Seal leak in Wort Chiller

[thegreatbrewnorth]

So I just built my first DIY IC last night.

I must have gotten an old/beat up package of 3/8" copper tubing, but essentially when I opened the box containing the flat copper coil, it was wound in an awkward way..

I also cheaped out and decided not to purchase tubing benders.

To make a long story short, I managed to construct my IC, and everything works, however there are a few kinks, one of which was significant enough that it leaked a bit during testing. One small drop about every 2-3 seconds while I was running cold water through.


I was thinking of wrapping some teflon tape around that kink to contain the small leak. Everything else, including flow through the IC, works great.

I've read the teflon tape is inert/food safe, and also can withstand very high temps, so I'm not worried about it coming into contact with my wort. I really dont see how else I can repair it without buying a new coil of copper, which wasn't that cheap to begin with.


Do you think that's the way to go? Or am I screwed and have to buy another coil and start over again?

 

[iijakii]

Hard to tell where your leak is from your post. Is the hole on the wort-tube? I wouldn't **** around with that, because getting some hosewater into your wort does not sound fun.

 

[barnaclebob]

Cut the bad section out and solder in a coupler. If its small you might just be able to put some flux and a dab of solder to seal the leak.

Wrapping teflon tape is not likely to work. House water is around 75psi, you would need a lot of tight wrapping to hold that pressure in.

If you ever make a new chiller it really helps to bend the tube around something. My wife made ours and bent it around a bucket and then used a water bottle for the tighter bends. You have to be patient with it.

All my beer comes from hose water...

 

[thegreatbrewnorth]

Cut the bad section out and solder in a coupler. If its small you might just be able to put some flux and a dab of solder to seal the leak.

Wrapping teflon tape is not likely to work. House water is around 75psi, you would need a lot of tight wrapping to hold that pressure in.

If you ever make a new chiller it really helps to bend the tube around something. My wife made ours and bent it around a bucket and then used a water bottle for the tighter bends. You have to be patient with it.

All my beer comes from hose water...

I'm not that good at soldering. I did use my carboy to wrap around when making the coils, but just the way the copper was packaged it was all twisted so it kinked at some spots, despite me being careful. The leak is coming from the actual middle of the chiller off of a kink. If I ever make a new one, I will definitely get a tubing bender, but I really don't feel like buying another coil of copper right now

Are there any other non-soldering options for fixing the leak?

 

[ImNoExpert]

I'd try JB weld. Food safe when cured and good up to 500 degrees.

 

[Malted_hops]

I'm not that good at soldering. I did use my carboy to wrap around when making the coils, but just the way the copper was packaged it was all twisted so it kinked at some spots, despite me being careful. The leak is coming from the actual middle of the chiller off of a kink. If I ever make a new one, I will definitely get a tubing bender, but I really don't feel like buying another coil of copper right now

Are there any other non-soldering options for fixing the leak?

Compression coupling?

Just be sure to pickle it first.

 

[barnaclebob]

A tubing bender is for sure not needed. Just start with a good box of coil in the first place.

Soldering is very easy:

Sand mating surfaces, flux mating surfaces, put it together, apply torch near the area and solder at the same time until it flows in.