where to find Plastic tube for resevoir?

[MadHacker]

I'm now looking to redo my reservoir.
I bought the 4" Criticool WaterPlant but have one problem with it...
I'd like to put a float switch in it but unfortunately the only one's I can find have a diameter of 1" that would rest in the water with only 3/8 NPT or 1/4 NPT connector.
That would mean I’d have to install it from the inside.
The 4" length is the right size for my system(mounted externally) and I have 3 options.

1) Cut the top off the Criticool WaterPlant and put the float switch in.
2) Make a new reservoir but then I’d have to find the 2-1/2" clear tube used( I like the round idea) as well as the top and bottom clear square pieces. I'd make a square one if I had to.
3) Find a float switch smaller than 1" diameter and cut the hole and put it in the reservoir myself from the top.

The reason I need the float switch so bad is because of leaks... in the last 2 weeks I've had the hose pop off my many copper tubes that are in the case. I think I tried to put to much in this little case and to avoid tight bends I used a lot of 45 and 90 copper elbows. and yes I have hose clamps on all of the connectors.

Here is a pcture with the powersupply removed. more pictures to come once i have it all finnished.

The powersupply nicely fits right in front of the MCP600 waterpump.
note all the hose clamps. But it still pops the hoses off

I have figured that with a float switch, I can have the machine shutdown before it looses a lot of water spilling green coolant all over my desk and the carpeting.(for some reason my wife doesn't like the beige carpeting green.)

So any help in finding a smaller float switch or where to find a plastic tube in which to make a reservoir, I would really appreciate it.

[dima y]

if you can post a bigger (show the whole system) or many pictures of your system and tell us more about it such as where the hoses keep blowing off, we might be able to help you.

I would really like to know what those plastic "tubes" are, I suspect them to be the fault but will hold off on making a definite dissision untill i know a little bit more about the problem

[MadHacker]

Originally Posted by dima y

if you can post a bigger (show the whole system) or many pictures of your system and tell us more about it such as where the hoses keep blowing off, we might be able to help you.

I would really like to know what those plastic "tubes" are, I suspect them to be the fault but will hold off on making a definite dissision untill i know a little bit more about the problem

the plastic tubes is what the resevoir is made out of.
the 4" criticool waterplant (URL listed in above post)
as for more pictures. I'm have to find the time to downsample them..
but the main picture that shows the connections is above.
where the hose connects to the copper pipe(painted silver to hide my krappy soldering) is where it is blowing.

[MadHacker]

i did find a level switch small enough i think here

[siavash_s_s]

you could probably try a perspex fabrication company in their cutoff bin(s)
i got about 40cm x 30cm x 1/2" polycarb sheey, 30cm of 3" OD tube and some plexi sheet for 15$ aus from one
the making of a res with the tube tho may be a problem, as imo sticking th e end of the tube onto the flat surface of the plexi sheet may not be enough to hold it on properly what with the stress from tubings etc...

ie:

if im not mistaken this is what you want to make right? if so anyone think using the standard solvent glue will hold this strong enough?

[dima y]

ohhhh I see now thats the plastic pipe i was talking about (the copper pipe painted silver)

my suggestions are to try to get more hose onto those pipes the you have in the pictures, i have my hose at least 1/4 inch past the hose clamp sometimes even more.

[Khledar]

Hit up Industrial Paints and Plastics in Richmond for your plastics needs. Its near No. 3 Rd, not sure how close you are but you might want to call them up rather than drive all that way incase they don't have what you need. I haven't seen much round stuff in their cut-offs but I think they stock up to 4" diameter acrylic tube. They'll have all the methlyene chloride and/or weldon you'll need as well. Best of luck.

[siavash_s_s]

can someone say if using weldon will stick the tube to the base the way i said well?

[Khledar]

Siavash:

As long as both peices of plastic are the same kind of plastic - - not mismatched like one Polycarb, the other Acrylic. If you use the proper solvent cement it should bond really well, even just a simple butt joint like you proposed, you'll want a really good flat surface on the round tube before you try to join it though.

[Khledar]

Also Mad Hacker, your use of worm clamps bothers me. I never found them to hold very well, I use all wide band spring clamps in my rig, before that zip ties(zap straps same shit), before that worm clamps. Each one has been a step up for me. Recently I've been playing with a bundle of Clearflex I got (I'm used to just normal vinyl) and if I strech the 1/2ID tube over 1/2" copper pipe, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch onto the pipe, I litterally cannot pull it off - I pulled until the tube began to strech. Then wedged a small screwdriver in and pried it off. If you just put the clearflex on normal 1/2 OD barbs it hold pretty good and you kinda gotta twist it to get it off, but with the spring clamps it's stayin' put :P

I like the idea of a level switch regarless of your tubing, but having shit pop off is NOT cool. If you're not already using Clearflex or Tygon, get on it. Maybe look at getting some better clamps too, the one I bought were like $4 USD for a 10 pack of clamps at McMaster, though it looks like you need a lot, it would still only run you a few bucks.