Best water heater replacement parts according to redditors

What you want is something like this. I know/knew a guy who lived out of one of these and used it like a mini-rv.

He gutted the back and installed a bunk bed, shower, kitchen with fridge/freezer and some general storage.

If you have somewhere you can park it and can make use of some of the surrounding land you can do a few neat things.

1: use a compost style toilet. Build a compost bin and all your organic waste (this includes human waste ie: poop) goes into the compost bin.

This only leaves plastic and metal trash that can be recycled. So you won't need to pay for trash service or deal with sewage.

If you don't have room to build a shower in your van/truck you can build a small outdoor shower. Anything from a $10 solar shower bag from wal-mart to a 5 gallon bucket of water heated with a portable plugin water heater. You can buy those at any farm & tractor supply type stores.

They heat up fast too, 5-10 minutes. You can also use this method to heat water for doing your dishes too.

For that you'll want 3 plastic tubs from wal-mart ($1-2 apiece) Use one for hot soapy water and 2 others with clean water for rinsing. Wash, prerinse, rinse.

For food, your cheapest bet is dry/canned goods. Or you can get a small fridge or freezer and run it off a battery and charge the battery up once or twice per day.

For cooking you can get gas powered stuff and cook outside or electric portable stuff (toaster oven, microwave, hot plate) and just turn your vehicle on when cooking.

Should be possible if you can DIY the electrics or know someone who can...

• Kettle, $125
  
• BrewBag, $30
  
• HotRod, $60
  
• Element, $30
  
• 30A Cable disconnects, $20
  
• SSVR + Heat Sink, $40
  
• Spa Panel/GFCI, $80
  
• Breaker, $15
  
  ... that's $400 not incl shipping. Still need a bunch of 30A cable at $3/ft, a project box of some sort to mount the SSVR in (I use a $6 toolbox), maybe a chiller.
  

220 definitely. 5500w element like this one.

Controller like this or similar DIY. I would add a volt/amp meter to get some feedback, like this one. If you have money to spare and want to go top of the line, a controller based on this unit is the most versatile. You also need an SSR and a temp probe, as well as a box, wiring, etc.

As for connecting it up, most triclamp to element kits I've seen are 2". So perhaps an integrated element/1.5" TC like this would be good. Otherwise, a simple adapter like this would work if you have the other parts.

you need a digital temp controller ( here ), a 1000watt horse trough heater ( here ) and a submersible pump ( here ).

• Aeropress
  
• Porlex grinder (fits inside aeropress handle)
  
• A handful of paper filters and a reusable SS filter
  
• Small scale for measuring beans (water I do by volume in the AP)
  
• Third Wave Water (Only if I'll be staying in one place for more than ~4 days because you need to buy a jug of distilled water)
  
• Immersion water heater (if I suspect I may not have an electric kettle)
  
• Good beans

Have you tried pre-heating your french press with some additional boiling water so it doesn't cool so fast? You could also wrap it in a towel, insulating foam, etc..

I haven't looked, but I assume you can find vacuum-insulated french presses.

Another possibility is one of those submersible water heaters, but it might be tricky to hold a good temperature.

https://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG

Looks like the first reviewer on Amazon did exactly what you're doing.

First get a Lowes 10% off coupon -- I believe these are available from the post office by looking/asking for the packet of stuff they provide with change of address forms. Then go to Lowes and look for the scratch and dent stuff. Many of these will only have cosmetic damage to the relatively thin outside skin, while the important part, the vessel which actually contains the water, is perfectly fine. IIRC, there's relatively little difference between models, and you're effectively paying for the rated (warrantied) lifespan. So with a smaller (40G) scratch-and-dent unit with a shorter (6Y) lifespan plus the 10% coupon, you might just be able to get away with spending under $300/electric, $400/gas for the water heater itself.

As for installation, the plumbing is straightforward if you use "shark bite" connectors and flex hose. It's not as good as soldered copper, but if you're not looking to get 40 years out of it, it's a viable alternative -- and very simple to DIY. See: http://www.amazon.com/SharkBite-U3088FLEX18BVLF-Flexible-Connectors-18-Inch/dp/B005O19OTS and a million youtube vids on how to do this. Oh, and get a simple copper pipe cutter to cut your existing pipe to the right length -- they're only a few bucks.

The hard part is electrical or gas work. This is the part where you might want to call in a pro -- especially if it's gas. But if everything above is already done, getting someone to work on only this part might save you a bundle. And if you live in Columbus, you might also be able to skip whatever permit fees an installer will collect for the city.

This concludes the cheapskate's guide to water heater replacement. Don't forget to post back and let us know how it goes, whatever the solution you end up with.

Random thoughts:

• if your tap water is colder than room temp, fill the kettle the night before so it has time to warm up a bit
  
• put a lid on the kettle (only for heating up: you want the lid off for your boil)
  
• upgrade your propane burner. E.g. the new Blichmann burners put out 140k BTU/hr and some of them top out at a crazy 220k BTU/hr.
  
• make sure you have a wind-screen around your propane burner. Sometimes cheap or DIY stands omit this and it causes the burner to be a lot less efficient
  
• make sure you have adjusted the air/propane mixture. you don't want any orange flames.
  
• some sort of submersible electrical heater
  
• heat some of the water up in a smaller pot on your kitchen stove, then combine
  
• find something else to do while the water is heating up. prep ingredients, sanitize your fermenter, drink a beer, etc.

I built a hot water bath using a temperature controller and heating element I got from Amazon. Whole thing cost me $70. Mounted the heating element in a plastic tub, wired up the temp controller, added a small aquarium pump to keep everything mixed well.

Element: https://www.amazon.ca/Camco-02203-2000W-Heater-Element/dp/B0006JLVBW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487969670&sr=8-3&keywords=heating+element

Controller: https://www.amazon.ca/docooler-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-Fahrenheit/dp/B00F05UI8O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1487969690&sr=8-4&keywords=temperature+controller

Don't buy the A.O. Smith rigid rod. There is nothing special about theirs. Get a flexible unit. Available in aluminum/zinc, and magnesium.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Lightning-79098-Residental-Magnesium/dp/B007ZI385E

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Lightning-Aluminum-Flexible-Anode/dp/B00M4S7Y5A

Full disclosure - my day-job is a research microbiologist and my lab works on anaerobic bacteria.

Your water heater has something called a sacrificial anode rod in it that is electrically contiguous with the steel tank. This anode is made from a less noble metal than iron; as a consequence, the anode is more reactive and sacrifices itself to oxidation preventing the steel tank from rusting away (rust is iron oxides).

Anodes are typically made from magnesium with a steel core. Here's where anaerobic bacteria come into the picture. They are present in municipal water supplies, and some of them thrive in an environment that is around 120-130^o F. Many of the enzymes they need for their growth are dependent on divalent cations - especially magnesium, the material the anode is made of. The anaerobic bacteria enter your tank with the municipal water supply and establish themselves in this niche. As indicated by u/wtfgolf4fun, the product of anaerobic respiration is hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs.

There are two things you need to achieve:

• Get rid of the bacteria (and therefore the smell)
  
• Prevent the smell (and bacterial growth) from happening again
  
  Let's start with getting rid of the bacteria. Cut the power to the water heater. Remove the existing anode rod. Drain the tank. Add 3-4 gallons of drug-store hydrogen peroxide (3%) and let it sit for 1-2 hours. Then drain the hydrogen peroxide as well.
  
  Next, how to prevent the smell from re-occuring. Aluminum and Zinc are also less noble than steel, and are not used effectively as divalent cations to support the growth of anaerobic bacteria. You can replace the magnesium anode with one made from aluminum or zinc. There are also permanent electrically powered anode rods; these run around $100, and will last the lifetime of your tank (~20 years).
  
  In addition to changing the anode with an aluminum/zinc/powered anode, you should also raise the temperature for the upper and lower thermostats to 140^o F. This is high enough to kill >99.9% of the anaerobes typically present in municipal water supplies. If you do this, be aware that the higher temperature can scald. To prevent that from happening, you should install a water heater tank booster - so that the water temperature at hot water faucets remains 120^o F.
  
  When you're all done, make sure the water heater is filled with water (i.e. cold water comes out of all hot water faucets) before restoring electric power to the heater.

You're wrong. The average cost of electricity is ~$0.11/kWh. 1000w is enough to boil three gallons of water very quickly, just google 'water boilers 1000w: http://www.amazon.com/MARSHALLTOWN-Premier-742G-Bucket-Heater/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1356817956&sr=1-1&keywords=Bucket+Water+Heater . The true cost of the extra cup of coffee is a tiny speck of that, as we are calculating just the increased energy usage vs normal coffee heating, so we're talking maybe a penny's cost for each pot of coffee.

A small coffee at McDonalds costs is $0.99 before tax.

One extra cup would greatly offset the cost of heating a pot. That's a 900% return on that investment. That's insanely huge, and now you see why McDonald's did it.

On top of that McDonalds sells ~1 billion cups of coffee a year (http://scheingrosslaw.com/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit/). A pot of coffee makes ~12 cups of cofee. That's a 8% increase in coffee sales with a 0% increase in food cost. That's 80 million cups of coffee that cost McDonald's less than a penny each to produce.

You can see very easily now, why McDonald's would say 'fuck you lady'

Typically the electric stoves dont have enough power to do a full boil. You can supplement the power of your stove with an additional heating element like a heat stick(plenty of DIY instructions floating around), or one of these.

I am unaware of anyone who sells kettles with threaded connections big enough for heat elements.

I would recommend getting kettle with a 1.5 TC port or using a weld-less 1.5 TC bulkhead and pairing it with a 1.5 TC heating element with the locking plug like this one. It is so nice to be able to "unplug" your kettle when you clean it.

That's what they're called. Water heater blanket and water heater insulation pad. They sell them on amazon and at home depot. You just need to measure your heater to make sure you get the right size. Most of the blankets are 'universal' cut to fit, so it's more of a question of how thick to get it.

I was going to get this one, but eventually decided that since my water heater was in the same room as my gas boiler - it wasn't really necessary.

I did a 100 day backpacking trip around the world with a North Face Backtrack 50. It was small enough to be a carry on. Some advice others have mentioned here, first aid kit is very important, along with copies of your passport and some passport photos just in case. You should also have photocopies of your credit cards and their 1-800 number if you're bring them along. A lock to keep your belongings safe. Travelers duct tape is also useful. They're small and doesn't take up space but very handy to have. If you'll be doing laundry yourself without a machine, a sink stopper and cloths line are useful too. Eating utensils are also useful like this immersion heater, or fold up cups etc.

