General Glycol piping questions & UBC powerpack

[Ogie]

Hello,

I purchased the UBC 3/4PRO to chill my 2BBL brewery (5 FVs, 1 BT). I saw many posts here recommending it. Now that I have it, I'm skeptical of the 3/8" inlet / outlet barbs and high-pressure pumps... but it seems like it works for many. To those who use one... did you just connect the 3/8" barb directly to your piping? 1/2" trunk adequate?

My current plan has the chiller in the basement, pumping up to the 1st floor FVs and BT. I have concerns about power failure or pump failure causing the glycol to gravity siphon and overflow the reservoir. I could add two more NC solenoids at the inlet & outlet, to close on power failure, but that doesn't address pump issues? Thoughts?

[backslope]

I have been using several UBC 3/4HP chillers for the past 6 years on my 7 bbl brewery (I think the 3/4PRO version is a slight upgrade from what I have, or maybe just the new version of the same thing, but looks more or less the same from what I can tell). For your size of brewery, with 2 bbl tanks, yes, you can just do step up line reducers/adapters from 3/8" to 1/2" or even 3/4" trunk lines, and then do reducers back into the 3/8" unit as needed. I have done that throughout my brewery with no issues.

If you were running a 15 or 30 bbl production system you would certainly want to be more scientific and precise, but I have found that at your scale you can scab a lot of plumbing together and it works just fine.

As to pumping glycol between floors and worrying about overflow, I don't have experience with that, but I do have simple one-way valves that prevent back flow on some of my chillers so that gravity back flow from my 7bbl fermenters can't overflow my reservoir. I don't think that I really need them, but they cost maybe $20 at the hardware store, and they don't hurt my system, so I plumbed them in just in case.

There are many more skilled brewers/plumbers/engineers out there than me, but this is my experience.

Good luck.

[Johnson_Thermal]

As mentioned by the previous poster, a check valve on the supply/outlet would suffice for that line.

For the inlet/return line, you use:
1. Spring loaded check valve, set so the cracking pressure (pressure at which it opens) is greater than the pressure generated by the elevation difference. So from your header to the valve, there vertical distance in feet multiplied by 0.43.

Note that this cracking pressure is ALWAYS pushing up against your tanks now. Might be an issue depending on the elevation difference.

Pros-
Simple, relatively inexpensive.

Cons.

Internally adjustable, meaning if you set it wrong you have to remove from piping to adjust.

Imposes additional pressure drop that may be higher than a valve.

2. NC solenoid valve.

Use normally closed solenoid on the return line. Wired to the power or control power of the chiller. If placed in parallel with the coil for the pump relay you pretty much will shut this valve anytime the pump is off (there may be some exceptions depending on how the pump is wired but probably not worth worrying about)


Make sure the elevation creates enough Head pressure to keep the valve shut. Standard valves have a required DP to stay closed. Look for zero DP valve for best sealing reliability.

Pros
Reliable and doesn't require adjustment.

Cons.

Sealing with low dp.
Pressure drop
Tiniest booger in piping can plug pilot orifice and keep it from working right

3. Actuated Valve
Similar to above, but uses a motorized actuator to close/open the valve.

Must use a spring loaded valve so it closes when there is a loss of power. (spring return)

Pros
Low pressure drop
No water hammer
Not subject to minimum DP

Cons
Most expensive (especially <1" sizes)

Opens slow when pump starts (may create pressure spike). If pump doesn't turn off and on a lot no big whoop

Actuator usually has to be indoors




If using valve (options 2 and 3) keep in mind that the glycol between the chiller check valve and solenoid is "closed off" and is "touching" the tank jackets. Therefore of something happens where the chiller is off, and there is some kind of heat source like hot wash water, fermenting beer, or ambient air, this glycol will expand and exert a high pressure against the tank jackets which may damage them.

This can be alleviated by putting a small pressure relief bypass around the solenoid (just to relieve the expanded fluid) or a small expansion tank.

Jeff Johnson
JSJ Engineering


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