CONDENSERS water and air cooled

Always remember you can use a water cooled condenser in place of an air cooled condenser or a vigoreux column. But neither a vigoreux column nor an air cooled condenser can be used in place of a water cooled condenser. So if you can only get one thing get a liebig or a dimroth. The liebig is LESS fragile but the dimroth is more efficient. If you have a lot of experience i would say get a graham and a liebig. ...............You can get away with a condenser as small as 100 mm but a 300 mm is best. ALSO a graham condenser is best to get if you can only get one BUT for a beginner if you can only get one I suggest the liebig condenser or the dimroth would be best really. The graham is better but it bumps the apparatus a lot. Every couple minutes it makes a banging sound cause EVEN IF YOU PUT THE graham condenser vertical, puddles will build up in the coils due to capillary action and adherence to the glass. And the puddles make pressure build up in the apparatus and then the pressure builds up enough to break threw the puddles and it creates a bump in the apparatus. This effect is great for things that boil at room temp or things that fume easily cause these puddles help contain the fumes to the apparatus. But the constant bumping every couple minutes is annoying and probably puts strain on the apparatus. The dimroth does not have this problem so some say it is the best. SO it all depends on opinion. But getting a spiral type is better for refluxing. And the liebig which is just a tube in a tube or the dimroth is best for distillations. The graham is best for distillations of liquids when the boiling point is close to room temp..................I will let you know when the video is done downloading and then uploading..............THE REASON I SUGGEST A LIEBIG OVER A DIMROTH even though the dimroth is better is because the liebig is more sturdy. The dimroth is more fragile. And while you are first learning it might be better for that reason. ALL THAT BEING SAID..........ANY CONDENSER WILL WORK GOOD IF YOU PUT ICE COLD WATER IN IT (and room temp water threw it for high temp distillations when you need an air cooled condenser) . Yes the graham coils are more efficient but the dimroth is almost just as efficient and the liebig is the least efficient but it still works. And never bumps the apparatus and is a LOT less fragile than the coil type condensers. And converts to a vigroreux coloum better. IT IS ALL ABOUT PREFERENCE REALLY. THEY ALL HAVE GOOD POINTS AND BAD POINTS.