Broken sight glass

[rukkus]

I was installing a sight glass this morning and forced it a bit too much when tightening and it snapped at the threads. It was basically threadded at the bottom with a 1/4" bsp thread. Its fine apart from i can no longer attach it due to the lack of thread. Does anyone know what would be needed to rethread it or would it be cheaper to just order another one? Or is a compression fitting an option?

Its made from some kind of plastic not glass

[Will_D]

You need to find someone with a 1/4" bsp ( 19 tpi ) die to run a bit of thread. A plumber should have one.

Unfirtunately I don't have one. It may just be cheaper quicker to buy a new one.

[Garry]

I used a compression fitting on mine so it is an option. Just don't tighten the shite out of it.

If you can find someone with the correct die set, it should be easy to re-thread.

[biertourist]

Compression fittings are an option; Bobby from Brewhardware sells ones that are melted / glued into place AND others with compression fittings.


-You SHOULD also be aware that you should NOT do an extended soak with either Oxyclean or PBW in any vessel that has a polycarbonate site glass.  It depends upon your water chemistry, but in some water types you'll end up cracking and destroying your site glass. (I know it just happened to me 2 weeks ago.)

There is a warning on most sites that sell these things, but I didn't notice it until I did an over night oxiclean soak and end up with 46 liters of water on the floor of my garage.




Adam

[rukkus]

Cheers, anyone know where i'd find a stainless compression fitting with a 1/4" bsp thread that will fit a sight glass designed to thread into 1/4" bsp?

[rukkus]

Does anyone know if bes.co.uk part # 14125 would be the correct size? Or would i need to go up to # 14126?

[biertourist]

For what it's worth, I just disassembled my broken site glass from brewhardware.com and here's one more option: use a die set to add threads to a polycarbonate tube and just screw it into a stainless "t" fitting.  -This is how the cheap brewhardware.com dip tubes are made!

If you've got a 1/2" BSP die, or one that you can borrow, you should be able to just screw it directly into the "t" fitting.



Adam

[DEMPSEY]

I got 12mm glass tubing and in order to fit it to standard 1/2" brass fittings I used a 12mm drill bit and drilled some qualpex 1/2" tubing and them cut same tubing as collars and used a standard brass olive and then installed with a standard 1/2" brass fitting.

[rukkus]

I just ordered part # 14056 from bes, hope that will do the job. The tube seems to be about 13mm

[Hop Bomb]

I snapped mine during a brew day. Its now actually better than before since the fix.

I put one of these :



...into the 90 degree elbow & now use a piece of beer/gas line with the broken sight glass over it. Works great & I can chuck the beer/glass line for some fresh stuff whenever I want.

[biertourist]

I love the idea of using a John Guest fitting! -Dead simple to install AND replace if PBW kills it -Any Polycarbonate tubes that will fit in those?


Adam

[rukkus]

The compression fittings arrived but were very slightly too small for the tubes, luckly i also ordered some stainless blanks for the angle fittings so i can blank off the one with the broken tube until i can  get it rethreaded the compression fittings will do nicely if i pick up some smaller tube after then ones i have need replacing