First I want to acknowledge the thread that started this. There were a number of people, myself included, wanting part numbers and a parts list but the info was never posted.
My version is similar to the original thread but not exactly the same. Here's a picture of the finished product.
How I built it: First I ordered a pump from Amazon. The price was 51.81 delivered (Amazon Prime).
I then went to Lowes and bought the parts for the main manifold.
These are the parts for the manifold:
Here's a parts list (Lowes) for the manifold.
6 1" x 3/4" threaded PVC (PN: 23856) 46 cents each
4 PVC plugs (PN:23524) 97 cents each
4 90 degree elbows (PN:23868) 47 cents each
2 1" PVC tees (PN:23876) 86 cents each
2 1" ball valve (PN:21486) $5.15 each
1 1" 4 way cross (PN:22702) $2.66
1 10' 1" PVC pipe (23933) this is rated to 200PSI but is not the schedule 40. $2.55
1 10' 3/4" PVC pipe. I think it was about $2.25.
If you are using glass carboys (I use Better Bottles) then you will need a few additional parts because the neck of the glass carboy is too small for the 3/4" pipe.
For glass carboys add to the above:
3/4" male to 1/2" female coupling (PN:23938)
1/2" cap (PN:23937) $.36
1/2" pipe (PN:23966) $1.89
This will allow you to use the 1/2" pipe for cleaning the glass carboys and the 3/4" pipe for everything else.
In addition to the above you will need PVC cement and PVC primer and a way to cut some pieces off the 10' pipe (hacksaw works okay).
To assemble the above you will need to cut 8 1 1/2" pieces of the 1" pipe. Sand off any burrs and be sure to dry fit everything together before the glue up. I put pencil marks on the connectors when I have everything lined up. That way when I go to glue up all I have to worry about is lining up those pencil marks. If you have never used PVC cement it is easy (and messy). Prime all the joints with the primer, let it dry a couple of minutes, then swab the cement on one of the connectors and push the parts together giving it a slight twist as they slide together. The glue sets up fast so be ready and be sure the parts are lined up properly before the glue sets.
Here's a picture of the manifold dry fit. Note that the black piece shown is part of the pump and not a part bought separately:
Here's the pieces after priming:
KEGERATOR LINE CLEANER
Up until now I have used a hand pump sprayer to circulate the line cleaner through my keg lines as needed. Now I don't need that setup any longer.
PARTS NEEDED:
Brass 1/2" ID x 1/2" FIP (LFA 390) found on the Lowes plumbing department
Brass 3/8" Fine Thread x 1/2" FIP (LFA-181)
Corny post for the liquid/beer side. I took the one off of my old pump cleaner. Any good size LHBS will carry these.
6' 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID tubing PN:22274 1 3/4" barb (PN:194590). You can find these in the plumbing section but if you look in the sprinkler/irrigation section you can find them a lot cheaper. The only difference is the ones in the sprinkler section are black and not white.
Stainless Steel hose clamps. I bought a 10 pack (PN:47792). It cost $3.06 for the package.
The only note is to be sure to connect the fittings so that the poppet is seated at the top of the corny post. It must have enough pressure on the poppet spring to depress the center pin on the beer line connector in your kegerator or you won't get any water/cleaner circulation through the line and faucet.
CORNY TUBE CLEANER:
Gas ball lock connector (I already had this)
Liquid ball lock connector (I already had this)
2 6' 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID tubing (forgot to write down the part number but it's in the Lowes plumbing section with all the other tubing).
Because the Lowes tubing is larger than the barbs on the ball lock connectors I put a short piece of beer line on the barbs and then slipped the Lowes tubing over that and secured with hose clamps. If you look close you can see the tubing inside the Lowes tubing.
MISCELLANEOUS Parts:
Tub (PN:131957) $13.98 I couldn't find a Rubbermaid tub so I used this one. If you don't use this one then I suggest that you put the manifold assembly together then measure it to see what size tub you will need. The smaller the tub you buy, the less water/solution it will take to keep the pump from cavitating. Be sure to measure the height too. I found a lot of tubs that were perfect for the length and width but weren't quite tall enough.
Here's a picture of the pump and manifold setting in the tub.
I couldn't come up with a more elegant solution for the grid to go on top of the tub so I bought a 6' section of closet shelving and then cut 2 20" pieces from it. That size will allow the grid to be stored inside the tub when not in use.
