Installing the BREWHA 100% Stainless Heating Element
The new Stainless Steel Electric Water Heating Element from BREWHA comes with the following features:
- pre-installed and ready to use; no wiring, heat-shrinking, sealing threads or drilling required
- connects to any 2" tri-clamp compatible ferrule
- made entirely of highest grade stainless steel, including the the flange
- element sheath is made of Incoloy 840, a nickel chromium alloy of steel specially designed for the best possible resistance to water-heating corrosion. The flange is made of 430 stainless steel, used for its ability to be cold-headed (a forming process that allows it to hold the heating element).
- where not curved, the heater element sheath has a bright incoloy surface which cleans more easily than a fully annealed (for bending) surface and is best for food applications; where the element needed to be bent, it is annealed which gives it a brown appearance (does not compromise quality at all)
- have a grounded element guard, an aluminum cord grip, 8' of power cord and an L6-30 240V plug to fit the socket on the BREWHA Brewery Electric Power Controller
- installed in a more compact, aesthetically pleasing enclosure which doesn't get in the way
- use of a compression gasket to seal against the enclosure, the same way water heating elements seal in household hot water tanks. Thread tape and pipe dope is no longer necessary for a perfect seal. If heater needs tightening, a water heater wrench can be purchased here (or here for 9500W heater wrench).
- Install the heating element with the slot in the cap pointing down. The slot down ensures that if water leaks through, it runs out the bottom of the guard.
- With the heating element unplugged, fill the vessel full to the top with water. It is important to fill to the top so the pressure acting on the valve will be the same as during brewing.
- Take the cap off the guard by loosening the clamp where the black cord enters the guard. Use a flashlight to look inside
- If there is any moisture appearing behind the seal, hand tighten using an element wrench or socket (one can be purchased from the bottom of the list on the electric water heater page or at local hardware stores). A screwdriver can be placed through the two wrench holes to give a little more leverage but don't over-tighten or the gasket can squeeze out the sides. If the gasket buckles and squeezes out, try applying a little food-grade lubricant so that the gasket doesn't buckle, and/or loosen the element until the gasket pulls in and then tighten again. It is also a good idea to add a little food-grade lubricant to the threads before tightening, to help prevent galling.
Other blog posts have been written discussing safe operation and preventing dry-firing of the heating element. With proper use, the BREWHA Water Heating Element will provide many, many years of service.
2 comments
Hi Ray, it will likely work, but using as short a reducer as possible would be recommended to reduce the amount of wort in the reducer. The other option would be to replace your 1.5" ferrule with a 2".
I would like to use your 5500 watt pre assembled 240v element in another brew pot that has a 1.5" tc port, if I use a 2" to 1.5" concentric reducer will it work,