Wardrobe is fine, though it's better to use synthetic fabrics for t-shirts and such since it dries faster and doesn't wrinkle like cotton does when you shove it into a bag. Also to not stand out as much as a tourist, all your cloths should also match. Greys and browns work well with everything should you decide to wear the same cloths a few days in a row. If you're paranoid about getting robbed, a money belt is also good. If you get past the dorkyness of it's wonderful. I had most my stuff in it while keeping some money in my pockets. You don't want to be whipping the belt out for every purchase. That's all I can think of at the moment. If i come up with more I'll edit this comment.

if you haven't already bought the kettle, I'd highly recommend something with tri-clamp adapters like Bru-Gear. Its a little more money up front to buy all the TC fittings but you can completely disconnect everything with minimal effort, including your element, for cleaning. then you can go with the 5500w stainless steel element.

I'll start with the electrical device, it's a heat stick. You can build one yourself, but I opted to buy one from Amazon. You stick it in the wort and plug it in and it adds some direct heat to help boil faster. It makes a night and day difference in the speed it takes to get to boil.

I made the insulating jackets myself out of some Reflectix and Foil Tape. I can't really tell you how well it's doing with 10.5gal pot since I wrapped it right away so I don't have any good before/after there, but with my 5 gallon pot it allowed me to get to boil a couple minutes faster and also allowed the pot to hold the boil on its own, meaning I could take the heatstick out once it got boiling.

Another thing you can't see in the picture, is the 8" element is a canning element, which is a bit higher wattage than my regular 8" element so it burns a bit hotter, which helps with boiling.

http://www.amazon.com/MARSHALLTOWN-Premier-742G-Bucket-Heater/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345641614&sr=8-1&keywords=bucket+heater

I don't know if you'll be able to find a commercial product that is 1500W.

It's impossible to say without knowing what model crock pot you have. You can usually find the voltage by looking at it. There should be some kind of label or sticker on the bottom. Most likely, if you're living in a country that's 110V, it most likely is 110V. If you don't know, I would assume it's 120V to be on the safe side unless you live in another country that has the 220v-240v standard.. then assume it uses the higher number.

With that said, to safely do this, you also need to figure out the wattage of the heater element and the amperage rating of the relay. PIDs itself usually only support 3 Amps. With only that, you can only safely switch a 360 watts heating element. Most DIY PID controllers wire a separate SSR that's rated at either 10A or 15A to allow the use of more powerful heaters. Check the numbers first before you start wiring.

To be honest, I wouldn't mess with the nice programmable crock pot. It's such a waste to do so. Crock pots are a poor choice to connect to a temp controller anyways. They are slow to heat up because the ceramic bowl will absorb a lot of the energy before the water heats up. Then when the water reaches the desired temperature and the PID shuts the crock pot off, the water temperature still rises because the ceramic bowl is still heating it up.

You'll be better off using a dumb rice cooker, a coffee urn, or even a water heater element.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-02103-Screw-In-Heater-Element/dp/B0006IX8AA/

Connect this to an AC cord and just plug that into the PID. You can use any container as long as you properly submerge the heater element to the correct dept.

Have any of you used something like THIS to help your stove keep up, or have any similar suggestions? I did my first boil last weekend and the coils on my stove actually burned through their coating. I plan on using propane outdoors in the spring after this upcoming Minnesota winter.

you can use a heat stick to speed it up, i have used this one

I've been looking into ideas like this for a little while. Its 1000W so would need a large (expensive) inverter to use that. I hadn't considered carrying the jug to a building and plugging it in outside though... I suppose that would work. But if you're unable to find somewhere/boondocking, it might not work well.

Here's a 600W DC water heater that you could wire directly into your charging system. I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the side one of my water cans and installing this with some rubber gasket/seal. I could then turn it on while driving once my house battery is full.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0182BETBE

Another idea is to plumb a line from your heater core and circulate hot coolant through a heat exchanger that is submersed in water. You can buy pre-made devices for this purpose but they are pretty pricey.

I had success with replacing the anode rod with a powered anode

Corro-Protec CP-R Water Heater Powered Titanium Anode Rod (40-80 Gallon Tank) - Eliminate Odor (Sulfur/rotten egg smell), Corrosion and Reduce Limescale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H459TAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MU-jDbQV01TQ3

I also drained a few gallons from the water heater and put in about a gallon of bleach right before I placed the new powered anode

Hey dude:

I brewed a lot in a small bachelor's barracks in Korea with a shitty coil stove top.

1. You don't want a 5 gallon pot; boil overs for days. I had a 7.5 gallon pot and for a full-volume boil, that was a bit too small. Even for a stove top, you'll really want a 10 gallon pot with a ball valve (i had a siphon. Siphons suck. A lot of people will tell you (myself included) that one of the biggest steps you can take for your beer to taste better. If I could do my first step all over again, i'd have gone with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-gallon-Kettle-Stainless/dp/B00OBMB7CI?th=1 (or a Spike).
   