CORNY WASHER:
Measure the length of PVC needed to go nearly to the top (actually the bottom) of the corny. Glue the piece of 3/4" PVC to the threaded connector and screw into the center connector of the manifold. I drilled a number of 1/8" holes in a 3/4" PVC cap for the water/cleaner to spray out. I drilled the top holes straight but drilled the side holes at an angle so the water would hit towards the edges.
I used longer lines for the keg connections so I can lay the corny on its' side and connect the connectors to the posts and then lift the keg over the top of the spray tube. Slide the grid together and it sits perfectly level with no issues.
CARBOY WASHER/BUCKET WASHER:
Measure the length needed to go nearly to the top (actually the bottom) of the bucket. Glue a piece of 3/4" PVC to the threaded connector and screw into the center connector of the manifold (for glass carboys use the 1/2" pipe and the 1/2" cap along with the 3/4" to 1/2" adapter).
I drilled a number of 1/8" holes in a 3/4" PVC cap for the water/cleaner to spray out. I drilled the top holes straight but drilled the side holes at an angle so the water would hit towards the edges.
The length of pipe for a bucket is just slightly less than that needed for a carboy so I use the same one. You can use one tube for everything but since I bought a 10' length of PVC I decided to make use of it. Once it's running you will be able so see just how powerful and complete the spray pattern is.
Although not necessary I bought a flange to set the carboy in while cleaning. This gives more support and the carboy will not fall over against the wash tube. I had to use my Dremel to take out a little bit of the edge so the carboy would go completely in and shoulder of the carboy rests on the flange.
The flange is not attached to anything, it just sits on the grid. Flange PN:23542 $4.73
Pic cleaning a carboy:
KEGERATOR LINE CLEANING:
Hook up the keg line cleaning attachment and connect a tube from the open faucet to drain back into the tub. I had a piece of extra high temp tubing that worked perfect for this.
Do not forget to put a plug in the center of the manifold (you will probably only forget to do this one time), I suggest you plug the hole in the end with the overflow tube and use the other end for attaching the kegerator line cleaning line. Open both valves and start the pump. Adjust the valve (closing) on the overflow side until you see a good strong stream of cleaning solution coming from the faucet. The ID of the line coupled with the restrictions in the connector itself restricts the flow of cleaning solution to about 1 gallon every 2.5 minutes, so if you let it run for 10 minutes you have put about 4 gallons through the line and faucet.
In addition I built a line cleaner attachment to allow me to clean lines without any connector on them. I was hoping removing the restriction in the coupler would give me a little more volume but after measuring it, it was about the same.
I drilled a 1/2" hole in a PVC plug then threaded the connector into the plug. The other end is a coupling with a barb attachment.
I was at Home Depot when I picked these up so I don't know the Lowes part numbers:
1/4" x 1/4" brass adapter (042805445822) $2.38
2 1/4" x 1/4" brass union flare (098268618679) $1.85
the partnumbers:
Here's a pic of the system cleaning some lines in my kegerator. Note that I have two lines to clean, that's why there's a line hanging from the center. Yep, my kegerator sits outside in the Texas heat.
AUTO SIPHON CLEANING:
For some reason my auto siphon tends to get little pieces of dried wort sediment the tube as well as the cane. To clean the cane simply attach the tube (it's a tight fit) and plug in the pump. After a few minutes I remove the tube from the cane and stick the tubing in the auto siphon and let it run a few minutes to get it completely clean. The auto siphon takes a smaller size tube so I bought 2 adapters to allow the 3/4" connector on the manifold to attach to the tube for the siphon cane.
Here's the part numbers:
A-193B (Watts) 1/4" ID X 1/2" MIP (brass) PN:25037
LASCO 439-101RMC BUSHING THREADED 3/4 X 1/2 (plastic)PN:23832 $1.26
You will also need some 1/4" ID line (it's a tight fit but you can slide it on the cane about 1/4 which is plenty). PN:443437
GENERAL OPERATIONAL NOTES: The way the manifold sets on the pump causes it to be heavier on one side allowing the pump to tip to one side. I remedied this by adding a short piece of PVC with the end cut at an angle. When the pumps wants to tip, the PVC keeps it in balance. Note the angle cut in the tube to allow the water to flow unrestricted.
There's a lot of pressure when the pump is running so you will have to play with the valves to allow sufficient water flow and not cause pump problems. Be sure to add enough water so the pump does not cavitate.
Everything stores inside the tub when not in use:
I hated cleaning kegs and the corny tubes in the keg before I built this system. Now I add some Oxiclean and water and let it run while I'm doing other things. When everything is clean, I run water through the system and finally add some Starsan and let that circulate.
Being able to clean while I'm doing other things is a big plus.
