Just venting, but maybe someone has an idea for a fix. I turned on my immersion chiller and saw the wort bubble. Out of curiosity I lifted it out and saw water spurting out of a 1-inch crack in the copper tubing. Then, water started spraying from a gazillion little holes in the hose feeding the chiller. WTF? I can buy "sealing tape" for the hose (or just a new hose, though might be hard to find in February in New England). Any ideas on how to fix the copper tubing? I was going to brew another batch tomorrow and don't have time (or money) to make a new coil. My immersion chiller has a smaller "preliminary" coil that I submerge in ice water to cool the water going into the immersion coil. For now I can use that coil in the wort. Still, I can't believe two major breakages on the same batch. Thanks for any thoughts on fixing or "patching" the copper tubing.
The laws of probability do not only allow coincidences. They compel them. I wish I knew. I'm pretty sure that whatever you do, you'll want to avoid dissimilar metals.
For the "extreme" repair, if you know someone with a TIG welder, the ought to be able to repair the crack. It's similar to welding aluminum. There would be no other metal introduced. Next step down would be silver solder, then regular solder.
unfortunately, repairing soft copper aka refrigeration tubing is usually not practical. the copper is soft and thin. however this a wort chiller and isn't a critical piece of equipment, like a refrigeration unit or water pipe that needs to not leak forever. so you have options imo. if you know someone who can braze you will find this is the best solution, but that isn't without problems either. the temperature required to braze won't melt copper but the tubing is so delicate that it really can't take much heat abuse without groaning. you will find the headache is not worth it. i know this from experience with refrigeration repairs. if there are many holes, it's time to do-over. if there are only few holes you can cut them out with a tubing cutter and then solder in a union if you are hopeless and can't solder (everyone should learn, it's not hard and mandatory for any home owner) you can also cut the tubing and slap some braided pvc tubing between the joints. fit the OD copper into the ID tubing. use 2 hose clamps on each side. braided PVC is flexible and strong, NSF (check to be sure) and cheap. i will add that many times a good hardware store, Lowe's even, will "borrow" a tubing cutter off the shelf for you. or you may take advantage of their liberal return policy. just bring the wort chiller with you, smile and talk about brewing beer. people love that shit. Good luck.
You can either solder the crack, it's not very difficult or cut out the bad section with a copper pipe tubing cutter and use a compression fitting to join the two sections back together. Use one of these:
I like all the ideas here. I'm looking into the temperature range of pvc braid and it looks like the limit is 140F. Am I missing something? Buy once cry once.
I'm wondering if that's the right piece at the bottom. No personal experience with compression fittings, but the idea looks really solid.
I am not sure why they show those two flared pieces with the compression connector. I use them to repair brake lines on older vehicles where pressures build up over 1000 psi and they hold.
Just watched the video. Looks like the flared piece is for joining copper. Who knew? I'm not sure why you would use a copper compression fitting on plastic when they make quick connects for that plastic tubing.
A 1" crack sounds like it may have occurred along the manufactured seam of the tubing. If so, you could have some defective tubing that may give you repeat occurrences of this type of crack. I wouldn't spend any money on a professional trying to braze or solder the leak because it would be money better spent on a new chiller, but if you can find a way to fix it yourself at minimal expense go ahead. Just be prepared that this could happen again somewhere else along that tubing.