   
2. Get the bigger pot even with a smaller stove. You can get a number of 110v water heaters on the relative cheap that'll bring it up to a boil super quick. I had (I think) this one, and it worked just fine to bring 6 or 7 gallons up to a boil in combination with my stove. https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Premier-Line-742G-Submersible/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509719891&sr=8-3&keywords=bucket+heater
   
   
3. You'll want to cool that down. An icewater bath tub will take its good god damn time getting there; you might want to look at an immersion chiller (NY Brew Supply sold me a 50 foot one on the dirt cheap back then).
   
   For the record, I did all of this (and got an insulated bag for temperature control) before I did my first batch; if you make it more painful on yourself and get an inferior product, then you'll probably not want to do it again.

Thank you! Just purchased this water heater, by browsing your list. It's exactly what I need to get my water up to temp on my dinky stove!

I used this one when I was stuck brewing on the stove in my last apartment:
http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG

Gave me no issues at all, though I've since moved into a house where I can brew outside with propane.

The heat sticks will help get you to strike temp, but not really to boil. If you do decide on one, I would recommend changing the male plug end to one of these:


https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00I97LLEA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Or just make sure you plug it into a GFCI circuit.


Alternatively, you can punch a hole near the bottom of the grainfather, below the basket line and add one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-02853-Screw-Foldback-Element/dp/B000KKVZUO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

That will give you far better results than the bucket heater...but you're then drilling a hole in your brand new toy.

Agreed. Those propane units are awesome.

You could also use a camp shower bag. Hang outside during the day to warm. Now, those aren't going to be very long showers, but enough to get a person clean. I suspect you'd need a bag per person.

Another option is this added to this. Again, it's going to be a short shower, but it will work.

stinger although what we used was home made.

Technically, the primary reason to fully boil the wort is to reduce the volume and concentrate it. DMS decomposition occurs starting at around 120F IIRC, and evaporates down to 100F or so. The Oxide (DMSO) is much less volatile, and does not evaporate until about 180F, but is generally produced in much lower quantities (especially if you are doing extract, since there really should be no reason for excess oxygen to enter the wort). Hop acids and whatnot dissolve just fine at non-boiling temperatures.

Honestly, it's far from ideal if you cannot reach a full boil, but it also isn't the end of the world. It's more important to not cover the wort if you can avoid it, and keep it as hot as possible. You'll end up with beer on the other side, and it will probably taste fine, if not a bit weaker than expected, though once again, since it is an extract brew you can just use less water to top it off (or throw in some extra extract to compensate). If you want to stay electric and indoors, you can try something like this to help you get a better stove boil.

I bought a bucket heater, and it is great! Plug it in, go do some stuff and come back later to strike temp. Or set up with a temp controller/timer, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BDB4UG?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Look into replacing the anode rod in your hot water tank with a powered titanium rod. We just moved into a house we well water that smelled strongly I sulfur. I shocked the hot water tank with bleach (and then flushed thoroughly afterward) but also switched out the anode rod. I guess the corroding metal of the usual magnesium/aluminum produces a lot of hydrogen which leads to the production of hydrogen sulfide which is the rotten egg smell

Corro-Protec CP-R Titanium Powered Anode Rod for Water Heater (40-80 gal tank) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H459TAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vHpVBbGD1GMJ1

My setup is indeed a cooler box with a ball valve poking out it, using the steel braid from the outside of a hose to lauter (and a few other things like a 1/2" nipple through where the drain was and a hose to drain it) but you can just use a kettle with a grain bag in it. If you go the cooler way, make sure everything is stainless or brass cause it'll taste like shit if your stuff corrodes in the mash.

Something like this could be used to supplement your stovetop. I actually do the boil in 2 separate 5 gallon kettles on the stove top myself, so don't need one. If you want to do it on a stove top in one big kettle you may need supplemental heat, 1500W should be plenty. Most people buy an outdoor propane burner for it.

You may have mis-read that.... 1,000W, not 10,000 :-)

https://www.amazon.ca/MARSHALLTOWN-Premier-Line-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497392893&sr=8-1&keywords=bucket+heater

Let's do some math, and see what your water usage is costing you now. I'm going to assume you're not doing laundry with hot water, if you are, stop. Just turn off the hot water to the washer, you don't need it. I'm also going to assume 10 minute showers each, and a load of dishes every two days. And I'm going to assume you have fairly typical equipment, 2.5gpm shower heads and a standard water heater.

An electric water heater with a 3000W element can typically heat 13.1 gallons of water/hour from 50degF to 140degF. [Water heater recovery rate = watts / (2.42 delta t).] And a fairly typical water heater losses about 70watts to standby losses.

So, two 10 minute showers at 2.5 gallons per minute is 20m 2.5gpm = 50 gallons for shower. And lets say another 5 gallons per day for the dishwasher. That's 55 gallons per day.

55gallons / 13.1gallons/hour = 4.20 hours per day that your water heater needs to run to heat that amount of water back up. 4.20 hours $0.0962/kWh 3kW = $1.21/day to heat that water. Add in 0.070kW 24 hours $0.0962 = $0.16 dollars per day in standby losses, for a total of $1.37 per day to run your hot water heater. $1.37 365 / 12 = $41.72/month for hot water.

Now, lets see what can be done with that for much cheaper than the other options you listed.

