's illegal)

I'm no stranger to electricity. I could very easily become an electrician. You can't take two 110 leads, tie 'em together and get 220, unless, and only if, the 2 leads were 180 degrees out of phase with each other.

In my apartment complex, There's only one, 110 main coming into the building. Not two mains, 180 degrees out of phase. I do not have access to 220.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:54 am**

That's really odd. So your stove is gas?

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:07 am**

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting a link to another site ( mod's - if so, please delete this post )
I built this controller to run on either 120v or 240 v and it works fine.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:28 am**

Prairiepiss wrote:That's really odd. So your stove is gas?

Yes, my stove is gas, my dryer is gas. I've been all up inside my fusebox. Everything in my apartment is 110 volts, and only one, 110 main coming in.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:35 am**

flht01 wrote:I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting a link to another site ( mod's - if so, please delete this post )
I built this controller to run on either 120v or 240 v and it works fine.

Hmmmm, nice! i was brewing up some ideas on designing and building my controller, this one just gave me some improvements to my ideas, thanks!

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:27 am**

Xeros. wow I have never heard of anything like that. I am not an electrician. I have done my share of wiring and have been in my share of old stuff an new stuff and commercial stuff. I do not have the skills to be an electrician. Would a router controller from harbor freight do what you are wanting? Would You mind taking the cover off of the panel box and snapping a pic of what you have?

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:09 pm**

halfbaked wrote:Xeros. wow I have never heard of anything like that. I am not an electrician. I have done my share of wiring and have been in my share of old stuff an new stuff and commercial stuff. I do not have the skills to be an electrician. Would a router controller from harbor freight do what you are wanting? Would You mind taking the cover off of the panel box and snapping a pic of what you have?

I know man, I've lived in many different houses and apartments, and they've always had 220V, but not this apartment complex...... I guess they figured that since all their dryer and stove hookups will be gas, no one would need 220 Volts.

I haven't built anything yet. haven't even ordered parts to build anything yet. I will by COB today though. Anyways, the harborfreight controller will do what i want, but I don't want that solution. It's overly simplistic and was not designed for long term continuous use (being used more than a few minutes at a time.). If i were to use that, I would have to attach a heat sink, and if I'm gonna be modding something, I would just as soon as build something from scratch. In addition, it provides no way of monitoring how much power your supplying to your element. I'd be playing a guessing game on how hot my element was and in this world, you don't want it too hot.

So, i'm gonna build my own controller, with an amp meter built in, so i can gauge with a fair degree of certainty, how hot my element is, and be able to control the temperature much more accurately.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:27 pm**

Do you live in the US? Is it a box like you might put in an outdoor garage? Hit a pic please.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:46 pm**

halfbaked wrote:Do you live in the US? Is it a box like you might put in an outdoor garage? Hit a pic please.

Yes, i live in the US

If your referring to my fuse box, I'm at work right now, can't get you a pic for a couple of more hours yet. My fuse box is located inside my apartment, in my laundry room. It looks like a standard fusebox, nothing special about it. The CB's look standard with the exception of 3 circuits having 2 CB's combined.

One combined circuit goes to my central air, the 2nd one goes to a single outlet that has my dishwasher and garbage disposal plugged into it, and the third one....can't remember where the third one went.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:58 pm**

Xecros wrote:
halfbaked wrote:Xeros. wow I have never heard of anything like that. I am not an electrician. I have done my share of wiring and have been in my share of old stuff an new stuff and commercial stuff. I do not have the skills to be an electrician. Would a router controller from harbor freight do what you are wanting? Would You mind taking the cover off of the panel box and snapping a pic of what you have?
I know man, I've lived in many different houses and apartments, and they've always had 220V, but not this apartment complex...... I guess they figured that since all their dryer and stove hookups will be gas, no one would need 220 Volts.

I haven't built anything yet. haven't even ordered parts to build anything yet. I will by COB today though. Anyways, the harborfreight controller will do what i want, but I don't want that solution. It's overly simplistic and was not designed for long term continuous use (being used more than a few minutes at a time.). If i were to use that, I would have to attach a heat sink, and if I'm gonna be modding something, I would just as soon as build something from scratch. In addition, it provides no way of monitoring how much power your supplying to your element. I'd be playing a guessing game on how hot my element was and in this world, you don't want it too hot.

So, i'm gonna build my own controller, with an amp meter built in, so i can gauge with a fair degree of certainty, how hot my element is, and be able to control the temperature much more accurately.