This system can be as versatile as you want it. Just add some more barbs and connect whatever you want to clean.
My version is similar to the original thread but not exactly the same. Here's a picture of the finished product.
How I built it: First I ordered a pump from Amazon. The price was 51.81 delivered (Amazon Prime).
I then went to Lowes and bought the parts for the main manifold.
These are the parts for the manifold:
Here's a parts list (Lowes) for the manifold.
6 1" x 3/4" threaded PVC (PN: 23856) 46 cents each
4 PVC plugs (PN:23524) 97 cents each
4 90 degree elbows (PN:23868) 47 cents each
2 1" PVC tees (PN:23876) 86 cents each
2 1" ball valve (PN:21486) $5.15 each
1 1" 4 way cross (PN:22702) $2.66
1 10' 1" PVC pipe (23933) this is rated to 200PSI but is not the schedule 40. $2.55
1 10' 3/4" PVC pipe. I think it was about $2.25.
If you are using glass carboys (I use Better Bottles) then you will need a few additional parts because the neck of the glass carboy is too small for the 3/4" pipe.
For glass carboys add to the above:
3/4" male to 1/2" female coupling (PN:23938)
1/2" cap (PN:23937) $.36
1/2" pipe (PN:23966) $1.89
This will allow you to use the 1/2" pipe for cleaning the glass carboys and the 3/4" pipe for everything else.
In addition to the above you will need PVC cement and PVC primer and a way to cut some pieces off the 10' pipe (hacksaw works okay).
To assemble the above you will need to cut 8 1 1/2" pieces of the 1" pipe. Sand off any burrs and be sure to dry fit everything together before the glue up. I put pencil marks on the connectors when I have everything lined up. That way when I go to glue up all I have to worry about is lining up those pencil marks. If you have never used PVC cement it is easy (and messy). Prime all the joints with the primer, let it dry a couple of minutes, then swab the cement on one of the connectors and push the parts together giving it a slight twist as they slide together. The glue sets up fast so be ready and be sure the parts are lined up properly before the glue sets.
Here's a picture of the manifold dry fit. Note that the black piece shown is part of the pump and not a part bought separately:
Here's the pieces after priming:
KEGERATOR LINE CLEANER
Up until now I have used a hand pump sprayer to circulate the line cleaner through my keg lines as needed. Now I don't need that setup any longer.
PARTS NEEDED:
Brass 1/2" ID x 1/2" FIP (LFA 390) found on the Lowes plumbing department
Brass 3/8" Fine Thread x 1/2" FIP (LFA-181)
Corny post for the liquid/beer side. I took the one off of my old pump cleaner. Any good size LHBS will carry these.
6' 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID tubing PN:22274 1 3/4" barb (PN:194590). You can find these in the plumbing section but if you look in the sprinkler/irrigation section you can find them a lot cheaper. The only difference is the ones in the sprinkler section are black and not white.
Stainless Steel hose clamps. I bought a 10 pack (PN:47792). It cost $3.06 for the package.
The only note is to be sure to connect the fittings so that the poppet is seated at the top of the corny post. It must have enough pressure on the poppet spring to depress the center pin on the beer line connector in your kegerator or you won't get any water/cleaner circulation through the line and faucet.
CORNY TUBE CLEANER:
Gas ball lock connector (I already had this)
Liquid ball lock connector (I already had this)
2 6' 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID tubing (forgot to write down the part number but it's in the Lowes plumbing section with all the other tubing).
Because the Lowes tubing is larger than the barbs on the ball lock connectors I put a short piece of beer line on the barbs and then slipped the Lowes tubing over that and secured with hose clamps. If you look close you can see the tubing inside the Lowes tubing.
MISCELLANEOUS Parts:
Tub (PN:131957) $13.98 I couldn't find a Rubbermaid tub so I used this one. If you don't use this one then I suggest that you put the manifold assembly together then measure it to see what size tub you will need. The smaller the tub you buy, the less water/solution it will take to keep the pump from cavitating. Be sure to measure the height too. I found a lot of tubs that were perfect for the length and width but weren't quite tall enough.
Here's a picture of the pump and manifold setting in the tub.
I couldn't come up with a more elegant solution for the grid to go on top of the tub so I bought a 6' section of closet shelving and then cut 2 20" pieces from it. That size will allow the grid to be stored inside the tub when not in use.
CORNY WASHER:
Measure the length of PVC needed to go nearly to the top (actually the bottom) of the corny. Glue the piece of 3/4" PVC to the threaded connector and screw into the center connector of the manifold. I drilled a number of 1/8" holes in a 3/4" PVC cap for the water/cleaner to spray out. I drilled the top holes straight but drilled the side holes at an angle so the water would hit towards the edges.