I have a low flow shower head that I would easily recommend, it's 1.25gpm. You can find them on amazon.com for $8.00

That alone will reduce your usage from 55 gallons per day to 30 gallons. So those calculations then become 30gallons / 13.1 gallons per hour 3kw $0.0962 per kWh = $0.66/day or $24.99 per month.

A drain water heat recovery unit gets more efficient the lower the flow rate is. Lets say that at 1.25gpm a 42inch model is 50% efficient, it's likely better than that, but we'll call that good enough. But lets also consider the temperature losses from the water heater to the drain about 20 degrees F. 140 deg F - 50 deg F = 90 Deg F delta T. 90 deg F - 20 deg F (losses) = 70 deg F. 0.5 70 deg F = 35 deg F 90 deg F - 35 deg F = 55 deg F. So your new delta T with a smallish drain water heat recovery unit is now 55 deg F when water is flowing in both directions through it.

3000/(2.42 55 deg F) = 22.5 gallons per hour that your water heater can now make when showering.

Now your usages will cost: 30 gallons / 22.5 gallons per hour 3kW $0.0962 per KWh = $0.385 per day or $11.7 per month. With a total of $28.3 per month.

Now lets talk about those standby losses. You can get an R10 water heater blanket that will most likely double the insulation on your water heater. Add R10 worth or rigid foam insulation under the water heater to complete the envelope, and heat traps to slow the flow of heat up the pipes, and that should reduce the standby losses by half. So, $0.16 / 2 = $0.08 /day.

With those things, that would effect any water heater and can stay with the house and not with the water heater, you're now looking at $22.53 per month, a savings of $19.2 per month.

Then, you sit back and wait for mini split heat pump water heaters to make it big in North America and then you upgrade. Or just use solar panels to supply that much smaller amount of power you now need to heat water with a traditional electric water heater.

I'd also recommend a powered anode because changing the anode is a pain in the ass, and insulating your water pipes as much as you can.


*I did the calculations for the drain water heat recovery unit while I waited for the American homedepot site to load so I could get a relevant link only to find they don't list the same 42 inch version I'm putting in my place. I'll let you figure out which one to get and where

**If your showers are longer or shower, hotter or colder, than I calculated for, that will obviously impact the number quite a lot.

If you buy a high enough wattage heat stick or element, you should be able to boil. It'll come down to time. It looks like 2000w will get 6 gallons from 72 to 212 in about 65 minutes and 10 gallons in 105 minutes. It's not as simple as linear, but you could heat to strike in ~40 and to boil in ~40 assuming the 6gal. That's not too bad.

I use 2x 6500w elements with the ripple back version of this element

You'll need to do some wiring with a bare cord. You can find a guide that should help here

If your garage has enough amps to run a 240v, or you already have one, you can get a 6500w element for ~27amps (6500/240) which can be supplied off 8guage wire and a 30amp plug. If you drive an electric car, or your family does, you can convince them to install a level 2 charger :P

edit: if you go this route, you should also get a GFCI plug or breaker since you're dealing with water and electricity.

I brew ten gallons on the stove top with a 15 gallon blichmann boil kettle and a heat stick.

The manufacturer says it wasn't designed to be food-grade safe regarding the welds for the casing, but hey, at the amount I drink, brewing at least three times a month on a 10-gallon scale, I'm pretty sure cancer from the heat stick is the least of my concerns.

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_LKjTub0HX6E86

I just plug it in and set it into the center of the wort. This stick elevates the temperature in my kettle to a rolling boil without fuss.

A few more pics. The light sensor has worked great for about 6 months now. I wrote the code so the door doesn't open/close at the same light level so it has to be completely dark to close and somewhat light to open. The light level took a little tinkering and since the sensor is direct line-of-sight location mattered, but overall it has worked flawlessly. No chicken snaffoos ;)

I was thinking immersion heater. A direct feedthrough in the 5 gallon bucket would be nice, something like this but throttled with a dimmer (1500W is a lot for <50 F). Use an automotive coolant temp sensor screwed into the bucket for temp sensing. Turn heater on when temp = low, off when temp = high using a logic fed 120V relay. I would use a 12 V heater but then the power supply starts $$$.

I appreciated your discussion of how chickens can be forced to shat out more eggs in the winter time. I just a simple socket-timer + light to extend their "day time".

I found the heater similar to what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/1000W-110V-Portable-Electric-Immersion-Element/dp/B07BXG6Z17/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=single+cup+heating+element&qid=1572929540&sr=8-4
Any temp controller will work it doesn't have to be an inkbird. I also do sous vide with the same set up....

You could consider getting one of these.

DIY sous vide style might be what you're looking for.

I've used this in my sous vide rig. You could wire this up to whatever electric (analog controlled) heating device you want. Then you only have to make it once and you'll know how long it takes.

Let me know if you want to know more.

Not sure exactly what elements I'm going with. Based on the conversation and my experience with elements it will be one of the following. Will depend on what kettle i get and tri-clamp attachements (1.5" vs 2")

3500w https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M5BSMSW

5500w https://www.brew-boss.com/ULWD-L6-30P-Stainless-Steel-Ripple-Heater-Element-p/htr-5500-ripple-l6-30p.htm
5500w https://www.amazon.com/Dernord-Tri-clamp-Stainless-Immersion-Electrical/dp/B075KCJX8W

I travel with one of these. I also travel with an Immersion heater and trusty thermometer as well as hand grinder, (not sure of the model, I've had it quite a while.)

