Help with cool box conversion!

[HowbeckAles]

Hi!

My DIY skills extend to painting and minor woodwork and my home brewing skills extend to kits and the odd hop addition. I'm not the best person to build a DIY all-grain set-up but I'm up for the challenge!

I'm trying to build the plumbing for a cool box mash tun and, despite the help on here and all the videos, I don't seem to be able to match up what I see online with what's on my living room floor right now. All this talk of tank connectors etc but I can't see how they fit into the system.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xd9je1r1u10dfqn/image.jpg?dl=0

This is what I have now. The only way I can see to fit the tap is by screwing the copper pipe, olive, and nut together but not sure how to secure it to the inside off the cool box. I have a tank connector, but the only thread I have is on the ball valve so there's nothing obvious to screw the tank connector on to?!? It's 1/2 inch to 15mm.

Would appreciate any help from those with some experience of this and laymans terms if possible please!

Yours,

Confused of Cheshire

 

[mirsultankhan]

Hi!

My DIY skills extend to painting and minor woodwork and my home brewing skills extend to kits and the odd hop addition. I'm not the best person to build a DIY all-grain set-up but I'm up for the challenge!

I'm trying to build the plumbing for a cool box mash tun and, despite the help on here and all the videos, I don't seem to be able to match up what I see online with what's on my living room floor right now. All this talk of tank connectors etc but I can't see how they fit into the system.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xd9je1r1u10dfqn/image.jpg?dl=0

This is what I have now. The only way I can see to fit the tap is by screwing the copper pipe, olive, and nut together but not sure how to secure it to the inside off the cool box. I have a tank connector, but the only thread I have is on the ball valve so there's nothing obvious to screw the tank connector on to?!? It's 1/2 inch to 15mm.

Would appreciate any help from those with some experience of this and laymans terms if possible please!

Yours,

Confused of Cheshire

could you post a picture of your tank connector. I fitted a ball valve to a fermentation vessel yesterday using a copper tank connector. Mine looked like this.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/conex-tank-coupler-321-15mm/49673

 

[Twostage]

MSK,

According to the tech specs on the screwfix link the connector weighs 100kg. How did you carry it :p

(I think they meant g not kg).

 

[HowbeckAles]

Ah,

Think I've got a "tap" connector!

http://www.diy.com/departments/plumbsure-bq28620174-copper-tap-connector-dia19-mm/258006_BQ.prd

Looks like I'll be off to Screwfix tomorrow then! I'm using 15mm copper pipe so after fitting the tank connector to the box do I screw the ball valve directly onto the tank connector?

Also, how to you connect the manifold to the tank connector on the inside of the box? I am planning on using a DIY 15mm copper pipe manifold with a T-bar heading out of the box and into a tank connector, just not sure how!

 

[mirsultankhan]

Ah,

Think I've got a "tap" connector!

http://www.diy.com/departments/plumbsure-bq28620174-copper-tap-connector-dia19-mm/258006_BQ.prd

Looks like I'll be off to Screwfix tomorrow then! I'm using 15mm copper pipe so after fitting the tank connector to the box do I screw the ball valve directly onto the tank connector?

Also, how to you connect the manifold to the tank connector on the inside of the box? I am planning on using a DIY 15mm copper pipe manifold with a T-bar heading out of the box and into a tank connector, just not sure how!

Hi I am not convinced a tank connector is correct for what you are trying to achieve. It seems to me that you would be better with a close brass nipple, two backing nuts. This would allow you to connect your ball valve and allow you to insert your manifold into the other side of the brass nipple on the inside of the mash tun. The nipple would be held in place using the two backing nuts. (I would also use to polythene washers as well, one on the inside of the mask tun and one on the outside.

I am sorry for the confusion but a tank connector i don't think will be able to take your manifold, the brass nipple most certainly will as its designed to house a 15mm copper pipe at both ends. Your manifold would slot into it nicely and it would be easy enough to push it in and out for cleaning or mashing.

You will probably need to cut the brass nipple if its too long.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brass-Running-Nipple-1-2-x-4-long-/111092731767

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-Basin...174?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35bb337826

the brass nipple goes through the hole you made in the mash tun and a backing nut goes one on the inside and the other on the outside. This will allow you to connect your ball valve and also to connect your manifold to the inside. You may need to cut a small length of 15mm pipe to connect your ball valve to the brass nipple using compression fittings.

