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Glycol Chiller Main Pipe Height

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  • Glycol Chiller Main Pipe Height

    We are putting the final touches on our brewery and I'm going to start the plumbing the pipe for the chiller in a few days. Our fermenters are visible by a glass wall and I was hoping to keep everything as concealed as possible. We are using schedule 80 pvc with insulation around it. I'm also installing Y strainers before each solenoid and a y strainers and the return before it gets to the chiller. Pressure relief valve will be on the main pipe and well as manual bypass around each solenoid. I'm almost ready to take the leap of faith and start the plumbing but I am not sure how high the main pipes should be and can't find any good info on the optimal height.. Most breweries I see have the main pipe very high, above the fermenters. My thought is why fight gravity if you don't have to. I would also note that our chiller is at ground level and we have 4 x 7 bbl uni tanks and 1 x 7 bbl brite tank.

  • #2
    The elevation of the pipe does not count against your pump head, because the height you go up, you also go down. It does increase the total length of pipe however; if you go up 20' then down 20' that is 40' of length the pump DOES see.

    Overhead piping does require you to deal with the fact that the pipes can be higher than the elevation of the chiller and the level of the glycol in the reservoir. That means that if the glycol pump shuts off ,the water will flood back and over flow the chiller reservoir.

    There are other more brewery specific design considerations, but others can speak to that better than myself. But this is the basics of the hydraulics of the system.


    Good luck!


    Jeff Johnson
    Johnson Thermal Systems

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
    Johnson Thermal Systems
    sales@johnsonthermal.com
    Johnsonthermal.com
    208.453.1000

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    • #3
      Thank you for the information. That makes sense. I don't want to drain all of the glycol from the jackets in the tanks if there is a power failure. I might end up installing a check valve just in case but I don't want to depend on it. I'm installing the main lines about 5 ft above the fermenters.
      Last edited by MainstreamBrew; 12-25-2018, 08:43 AM.

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      • #4
        A check valve will work on the supply. For the return an actuated valve or zero differential pressure solenoid valve will be required to close the return line. Or a spring loaded check valve, whose spring spressure is greater than than the height above the valve. Those that cracking pressure will add pressure drop to the system and exert that pressure on your tanks.

        A compromise is to leave some room in your glycol reservoir to accommodate the volume of the return. I would keep the check valve though then you only have to deal with half the amount of flooding back glycol.

        Jeff

        Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
        Johnson Thermal Systems
        sales@johnsonthermal.com
        Johnsonthermal.com
        208.453.1000

        Comment


        • #5
          Wye Strainers

          Originally posted by MainstreamBrew View Post
          We are putting the final touches on our brewery and I'm going to start the plumbing the pipe for the chiller in a few days. Our fermenters are visible by a glass wall and I was hoping to keep everything as concealed as possible. We are using schedule 80 pvc with insulation around it. I'm also installing Y strainers before each solenoid and a y strainers and the return before it gets to the chiller. Pressure relief valve will be on the main pipe and well as manual bypass around each solenoid. I'm almost ready to take the leap of faith and start the plumbing but I am not sure how high the main pipes should be and can't find any good info on the optimal height.. Most breweries I see have the main pipe very high, above the fermenters. My thought is why fight gravity if you don't have to. I would also note that our chiller is at ground level and we have 4 x 7 bbl uni tanks and 1 x 7 bbl brite tank.

          WYE strainers only belong on the supply side of the system and can create problems if mis-applied.
          If you have one ahead of every servo you are good.
          Warren Turner
          Industrial Engineering Technician
          HVACR-Electrical Systems Specialist
          Moab Brewery
          The Thought Police are Attempting to Suppress Free Speech and Sugar coat everything. This is both Cowardice and Treason given to their own kind.

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