I would recommend you just buy one of these: http://www.amazon.com/MARSHALLTOWN-Premier-742G-Bucket-Heater/dp/B000BDB4UG/

Good solution if you don't have an outdoor brew space. Adds enough BTUs to do a full boil on 2 gas stove burners.

No experiance with it but thinking about one of these
bucket heater

This is probably the best tool I own when it comes to BIAB on an electric stove. With it, I can boil 6.5 gallons of wort in about 15-20 minutes (in conjunction with the stovetop on high).

Something like this might save you a lot of aggravation.

I brew 5 gallon batches with two of these 1000 watt bucket heaters. 1500 watts each would be a bit better and quicker, but they work fine and are easy to clean.


Just make sure you plug them into two separate breakers.

If egg-boiling is on the horizon, one of these might be better: http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Immersion-Water-Heater-Voltage/dp/B000AXS0UE

If you have decided to move forward I suggest going with a Solid State Relay system based around PID controllers. A company "Auber" produces one called the EZ-Boil. The EZ-Boil has the very nice (and unique) feature of not only having PID control but also having easy to access Duty Cycle control for boiling your wort.


https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=53&products_id=560



Other PID controllers in this category like the Inkbird ITC-100RH do have duty cycle control but it is not nearly as easy to use as the Auber.



Make sure you use a GFCI (Ground Fault Circut Interrupter) for more safety. They can be had on Amazon for cheap and will save your life if something goes wrong. GFCI plugs will cut the power with a contactor to your element if the continuity between ground and common is broken. Instead of you being shocked and hurt the power will be shutoff.

Amazon Link to a GFCI rated for the correct Amperage. https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-16794-20-Amp-120-Volt-Right-Angle/dp/B00HRF31AC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3G4AFGNJ0277U&keywords=gfci+plug&qid=1565642998&s=home-garden&sprefix=GFCI+pl%2Cgarden%2C140&sr=1-4


Bobby from BrewHardware in New Jersey stocks essentially all the stuff you need to build your own electric setup. I would also recommend these elements from Amazon, a buddy purchased them and they have been great. TC Element

If your buddy is a TIG welder and doesnt mind helping out you are in luck. TC ferrules can be attached to your kettle with hard-soldering and thats great but nothing will beat a TIG welded connection in terms of strength. If your buddy is not a TIG welder or doesnt have access to one it is very possible to solder on your connections with a solder formulated for bonding to stainless steel. Soldering on a TC ferrule



Links to Ferrules and Electric brewing parts on Brew Hardware https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ptbulkhead_tool15tc.htm



Goodluck! if you have any questions let me know.

I use a 1800w induction cooktop. I brewed a small batch blonde ale two weeks ago on it. I wrapped my 10gallon megapot with reflectix and was able to get a weak boil at 4.5 gallons. If you supplement it with a heatstick/bucket heater from amazon, you can easily boil 7 gallons.

http://www.amazon.com/Max-Burton-6000-1800-Watt-Induction/dp/B000MVN1M6

http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395254003&sr=8-1&keywords=bucket+heater

Ah. Yup, that'd certainly do it. Just another reason to go with bucket heaters or 120v water heater elements.

Oh, these are the heating elements I was planning on using.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-02203-Screw-In-Heater-Element/dp/B0006JLVBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398455516&sr=8-1&keywords=water+heater+elements+2000w

If I wired them individually, I can plug each into a regular outlet, right? Wiring them together, through the nicer PAC box, and then out to 240v?

DERNORD 120V 2000W Immersion Water Heater Submersible Heating Element Heater Element with 1 Inch NPT Fitting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M34BZBO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GsDADbH3B8BKX

Hey guys, what about this thing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0183KIU1E?psc=1 Will it work for a 12v DC battery bank dump load? also, does DC or AC matter as a dummy load?

thannks for your advice! My kitchen breaker is set for 20 amps so I should be able to pull this off without an issue.

My next goal is actually cutting my hole and installing it.
https://www.amazon.com/Dernord-Foldback-Heater-Element-Density/dp/B018S4AP5Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1467110896&sr=1-1&keywords=1500w+immersion+heater

Growing up I knew somebody that had one, but only one person.

We have a kettle that goes on the stove at home. In the absence of a stove, my ma uses an immersion heater and the rest of us heathens boil water in the microwave.

If you have an exposed cold supply line not on a heater that has a copper-galvanized connection, can you splice in a short CPVC run to create that same barrier between the metals? Or use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O19OTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UoMDDb5NPQJK9

I was thinking about getting something like this, then somehow wiring it to my battery but wouldn't know where to begin with that.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-02853-Screw--Foldback-Element/dp/B000KKVZUO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458421941&sr=8-2&keywords=camco+1500+w+element

This guy? If so, no, you're fine.

I'm planning on using an Inkbird temperature controller to regulate a heating element in a cooler used as a HLT. Will there be an issue if there is nothing hooked up the the cooling connections of the Inkbird?

A thermocouple is $160?

You can probably find a universal type thermocouple and start there.

