Problem making my Condenser Please help

cofire · Post by **cofire** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:08 am

I attempted to make my condenser yesterday and I've run into a problem. I filled the tubing with salt as I've read somewhere to do to prevent kinking. Coiled it and did a rather good job for my first attempt at this sort of thing. Now that the condenser is coild and looking all condenserish I can't get the salt out. Can someone please give me an idea?

new_moonshiner · Post by **new_moonshiner** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:19 am

compressed air with the other end of coil pointed in a safe direction towards the ground maybe? salt isnt really needed if you take some care with it ..and use soft copper to start with

rezaxis · Post by **rezaxis** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:43 am

water under pressure, or vinegar.

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:31 pm

Soak it in hot water overnight,then hook it up to the water,and put it under pressure,and it will come out,It might take a while,but just keep the presure on it.
wineo

hoochinoo · Post by **hoochinoo** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:56 pm

If you do a search on this forum, you will find some folks that swore the following method worked for them. Connect a brass pressure fitting 1/4 inch on one end and a garden hose connector on the other. Hook it up, turn the water on and leave it. It will free up your blockage.

Just curious, what type of copper are using because the soft copper coil I used did not kink being wrapped around a 1.25 inch pipe? There are a couple of varieties on the market.

cofire · Post by **cofire** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:23 pm

Thanks for the replies. In one instance I didn't read before posting. The one condenser sticky coverred this. I used the pressure fitting and a hose. Took about 5 minutes and the salt was out. Remember to make sure that pressure fitting is extra extra tight or the flopping hose looks like something out of a cartoon

cofire · Post by **cofire** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:26 pm

hoochinoo wrote: Just curious, what type of copper are using because the soft copper coil I used did not kink being wrapped around a 1.25 inch pipe? There are a couple of varieties on the market.

I used 10' 3/8" copper tubing from Home Depot. Not sure of the specs. Wrapped it on a 2" PVC pipe. Worked pretty well have two small kinks. to get those out can I heat the pipe and try to round out the kinks? This is a condenser for a pot still not for cooling a reflux rig.

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:28 pm

You can easily get rid of the kinks by using a pair of channelocks,or pliers,or at least most of it.
wineo