I am new to distilling and ready to purchase the Essentail Extractor PSII HC with 15 gal. premium kettle but want to add an internal heating element. I have read many forum ideas and designs, many with home-made electrical controllers above my level of understanding, and wanted to get some input on a very simple design to see if it will work. An electrician told me to use a stainless universal hot water heater element 120v 1500 watt wired to a 2000 watt dimmer switch (http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Ce...id=1327192514&sr=1-1). Just need a 1" NPSM threaded fitting on the kettle when ordering. Can anyone give me some opinions or experiences. Will the 1500 watt element heat up enough? Thanks.

"Thanks for your info. Heeler-I sure appreciate the help. I will check out the router speed controller idea-I have read that in the forums but never knew what it was and had assumed the dimmer would have been the cheapest solution. The router controller sounds cheaper anway than the 2000 watt dimmer-the dimmer is about $83.00 or so. I will check again with the electrician but he knew what I was doing and said the 2000 watt dimmer should work with the 1500 watt element. If you happen to remember what the issue with the 2000 watt dimmer is in the near future, I would appreciate knowing. Am checking E-bay next for router speed controllers.

I was originally just going to mount a hot water heater replacement thermostat against the kettle wall to maintain the appropriate heat and am waiting to hear back from some vendors that supposedly have a 200 degree high limit thermostats (most in stores don't go high enough). Have you ever heard or tried anything like this configuration?

I was going with the stainless water heater element because many of them are copper with zinc coating and I wasn't sure how that would hold up or if the zinc coating would be an issue. Do you have any thoughts on this?

I am not sure but have found some info. that the threading needs to be NPSM (I am finding info. online like these elements for sale: http://www.plumbingsupply.com/elements.html ). I know the industrial immersion elements like McMaster-Carr are NPT but from what I am finding universal water heater replacement elements might be NPSM. Please let me know if I am mistaken because I went to Lowes & Home Depot but can't tell which thread was which.

Thanks, would appreciate any comments or suggestions."

"cwc you did the correct thing by bying the router control. If you used the controlls from a hot water heater you would have a cycling effect which is not acceptable. The router control will allow you to apply the minimum amount of heat necessary at a constant rate which is exactly what you need.

Good luck:)"

Thanks for the info. Scotty. There is much to figure out here and your info. helped-link to buyfittingsonline also helpful. I have the router contol ordered and a couple of stainless steel hot water heater elements ordered. I had originally talked to Rick about having a 1" NPT coupling installed to fit the immersion heater elements at McMaster-Carr he recommended but they were like $190.00 so I found a $15.00 Rheem stainless steel element (120v,1500watt) but the vendor and the manufacturer both said the threading on the universal hot water replacement elements in the industry are 1" NPSM. Rick is not familiar with that threading and so now I have some things to figure out. Do you or does anyone know if the water heater elements (all supposedly 1" NPSM according to the manufacturers) will fit into a 1" NPT fitting. I have read various pieces and bits in the forums but none were clear-some said they had to use excess teflon tape, etc. and I want to do this right. Thanks for any help:)

"Both NPT and NPTF have the same threads-per-inch, pitch diameters, and taper-per-inch. The differences come in the major and minor diameters, the root and crest of the threads.

The NPTF thread crests fall with in the parameters of the NPT requirements, but have a smaller range than the NPT.

The NPTF thread roots are different than the NPT thread roots. NPTF thread roots are designed to interfere with the crest of the mating thread with the intention of creating a mechanical seal through thread form deformation at assembly. NPTF threads have two classes identified: Class 1 and Class 2. NPT thread roots are designed to allow clearance with the mating thread crests on assembly.


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Yes have brewhaus install the fitting. Thats the hardest part of the job.

CWC, I have never read that little tidbit of info but can attest first hand that the router speed controller --will-- work with a water heating element. Now I cant say for sure about stainless steel elements but I'm pretty sure they will work the same. Cant think of any reason SS element would work any different. Also dont know what kind of RSC you purchased but the only restriction I found with the one I purchased was not to use it with a brushless motor --- and I dont know what the hell that means either. Dont buy anything else until you get the unit in your hand ---- oh and you will have to make a pigtail of sorts to wire into the element and then plug into thte RSCer. I just bought a $15 ext. cord and cut the end that I did'nt need off and there ya go.

You got it, but no I dont use a hotplate. I use a 15 gallon beer keg with a internal heating element. I cant say if the RSC works with a hotplate and I wont give advice on that since I dont know. I'm sure others will add some info on that. I think you will like the RSC with the internal element -- I know it beats the shit out of the gas powered system. I still use the gas to get up to cooking temp cause its just speeds up the process, but then the gas is off and the electric takes over. Thats the best way to go --IMHO.

"Ya know I dont remember exactly how long it takes with electric only. I just always use the gas and then just the element. I would guess it would be faster than a hotplate but I'm just guessing. When I made mine setup I bought a 4500watt 220 volt element and my thinking was if I'm pushing 110 volts to it it should last longer (you know built tougher so it should last longer ) I'm sure any will work that was just my rational.
I think read that you are useing a 110v 1500watt element on a 15 gallon keg??? If you put in 15 gallons of wash I bet that would take a long time to get to temp!!!!! But you dont have to put in 15 gallons just do 5 gallon washes and use that as a learning step. I think you are off and running."

"This is my RSC and as you can see the orange plug is the pigtail I made to go to the heating element on the boiler. Nothing new just sharing the pic.

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