SD Torpedo Glass broke

edited August 2015 in Accessories

Hello all!
New guy to the forums, been lurking for quite a few months just reading. Added a torpedo with triclamp style sight glass to my setup and during the cleaning run I developed a leak at the glass, gave it a small turn to tighten it and it cracked in half :(. Luckily I had a 2" blank to put in it's place to finish the run as well as the UJSM run later that day. My question is, how tight should the triclamp sight glasses be tightened, I snugged it pretty tight before the run and like I said I developed the small liquid leak when the plate flooded, but tightening more cracked it.. Any tips or tricks from the folks that run triclamp sight glassess?

Comments

  • Hi bayouj,

    The system really requires very little pressure to seal. There is only a few pounds of pressure within the system when running.

    Try wetting your O-ring prior to installation. Even using a bit of mineral oil for lubrication will help to insure that the O-ring more easily seats correctly in to the trough/groove on the flange.

    The clamp requires very little tightening.

    I wish I could explain better.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Been there done that ..... :(( almost no pressure

  • have not broken one yet... makes me wonder if a more beveled glass and then a stainless washer (think: the GB4 washer with a much larger ID) or an actual machined collar would be worth investigating....

  • Thanks for the replies! I will take it alot easier on the replacement glass, and try to lubricate it as well.

    Do you take the glass out after every run for cleaning and re-install, or just leave it in place and flush the torpedo/plate column with water?

  • mine was not on a torpedo, but on the boiler, and functioned as the fill port on a sankey boiler, so it was removed each time, the silicone o-ring was rinsed most of the time...

  • No need to remove after every use unless you are so inclined @ bayouj.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited August 2015

    I don't have any mineral oil, could I use some keg lube (I use it for the o-rings on 5 gallon ball lock kegs). It is sanitary..

  • @CothermanDistilling said: have not broken one yet... makes me wonder if a more beveled glass and then a stainless washer (think: the GB4 washer with a much larger ID) or an actual machined collar would be worth investigating....

    Sometimes the inside bevel on the clamp can vary. As a result the pressure applied to the glass can shift the stress point closer to the hinge.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • I have a sightglass kit on my torpedo and have not removed it since it was installed, (30-40 runs). I see no problems with it. The way the glass is exposed on the inside of the torpedo is the same for both triclamp and SGK.

    Glycerin makes a good o-ring lubricant.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited August 2015

    @Kapea said: Glycerin makes a good o-ring lubricant.

    Nice pro tip.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Keg lube would work fine, a small smear is all you need. Keg lube is food grade. As said, not even what is known in the mechanicing trade as 'finger tight'. Just nipped.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

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