Also a quick google search leads me to this which looks looks like your pictures: https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Water-Heater-9003542-Assembly/dp/B000XOEZ9U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

EDIT: Top review on amazon mentions your model number, so looks like it will work.

Here is how you can get a happy compromise. Purchase a normal water heater with a replaceable anode. Where
I live, that would be anything but the cheapest, 6 year warranty models.

Then, before you install it, remove the anode and coat the threads with a never-seize product. Years down the road, this will allow easy removal.

Then buy a second anode. All the Big Box stores sell them. Replace it every five years or so. This will keep rusting to a minimum, and lengthen the tanks lifespan considerably.

Then buy a water heater blanket. This is a product that offers you an additional R-10 in increased insulation:

https://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-SP57-11C-Blanket/dp/B000BPCWQY

This route will save you several hundreds in cost versus the Marathon system.

Aquarium circulaters, immersion water heaters, some sort of plastic cover (limit evaporation), and a temperature probe to monitor water temp.

Sounds like a good weekend project, definitely /r/redneckengineering worthy

I'm looking into going electric for my 2 gallon all grain batches. I don't want to drop a few hundred dollars on a new kettle and induction cooktop, as of right now. Also living in an apartment, so I can't go 240v.

Would a water heater element this size get a good boil on 3 gallons of wort?

Using a 5 gallon boil kettle, FYI. Thank you!

I'm just a regular joe coming from /r/all, but I had the thought of using heat. I'm thinking either a torch set to a low flame, or a handheld electric heater like this.

Obviously potentially dangerous and destructive, but I think if you keep your eye on it and be careful, you could achieve a nice melted layer on the inside.

Edit: Thought of something else. You might be able to buff the inside smooth, like with a small felt buffing tip or a smooth metal piece of some sort in a drill. This might technically be called burnishing.

You can get a water heater style heating element and install that into your kettle. If you have 120v (standard for US) then you can get this one, if, however, you have 240v (also US, but for electric driers, ovens, and furnaces) then you can get something with a little more power.

If it comes down to using electric I have been using [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1382967988&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=bucket+heater). I have them hooked them up to a spa thermostat to turn them on and off.

Nothing fancy. Inkbird PID controller off Amazon came with a type K thermocouple and SSR. I chose this heater because at some point I'll build a bigger still and the same company has 240V heaters with the same electrical connection, so it'll be a drop in replacement since the PID controller is powered by 100-240VAC. Also got the triclamps on Amazon

Thanks!

E.g. https://www.amazon.ca/MARSHALLTOWN-Premier-Line-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG ?

For the driftwood you can always get a 55 gallon drum and a bucket heater and insulate the drum to actually get it to near boiling temperatures or add a second bucket heater to get it boiling. I used the foil covered bubble wrap stuff when I did mine. Plus had it sitting on a 2" piece of styrofoam to keep it off the cold ground. With one heater I got it to about 180℉. Walked into a muggy jungle garage when I did that.

Allied Precision The Premier Line 742G Bucket Water Heater https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BDB4UG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_B15Bwb6FH6K18

Perhaps using something like this.

This being an electric element, you SHOULD NOT get in the tub while this is immersed and plugged in.

Instead of a kettle, you could use an immersion heating coil like this: http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Immersion-Water-Heater-Voltage/dp/B000AXS0UE

Also, instead of hauling jugs of water from the store that has been sitting in plastic, why not just get a brita or (even better) a tiny Berkey filter?

awesome.
so something like this would do the trick?

Hi all, my goal is to construct a fluid bed roaster capable of roasting a half-pound of coffee per go.

For the motor, I'm looking at this electric leaf blower, and for the heating element, I'm looking to dissect this heat gun.

I'll use a pyrex baking tube, and a cocktail shaker to cap it off at the base. And then some machining magic to couple it to the mounting pipe.

Does it seem like this will get hot enough to roast a 1/2 pound?

I'm trying to upgrade from my current popper setup which can roast a max of 60 grams at a time (and that's with me constantly agitating with a shish kabob stick).

Edit: One possible improvement could be increasing the wattage of the heater to 2000W. Does anyone have a recommendation for a really cheap blower (or just the element itself)? Or would this water heater element work?

If I reclaim the air from the exhaust back into the pump, would this allow a 1500W heater to work?

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-02853-Screw-Foldback-Element/dp/B000KKVZUO

Unfortunately, we bought the control panel used so we don't know how it's wired. These are the heating elements we're using. We brewed a batch a few weeks ago with a straight heating element that's 3500W and it didn't trip.

I guess he was saving water, and instead of using hot water, he used this to keep the water hot, or heat it up. he passed away in the tub with this thing still in there, it might not have been an active boil, i'm pretty sure it was just like a huge slow cooker..yeah, near boil, until it dried up. i'm sure that it was a few days before they found him.
http://www.amazon.ca/Bucket-Heater-Allied-14In-1000W/dp/B000BDB4UG

A complete pilot light/thermocouple/ignitor assembly for an AO Smith GCV 40 101 water heater. I see plenty of references to GCV 40 200/201, but not 101.

I think this is it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XOEZ9U/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

...but I don't know if that one is suitable for propane. edit: it's listed as being for natural gas. Still looking for a propane unit.