This is how i would do it if i had your ball valve and present fittings. Hopefully it helps.

 

[ManseMasher]

If you haven't already, drill a hole through the outer wall of the coolbox to accomodate the tap. You'll then need to drill a hole throgh the inner wall big enough to take the threaded portion of the tap. You can buy threaded rings (I'll post a link when I find one) that are 15mm on the inside, 1/2 inch on the outside. Put a fibre washer over the threaded bit of the tap and use the threaded ring to tighten the tap into the box. You can then get 1/2 inch to 15mm tap adapter to fit the plumbing inside.

 

[Joeyriles]

I'm building mine at present, mate. I'm still not sure on which tap to buy or if there's something cheaper than a ball valve? Have you gone for a manifold or bazooka?

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRASS-BSP...-TO-FEMALE-ADAPTOR-PIPE-REDUCER-/301502475838

http://www.screwfix.com/p/straight-tap-connector-15mm-x/58294

See if these help

 

[HowbeckAles]

Thanks very much for all your ideas! They've finally made me see some sense in the new world of plumbing that I'm entering into.

I think for ease and speed factor I'm going to try the ball valve, into the Screwfix 15mm straight tap connector (http://www.screwfix.com/p/straight-tap-connector-15mm-x/58294), then plug the manifold straight into it on the inside.

I'm going to steal the wife's silicone cup cake holder and turn it into some washers to fit either side of the inner wall of the cool box.

The only problem I'm facing is that the width of the skin of the cool box is 3cm outside to inside (more than the ball valve can offer me) so I guess I might have to stick a bit of the copper pipe out of the back of the tap and then into the connector through the inner skin of the box. But then there's nowhere to put the washers...

I'm not afraid to throw more money at it if need be but I'd quite like to get it done this week as work get their pound of flesh from me for the rest of the month and I'll end up with a cool box full of copper, brass and Screwfix receipts!

If the connector doesn't work out as planned tomorrow I'm going down the brass running nipple route. The online stores round here seem to have hexagonal brass nipples. Would they work? Seem to have a hexagonal obstruction half way down the nipple that looks like it could cause me problems...

Thanks again all. Free beer to everyone when the first batch is done!

(Might have to help me with the postage though...!)

 

[ManseMasher]

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dCo4iO_nOWg[/ame]


Might not work mate if I've understood you correctly. The threaded end of the screwfix tap adapter is 1/2 inch, that's why you need the other bit (the ebay male to female adapter). That adapter doubles up as the backing nut to tighten the tap against the inner wall. As for the cool box being 3cm thick - there will be an outer skin, a thermal filling (normally a thin sheet of polystyrene). As long as you cut the outer skin enough to get the bulk of the tap through, you then cut a hole in the inner skin to fit the threads of the tap. This gives enough thread to screw the adapter onto, and then the 1/2 inch tap connector screws onto that.

Have a watch of the above for some more ideas.

 

[HowbeckAles]

Cheers mate.

My main concern with the tap is that the movement of the tap handle may be restricted by the outer skin of the cool box if it is secured against the inner skin. Looking for the male to female adapter somewhere locally. Tricky, this plumbing stuff! Appreciate your input.

 

[Joeyriles]

That video makes it look dead easy; any ideas as to what that tap is/where to buy it?

 

[Fil]

hi

if your considering compressing against the inner and outer skins with plumbing fittings your probably going to collapse the void between the skins before making a seal.

much better to cut a larger hole in the outer skin and make the mechanical seal against the inner skin alone.. you can back fill the void you cut out with a cartridge sealant for support and insulation if needed.

alternativly insert a support between the two skins to take the compression force, the air and insulation between the two skins wont provide enough support alone.

using a drilled out tank connector i would suggest inserting copper tube into the flange end and sealing it with lead free solder, insert upto but not beyond the threaded end.

then push the tank connector thru from the outside and use a washer, ptfe tape and a locknut to seal against the inner skin, you then have a 1/2" bsp thead inside to fix a filter/manifold to and some 15mm copper tube outside to simply attach a compression ball valve to.. if soldering isnt your thing( its very easy) you could consider jbweld or waterweld epoxy to seal the copper and tank connector.