You really don't need to know how hot your element is. I ran my HF controller for many runs. It will still work perfect. Never needed to really know how much power I was putting into the boiler. I just found where it worked best. And used it as such. Even if you have a way to gauge how much you are throwing into the boiler. You won't know what the best setting is. Until you play with it and figure it out. When you do figure out where it runs best. Mark it on the dial. If you really wanted to. Harbor Freight sells a watt meter you could plug it into.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:20 pm**

Prairiepiss wrote: You really don't need to know how hot your element is. I ran my HF controller for many runs. It will still work perfect. Never needed to really know how much power I was putting into the boiler. I just found where it worked best. And used it as such. Even if you have a way to gauge how much you are throwing into the boiler. You won't know what the best setting is. Until you play with it and figure it out. When you do figure out where it runs best. Mark it on the dial. If you really wanted to. Harbor Freight sells a watt meter you could plug it into.

But I'm a stickler for the details. My boiler has a thermometer so i can, at a glance, see what temperature I'm running at any given time. Being able to correlate temperatures to watt usage will be extremely helpful to me. Ultimately, i plan to increase the amount I'm gonna distill from 19L to 26L. Documenting my watt usage on 19L will give me a very good idea on if my 1500 watts of heating power will be able to bring 26L up to temperature.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:21 pm**

Xecros wrote:Yes, my stove is gas, my dryer is gas. I've been all up inside my fusebox. Everything in my apartment is 110 volts, and only one, 110 main coming in.

That statement simply displays how little you know about electricity... That fusebox/breaker panel has two 110V bars in it, meaning that it is a 220V service... However, if there is no 220V breaker, which uses one leg from each side of the bus, you might think you only had 110V coming in because all of the circuits are 110V only... It would be against code to only have 110V in the box... Most are setup so half the circuits run off each side of the bus to balance the overall load...

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:29 pm**

+1 on what piss said. If you have 3 CBs combined you have 220 and those 3 CBs are 220.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:34 pm**

I did some very rough measurements for my 13Gal boiler and got around 300Watt of heat loss at 90C . So any heater with 400watt and above will bring a wash to a boiling point. It just a matter of time.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:35 pm**

rad14701 wrote: That statement simply displays how little you know about electricity... That fusebox/breaker panel has two 110V bars in it, meaning that it is a 220V service... However, if there is no 220V breaker, which uses one leg from each side of the bus, you might think you only had 110V coming in because all of the circuits are 110V only... It would be against code to only have 110V in the box... Most are setup so half the circuits run off each side of the bus to balance the overall load...

Wow, that was rather insulting.

Was i not correct that not a single main carries more than 110 volts, and that to get 220 volts, would require 2 mains 180 degrees out of phase? I know how to wire up a light switch, CB, outlets, lights, because i've done it. I know how to use all the functions on a multi-meter. I know how to use an O-scope. I've built, from scratch(to include designing, and etching my own PCB board), regulated DC power supplies. I know what a transformer does, and how it does its job. I've even rewired power strips that normally plug into your standard 110 wall outlets, to plug into UPS receptacles. I can look at a wiring schematic, identify all the parts by their symbols, and with confidence, build the device.

Admittedly, i didn't take off the cover panel to my fuse box(yet)....but I can say is, not a single outlet in my apartment is wired for 220. (I tested each outlet with my multi-meter! to include the outlets wired with 2 CB's)

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:42 pm**

sambedded wrote:I did some very rough measurements for my 13Gal boiler and got around 300Watt of heat loss at 90C . So any heater with 400watt and above will bring a wash to a boiling point. It just a matter of time.

That's actually good news to me

I was worried that my 1500 watts of power was just barely enough for 19L. I was entertaining the idea of buying a step-up transformer to fully power my 6000 watt element when i up'd my capacity to 26L

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:46 pm**

halfbaked wrote:+1 on what piss said. If you have 3 CBs combined you have 220 and those 3 CBs are 220.

