Obtaining parts in the UK?

[Devilman]

OK guys, I need some help here.

Ive managed to get hold of a couple of compressors from a friend at work (one is a 1/12hp, will do as a vac pump I guess. The other is a 1/6hp which will do for a first attempt at phase-change)

Problems Im having is locating all the other parts for the system. specifically the condensor. Pipework and so forth I can make, oil and R134a I can get from work. but a condensor eludes me.

Any help would be apreciated.

[]JR[]

Bent copper tube will work ;)

elsewise theyre are plenty of uk suppliers, the problem is getting then to supply to non trade. Hawco, HRP, dean & wood will all likely knock you back for online sales, although if you turned up at a customer service desk you might have more luck.

]JR[

[Devilman]

Any recommendations as to what id pipe to use and roughly what length?

Cheers

[]JR[]

8mm 6m at least if your planning to aircool it, and remember you need hot gas in the top and liquid out the bottom so simply wrapping it round something in a spiral would work ok. Theres a guy on phase-change.com who made an air cooled one cant remember who though :( you could go looky...

Or go for a coaxial watercooled effort then make it shorter...

]JR[

[Coji]

iirc Marci found an online store doing some of the parts, though i'm not sure if he has had to create a trade account for use where he works though.

Other than that online refridgeration parts sales (esspecially for the bits needed to mod a prommy :mad: ) are none existant, your best bet may be looking locally.

C.

[Devilman]

Hmm, sounds good.

I do have an old heater core from an old MGB which is copper based, but no way would I try putting that for a condensor.

Figure I could make a watercooled condensor using copper pipe and use that heater core for the water circuit. Tho Im always wary of relying on watercooling to keep the highside under control. If the pump fails, its boom time. lol

Co-Axial, I asume you mean that "pipe in a pipe" that guy made on phase-change.com ?

[migginz]

heres one place I found.

http://www.bes.ltd.uk/

[Devilman]

Yeh I saw that place one before. At least I can get some parts there, manifold guages etc....

Still not sure about the condensor tho. I could use bent copper pipe but I know it wont be half as efficient as a proper condensor.

The idea of using bent copper inside another copper pipe, to watercool the condensor is a valid one, but Im unsure about the implications of pump failure etc...

Perhaps I could use a high-pressure cutout switch to prevent any nastyness occuring if the waterpump was to fail.

Any other ideas?

[migginz]

the old smirnoff freezer I got had a small radiator like condensor with a VERY powerful 200mm mains fan blowing thru it and it doesnt make much noise compared to the screaming 80mm on eI had in my case.

My friend got some 1/4" copper pipe and coiled in a long funnel kind of shape with small gaps between each coil and has a fan blowing thru it, his system isnt complete yet so I cant tell you if it works.

[Devilman]

Hmm, small smirnof fridge eh?

same sort of kind that you see for stella / guiness and so forth?

Might be worth bearing in mind, even tho shelling out for the fridge is not very practical, never know, might find a dead one :)

[migginz]

it was in the cellar collecting dust at my old job.

It was used to freeze the flavoured smirnoff bottles, you'll see them in night clubs and such.

a couple of grainy pics before I demolished it

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/lee.nagle/smirnfr.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/lee.nagle/smirnfr2.jpg

has a 1/8 hp electrolux GL45AA (GL46A) compressor rated at 115w at - 23c, good enough for a single CPU DD cooler.

[Devilman]

Well, it looks like I may be in luck after all.

A friend of mine says he knows a guy who owns an ice-cream freezer company, if he comes through, I may have more complete condensing units than I know what to do with, :banana: :toast: