Modifying a Standard Copper Immersion Chiller

[mrgrimm101]

So I have a 25' copper IC chiller with the standard clamp fittings that hook up to 3/8" tubing. I am trying to hook it up to my garden hose, rather than my sink faucet.

What I want to try to do is to get a female barbed adapter and install it either at the spigot or to the end of my garden hose and then hook my regular 3/8" tubing up to it. My fear is the pressure will be too great and will blow the hose off the adapter, or I may have a leak.

OR

I could get 2 compression fittings and attach a male garden hose adapter on one end and a female garden hose adapter on the other. My concern with this method is that i will not be able to use it with a sink faucet anymore

Does anyone have any thoughts or insight on this?

Thanks

 

[Mexibilly]

My chiller's got about 4' of clear tubing with a female garden hose connector on the input and 4' or 5' of clear tube on the output. I just run my hose into my garage, hook it up, run the other end out into the driveway and turn it on. No issues.
You can get a female hose connector with threads and a hose barb/npt adapter at the hardware store.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

LHBS should have adapters. Mine came with a fitting for a hose, and I had to get an adapter so I could hook it to my sink (it's been super cold here). Don't turn your hose valve open more than halfway and the pressure should be fine.

 

[mrgrimm101]

My chiller's got about 4' of clear tubing with a female garden hose connector on the input and 4' or 5' of clear tube on the output. I just run my hose into my garage, hook it up, run the other end out into the driveway and turn it on. No issues.
You can get a female hose connector with threads and a hose barb/npt adapter at the hardware store.

I have this adapter I think should work..my plan was to hook it up to my garden hose and then attach a length of clear tubing from the barb to the input on my chiller. The adapter came with my chiller..

@mexibilly is that what you were explaining?

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[Mexibilly]

I have this adapter I think should work..my plan was to hook it up to my garden hose and then attach a length of clear tubing from the barb to the input on my chiller. The adapter came with my chiller..

@mexibilly is that what you were explaining?

That's exactly it. Mine stays on my chiller. I just hook up the hose while chilling then disconnect. I've never had any issues other than a slight leak at the hose clamp connection because the hose clamp is nearly stripped out and I haven't gotten around to replacing it

 

[Homercidal]

I think that adapter and a good clamp should be good. I'd be more concerned about how the hose connects to the chiller than the barb on the spigot end. Not sure how you have that set up.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I think that adapter and a good clamp should be good. I'd be more concerned about how the hose connects to the chiller than the barb on the spigot end. Not sure how you have that set up.

I was going to either:

1.) Attach a garden hose to the spigot, then the barb adapter to the end of the hose, then a clear tube from the barb to the chiller with a worm clamp

Or

2.) Attach the barb adapter right to the spigot (omitting the garden hose) and have a clear hose run from that to the chiller with a worm clamp

I wanted to use the first method because I can stretch the garden hose right into the garage

 

[MaxStout]

Plan 1 is better. You can then use whatever length of garden hose you want to go from the spigot to the IC fitting. The tubing will usually stay on the fitting's barb, but a hose clamp is cheap insurance to be sure.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I drew it out in MSPaint so everyone has an understanding of what my plan is. I think it will work..I will test it out tonight and make sure that the connections are leak-free.

 

[MaxStout]

Yep, that's what I envisioned. Easy solution.