Home Distiller

How does insulating the column affect the operation of a reflux unit, and what can you use to insulate the column ?

If there are any stray air currents around, then it will prevent cool spots on your column, increasing separation and preventing heat loss. (Which might be a good thing if energy is expensive.) Also, keep in mind that all of these thermodynamic equations done during the planning stages of these units are assuming that heat losses are negligible.

I've seen pipe insulation, cardboard, blankets, and house insulation all used effectively, being wired, duct taped, tied, or otherwise secured to the column.

There once was a debate over whether or not it actually did any good. Some insulate, some don't. Your choice. I am only stating what I've read over these years, so don't take me for gospel.

A towel cut into sections, wrapped around the column a coupla times and tied on with baling wire works just a treat. Easy to remove, easy to replace.

BW Redneck wrote:There once was a debate over whether or not it actually did any good. Some insulate, some don't.

Turns out that Pinto (a no insulation advocate) was using a column made from stainless pipe, which has 3 mm thick walls. Most here will be using thin walled tube with 1.5 mm thick walls, which loses heat much faster than thick walled pipe, especially if the thin walled is copper.

If your column is thin walled tube (copper or stainless) then it is probably better to use insulation.

Ah, thanks Hook....I never new the outcome of that debate, quite frankly, I was too frightened to ask!

I don't know that the debate has been resolved as such. Let's just say the various viewpoints have been, umm, clarified somewhat.

Wouldn't the actual dimension be a huge factor in insulating also??

You would have more heat loss on say a 12" diameter 14 foot long column as opposed to a 3" diameter 4 foot column.