I used longer lines for the keg connections so I can lay the corny on its' side and connect the connectors to the posts and then lift the keg over the top of the spray tube. Slide the grid together and it sits perfectly level with no issues.
CARBOY WASHER/BUCKET WASHER:
Measure the length needed to go nearly to the top (actually the bottom) of the bucket. Glue a piece of 3/4" PVC to the threaded connector and screw into the center connector of the manifold (for glass carboys use the 1/2" pipe and the 1/2" cap along with the 3/4" to 1/2" adapter).
I drilled a number of 1/8" holes in a 3/4" PVC cap for the water/cleaner to spray out. I drilled the top holes straight but drilled the side holes at an angle so the water would hit towards the edges.
The length of pipe for a bucket is just slightly less than that needed for a carboy so I use the same one. You can use one tube for everything but since I bought a 10' length of PVC I decided to make use of it. Once it's running you will be able so see just how powerful and complete the spray pattern is.
Although not necessary I bought a flange to set the carboy in while cleaning. This gives more support and the carboy will not fall over against the wash tube. I had to use my Dremel to take out a little bit of the edge so the carboy would go completely in and shoulder of the carboy rests on the flange.
The flange is not attached to anything, it just sits on the grid. Flange PN:23542 $4.73
Pic cleaning a carboy:
KEGERATOR LINE CLEANING:
Hook up the keg line cleaning attachment and connect a tube from the open faucet to drain back into the tub. I had a piece of extra high temp tubing that worked perfect for this.
Do not forget to put a plug in the center of the manifold (you will probably only forget to do this one time), I suggest you plug the hole in the end with the overflow tube and use the other end for attaching the kegerator line cleaning line. Open both valves and start the pump. Adjust the valve (closing) on the overflow side until you see a good strong stream of cleaning solution coming from the faucet. The ID of the line coupled with the restrictions in the connector itself restricts the flow of cleaning solution to about 1 gallon every 2.5 minutes, so if you let it run for 10 minutes you have put about 4 gallons through the line and faucet.
In addition I built a line cleaner attachment to allow me to clean lines without any connector on them. I was hoping removing the restriction in the coupler would give me a little more volume but after measuring it, it was about the same.
I drilled a 1/2" hole in a PVC plug then threaded the connector into the plug. The other end is a coupling with a barb attachment.
I was at Home Depot when I picked these up so I don't know the Lowes part numbers:
1/4" x 1/4" brass adapter (042805445822) $2.38
2 1/4" x 1/4" brass union flare (098268618679) $1.85
the partnumbers:
Here's a pic of the system cleaning some lines in my kegerator. Note that I have two lines to clean, that's why there's a line hanging from the center. Yep, my kegerator sits outside in the Texas heat.
AUTO SIPHON CLEANING:
For some reason my auto siphon tends to get little pieces of dried wort sediment the tube as well as the cane. To clean the cane simply attach the tube (it's a tight fit) and plug in the pump. After a few minutes I remove the tube from the cane and stick the tubing in the auto siphon and let it run a few minutes to get it completely clean. The auto siphon takes a smaller size tube so I bought 2 adapters to allow the 3/4" connector on the manifold to attach to the tube for the siphon cane.
Here's the part numbers:
A-193B (Watts) 1/4" ID X 1/2" MIP (brass) PN:25037
LASCO 439-101RMC BUSHING THREADED 3/4 X 1/2 (plastic)PN:23832 $1.26
You will also need some 1/4" ID line (it's a tight fit but you can slide it on the cane about 1/4 which is plenty). PN:443437
GENERAL OPERATIONAL NOTES: The way the manifold sets on the pump causes it to be heavier on one side allowing the pump to tip to one side. I remedied this by adding a short piece of PVC with the end cut at an angle. When the pumps wants to tip, the PVC keeps it in balance. Note the angle cut in the tube to allow the water to flow unrestricted.
There's a lot of pressure when the pump is running so you will have to play with the valves to allow sufficient water flow and not cause pump problems. Be sure to add enough water so the pump does not cavitate.
Everything stores inside the tub when not in use:
I hated cleaning kegs and the corny tubes in the keg before I built this system. Now I add some Oxiclean and water and let it run while I'm doing other things. When everything is clean, I run water through the system and finally add some Starsan and let that circulate.
Being able to clean while I'm doing other things is a big plus.
This system can be as versatile as you want it. Just add some more barbs and connect whatever you want to clean.
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