• Go all grain (should happen in about a month)
  
• Brew some mead
  
• Build an electric kettle to be able to do full boils indoors
  
  The last one is going to be a pricey project, but my stove can barely boil 3 gallons. The only way I get a good boil going is to turn up the heat, and use a heatstick in the kettle at the same time.

Below are most of parts that are needed for the kettle and electronics controller. I don't think I forgot anything. You would obviously need to be a little handy and have some tools like files, a drill, etc.

--

Let me know if you have any other questions!

--



Item| Count | Cost | Link
---|---|----|----
Kettle - SS Brewtech 15 gal|1|$239.00|https://www.homebrewsupply.com/ss-brewtech-15-gallon-stainless-steel-kettle.html
Weldless 1.5" TC|1|$24.00|https://www.brewhardware.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TC15WLF
Hole saw for 1.5" weldless TC|1|$19.00|https://www.brewhardware.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=holesaw40
Pump|1|$94.99|https://www.brewhardware.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Mark2SS
Tri-Clamp Fitting|1|$7.48|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073J5MHRP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1/2" bulkhead|1|$8.50|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJI0TH4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1/2" Npt ball valve for pump|1|$12.99|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0734QDGZW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1/2" ID silocne tubing|1|$19.61|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074Q6QF9S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Spray Wort Aerator|1|$6.66|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ODSS5J8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
||||
Electronics|||
10x8x6 Wall Mount Box w/ 40A heatsink|1|$75.55|https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=616
RTD probe|1|$64.95|https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=767
High Amp Main Switch|1|$12.00|https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_32&products_id=586
120v 15A Socket|2|$1.95|https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=274
120v 10A Rocker Switch|2|$1.80|https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_32&products_id=435
Fuse holder (pack of 5)|1|$2.99|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQWXW9S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nema L6-30 socket 30A 240V|1|$12.39|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002NAT9/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nema L14-30 Extension cord for main power|1|$56.00|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072F8P2SN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nema L6-30 Power cord for Element|1|$29.95|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07935M281/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
240v 5500W heating element|1|$60.00|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KCJX8W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Inkbird PID temp Controller|1|$23.99|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQ8TPDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

in kettle? No, not personally, but I do use a heat stick, and you can DIY that or get one for pretty cheap off amazon.

They work really well! Apartment brewing forever temporarily!

9a, northeast florida. Doesn't get too cold here, but cold enough I lost a fish in October without a heater. The temperature controller is an STC1000, commonly used for homebrewing but it works great for the tank as well, the temperature probe it comes with is water proof, and its cheap. The heater is a 5 gallon bucket heater, designed to get 5 gallons quite hot, but does a good job of keeping 250 gallons at 65. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDB4UG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Right now it's in the 40s outside overnight, but usually in the 50-60 range, with really cold snaps to the 20s. I have my system in a plastic tarp greenhouse. The tarp just keeps the wind out because its too thin to actually hold any heat. I'm upgrading to a "real" greenhouse type of 6 mil sheeting that should help hold in heat and maybe reduce the time the heater has to stay operational.

I also have a mini rocket mass heater I built on the side of the tank as an experiment. The exhaust runs through about 60lbs of sand stacked against the side of my wood and pond liner tank before exiting out the top of the greenhouse. Plan was to run that for a few hours before really cold nights, heat up the sand and help keep the side of the tank warm. In reality I dont think the heat is transferring through the wooden walls the tank much if at all. And any ambient heating the sand and heater are doing is being lost through the thin plastic sheeting. I'm interested in seeing how that changes with the thicker plastic too. I only just got the mass heater working though, so it doesn't influence what I said about the water heater.

I used this one from Amazon. It didn't fit through the hole either, but I just smacked it with a hammer a few times until the bend in it made it small enough to fit through the bushing.

I'm upgrading my setup but I'm unable to build a complete eBIAB system. In the meantime I'm looking at buying this heating element to supplement the stovetop. I've seen it pop up around here nDoes anyone have any experience with this?

I bought a heat stick to help with the boil and it boils quite nicely now.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDB4UG/ref=s9_simh_gw_g469_i4_r?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1S0G8JPEZT1W9E7JJR0T&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

I haven't brewed since I moved and am stuck in a house without a water spigot. I am about to pull the trigger on this water bucket heater so I can brew inside on my stove top. Long weekend and beer brewing sounds good to me!

I've been using a similar one about three times a month during my brew sessions for over a year now, I've never had a problem. So long as you have a GFCI outlet you'll be fine.

It saves me a ton of time getting to a boil on my gas stove top.

Edit: Now comparing this one to mine, I realize this doesn't utilize a ground prong (not sure if that matters) nor does it have the safety shut off if it's out of water, so this thing will cook as long as it's plugged in, brewday cattle prod anyone?

A bucket heater can add enough heat to do the trick, I used this one for several years on my weak stovetop - http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000BDB4UG

found one of these at a thrift store the other day...

the p-dub? wow I'm honored :D

http://www.amazon.com/Thermwell-SP57-11C-Heater-Blanket-gallon/dp/B000BPCWQY

Fiberglass is what they make water heater blankets out of :/ I guess it's just a fire hazard by it's very nature. I plan on upgrading to a gas tankless heater sometime soon but I haven't had the budget for it.