T500 water connection

by **jahtubs** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 2:29 am

Hi there,
New to the forum and have just got a T500 but I\'m having trouble connecting it to a tap. My kitchen tap doesn\'t have an aerator attachment or any type of thread inside it. (I thought maybe it did but on closer inspection it was just a rubber bung press fitted in there). I bought an adapter from wineworks that allows you to connect to an outside tap. I don\'t have any outside tap but I bought a universal hose adapter that clamps on to a normal tap giving you a thread to screw a hose to. I figured this would be enough but the shape of my tap doesn\'t work with the hose adapter.
Any ideas how I can get water to this thing? I can see that wineworks do a push on fitting but that looks like those old rubber shower attachments you used to get. If they\'re anything to go buy it would be shooting off when the flow gets increased - especially if there\'s a control valve on the line. I\'m a bit stumped so any help would be greatly appreciated.

by **MrCat** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:15 am

I found that problem with my SS reflux - I had to use the push on rubber adaptor.
I got some bits of velcro (the sort that has each type of velcro on opposite side if you know what I mean ??) and made a \'harness\' to fit over the tap to keep it in place.
I made two loops of velcro, looped another piece of velcro around the rubber adaptor, then looped velcro round the back of the tap.

The strap that goes round the back of the tap loops through the two loops on the sides of the rubber adaptor.

Although I made this for my SS reflux I had to use it today on my T500 and it worked perfectly.

by **Andy** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:20 am

wineworks do a push on fitting but that looks like those old rubber shower attachments you used to get

This might be your only solution.

The pressure you run is not that high from the tap itself, a little playing and you will be right.

Just dont walk away for any period of time.

The most I have run was 800ml/min and that was in our hot Aussie summer, during winter it dropped to 450 - try running these figures straight from the tap and you will see how little it really is.

Good luck and keep us posted.

.

Oh nearly forgot, welcome to the fold

by **jahtubs** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:54 am

Great, thanks for the suggestions. I have some of that Velcro left over from putting up fly screens this summer so Ill give that a go. Do you think I\'d still be able to put a valve on the line with that arrangement? The flow out of the tap is very inconsistent at low rates, sometimes cutting out altogether. I need to crank it up to get a reliable flow from it. I\'ve ordered one of those rubber adapters anyway so I\'ll let you know how it goes.

by **turps** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:19 am

I have fit my needle valve tap to the washing machine tap in my laundry, it is the right fit & being in the laundry keeps unwanted eyes from seeing it

by **MrCat** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:11 am

Do you think I'd still be able to put a valve on the line with that arrangement?

Yes

That valve is ok, it worked well with the SS reflux but this needs slightly finer control so I've ordered one of these
Airline Valve on eBay
It's the right size for the T500 tubing and hopefully will get better control

by **jahtubs** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:34 am

Thanks mrCat - that\'s all very reassuring. I\'ve just ordered one of those valves you\'ve linked to so fingers crossed.

by **MrCat** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:32 am

Seeing Turps\'s post above about the needle valve fitting a washing machine fitting makes me think..
We\'ve got a mixer tap with a shower outlet which has a 1/2\" bsp fitting on it so I could get a washing machine hose, then get a 1/2\" bsp to a hose tail that fits in in the hose and connect it instead of the shower...
Mmmm...

by **jahtubs** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:48 pm

The push on tap adapter arrived today and is way too small to fit the tap. Bugger! Not sure what to do now. I do have a washing machine in the kitchen so maybe that's the way to go. Does anyone know if there's a way of splitting the cold water feed to the washing machine without flooding the kitchen? I've found Y splitters that do this for two appliances but I would need some kind of valve to stop the water when not running the still. I haven't managed to find one with the right connections at the diy shop.
Any ideas would be much appreciated, I'm itching to get my new toy running

Actually having just read that back to myself I've realised that the valve that comes with the still is doing exactly that. Not sure how it would hold up as a permanent plumbing solution though.

by **alan** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 4:33 am

jahtubs you could replace the washing machine tap with a compression tee then refit the valve to the end of the tee and one on the branch

by **short2** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 7:39 pm

I had the same problem with my Taps being square and having no aerator. Wineworks sent me the rubber adapter and the adapter for the outside tap which I do not have. I put the rubber adapter over the tap to find the male nipple does not fit the regulater. I disconnected the rubber from the tap reversed it stuck it on the regulator valve pulled out the white male nipple stuck that end which is now female into the male nipple on my garden hose tap adapter which leaks if pressure was to high when I was doing the garden. Then I just wrapped a dish towel aroud that and it worked ok. As I am not doing the garden and the trial I have done at the lower pressure I expect to get no leaks. If it does I will wrap a towel around it or some tape. Will let you know how it works for me when I start a run tonight or tomorrow.

by **short2** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 7:53 pm

Ps welcome to the forum I am as new to this as you.

by **jahtubs** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 4:30 am

Thanks for the tips. I\'ve had a think about it and a bit of a read elsewhere and I think I\'m going try a water recirculating system. My kitchen window opens on to the back garden so I\'ll put a water butt out there and pump the water in. Less wasteful as well so that\'s probably not a bad thing.

by **short2** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 5:35 pm

I just finished my first run yesterday and the tap was ok so long as I did not push up the pressure. WE ARE UP TO THE NECK IN SNOW HERE AT THE MOMENT SO IT was running at 450. What I did wrong was put the water flow inlet and outlet pipes in reverse order and had fumes every where before I realised what I had done. I had 78c on the top thermo and 20 on the bottom. I stupidly thought something was wrong with the thermos. It took me 2hrs to realise I had set up wrong. I felt such an idiot especially so because I had read some place on the forum one of the guys had done the same thing.Anyway as a result I only got 2.5 ltr at 85 and I dont know if I will keep it though I made up a few bottles of Rum and Bourbon that tasted ok without filtering them. Its back to making another wash now and hopefully taking a step up the learning curve. Who said this was a Cheap hobby it started with a bum tap now I am getting an external tap fitted in the garden. I have also bought a new garden shed to do the stilling outside and store my kit. Cheers for now away back to the drawing board. Can anyone tell me the best flavours for vodka. thx

by **shoutingsoup** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:52 pm

Hi all.

I'm about to order my first ever still. Done all the reading and watching the SS and WW vids. I do have a question to ask the forum genuises though.

The tap connector. Seems like a common issue. I don't have any aerator fittings of threads on any of my taps. The closest thing I have it the thread on my washing machine hose which I could fairly easily take off as it has an isolation tap on it.

Would anyone be able to tell me if the needle valve supplied would fit, or if the adaptor from WW would work. Either way would be spiffing. If not I guess I'll be stuck with the push-on rubber fella.

Thanks in advance folks. Can't wait to join the distiller's club!

Ben.