Not necessarily, CB's can be combined to up the max amperage for a circuit.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:42 pm**

So you are saying that you don't have a cook stove or heat and ac unit nor a dryer in your apartment. If you are in the US every residential service is capable of 220 even if it were an old fuse box system. you just put in a breaker. Now for the simple part please go down to the calculator near the center of the page and enter the info. It is called Heating Time to Temp calculator. It'll do what your asking for you. You might also check out who wrote the calculator. Here is the link.

http://homedistiller.org/calcs/rad14701

There are threads somewhere on using a 30 amp SSR for 110v but you'll have to do like the rest of us and search till you find it. Might I suggest the Google search function in the menu bar.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:48 pm**

Xecros wrote:
rad14701 wrote: That statement simply displays how little you know about electricity... That fusebox/breaker panel has two 110V bars in it, meaning that it is a 220V service... However, if there is no 220V breaker, which uses one leg from each side of the bus, you might think you only had 110V coming in because all of the circuits are 110V only... It would be against code to only have 110V in the box... Most are setup so half the circuits run off each side of the bus to balance the overall load...
Wow, that was rather insulting.

Not meant to be insulting in the least... Merely stating the facts... No offense intended... Perhaps you need a thicker skin... People get killed by not knowing how electricity works...

All residential electrical service has been 220V service for decades... If everyone only used one side of the bus there would be major harmonics problems which would feed back to transformers, etc, taxing parts of the grid... Code in most areas requires 220V 200A service, minimum, and balancing of the two sides as best as possible...

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:50 pm**

Xecros wrote:
halfbaked wrote:+1 on what piss said. If you have 3 CBs combined you have 220 and those 3 CBs are 220.
Not necessarily, CB's can be combined to up the max amperage for a circuit.

Not in the USA National Electrical Code book. Tried to avoid posting in this thread, could see where it was going.

AC

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:09 pm**

Xecros wrote:
Prairiepiss wrote: You really don't need to know how hot your element is. I ran my HF controller for many runs. It will still work perfect. Never needed to really know how much power I was putting into the boiler. I just found where it worked best. And used it as such. Even if you have a way to gauge how much you are throwing into the boiler. You won't know what the best setting is. Until you play with it and figure it out. When you do figure out where it runs best. Mark it on the dial. If you really wanted to. Harbor Freight sells a watt meter you could plug it into.
But I'm a stickler for the details. My boiler has a thermometer so i can, at a glance, see what temperature I'm running at any given time. Being able to correlate temperatures to watt usage will be extremely helpful to me. Ultimately, i plan to increase the amount I'm gonna distill from 19L to 26L. Documenting my watt usage on 19L will give me a very good idea on if my 1500 watts of heating power will be able to bring 26L up to temperature.

How is correlating temps and wattage going to give you any useful info? The temp in the boiler should be what ever the boiling point of the liquid in the boiler. At least if the still is running. And it should only change as the alcohol is depleted. Changing the heat input should not change it. Because it needs to boil for the still to work.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:34 pm**

I am sure acfixer knows more than I do cause I can't quote USA code. My local code is 220 for the last 20 years maybe longer. If Acfixer is an air conditioner fixer then you know Air conditioning is the main reason that you have to have 220 in a new house to be able to get a CO. As I stated before I do not have the skills to be an electrician but I do bet he has 220. Not being rude or saying you don't know what you are talking about. Do you think he has a 110 service or a 220 acfixer? A SSVR on 220 with his size boiler would bet him up to speed quick. I bought the stuff for electric but have not put it together yet also. I have a LED dispay casue it looked cool. What it said in amps would be a reference or starting point not a for sure kind of thing on where to run the still. Like piss said.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:53 pm**

If it has resettable breakers he has 220v at the box. OP is about ssvr, thought this would be entertaining.

AC

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:15 pm**

acfixer you said earlier that it could have been to max the voltage. It does have resettable breakers because they are tied together. You can't tie fuses togather. With respect I disagree with you statement that if it has resettable breakers it is 220. It most likely is but doesn't have to be. The pic is going to tell and I hope it is so he can use his big element.

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:40 pm**

halfbaked wrote:acfixer you said earlier that it could have been to max the voltage. It does have resettable breakers because they are tied together. You can't tie fuses togather. With respect I disagree with you statement that if it has resettable breakers it is 220. It most likely is but doesn't have to be. The pic is going to tell and I hope it is so he can use his big element.

Where did I say that

Posted: **Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:46 pm**

acfixer69 wrote:
Xecros wrote:
halfbaked wrote:+1 on what piss said. If you have 3 CBs combined you have 220 and those 3 CBs are 220.
Not necessarily, CB's can be combined to up the max amperage for a circuit.

Not in the USA National Electrical Code book. Tried to avoid posting in this thread, could see where it was going.

AC

Home Distiller

SSVR question - MuleKicker?

SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?

Re: SSVR question - MuleKicker?