Silicon thick walls

Nomad0 · 04-02-2002, 08:48 AM

1.My first future system: Eheim 1250 (1/2" and 3/8", BI Xtreme 1/2", Innovacool Waterblock 8mm ID). I have the silicon tubes with thick walls (1 mm on each side) with ID 1/2" and 3/8". What will be better for the whole system - tubes 1/2" or 3/8"? Or it does not matter?
2. How can I fit the thick silicon on the Eheim? With an adapters?

Thank everybody.
Leon

mashie · 04-02-2002, 09:05 AM

1 mm is thin walls, the 1/2" ID silicone tube I got from dangerden has 1/8" (3.2mm) walls.

sunblade · 04-02-2002, 09:06 AM

You can fit 3/8" silicone hose over 1/2" barbs. I was going to go with 1/2" silicone, but I also ordered a foot of 3/8" and the 3/8" hose is much easier to work with IMO (1/2" silicone is THICK). So, I'm going to buy some more 3/8" tubing and fit it over my 1/2" barbs because I've heard that the performance loss is minimal unless you're running an ultra high heat-load. Have fun, watercooling is like legos, lol.

AL666 · 04-02-2002, 10:58 PM

I certainly agree with sunblade.
After all the talk about 1/2" tubing, i wanted to try and see the diff. myself and got me some for a new all 1/2" setup. But you know what, it's too cumbersome and didn't like it. The smartest way is to use 3/8" silicone tubing with 1/2" barbs.

ECUPirate · 04-02-2002, 10:58 PM

is it desirable to have thick walls? mcmaster-carr carries silicone tubing in 3 different thicknesses for a given diameter tube. For 1/2" ID, you can get 1/16", 3/32", or 1/8" walls, for a maximun OD of 3/4"!!! It seems like that would be dreadfully hard to work with. What's wrong w/ the 1/16" thick stuff?
Also, the tubing comes in two hardnesses, 50A and 70A. Which best suits our needs?
(I want to use 1/2" throughout. My rad. will have 5/8" OD fittings, most likely.)

Here's the link... http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/108/html/0096.html

sunblade · 04-02-2002, 11:45 PM

I would suggest getting the thickest (1/8") walls you can on silicone. The 1/2" id silicone can kink even with 1/8" walls from my experience, but the 3/8" silicone is VERY VERY hard to kink if you get 1/8" walls on it. I like it a lot as you can see I pimp it so much, lol! Now that I think about it, a lot of the European kits like Inovatek use 1/4" ID tubing, and they hold their own pretty easily.

ECUPirate · 04-03-2002, 12:09 AM

what about the hardness (50a vs 70a)?

I'm getting a rad w/ 5/8 fittings, so I need 1/2" hose to fit...

Is silicone more prone to kink that vinyl?

EMC2 · 04-03-2002, 09:24 AM

Here's a little local write up about vinyl vs silicone.

Regarding Shore A ratings- the higher the number the less flexible the tubing and the higher the bend radius is. So you want a lower Shore A rating for flexibility.

04-02-2002, 08:48 AM	#1
Nomad0 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: UK Posts: 17	Silicon thick walls 1.My first future system: Eheim 1250 (1/2" and 3/8", BI Xtreme 1/2", Innovacool Waterblock 8mm ID). I have the silicon tubes with thick walls (1 mm on each side) with ID 1/2" and 3/8". What will be better for the whole system - tubes 1/2" or 3/8"? Or it does not matter? 2. How can I fit the thick silicon on the Eheim? With an adapters? Thank everybody. Leon

04-02-2002, 09:05 AM	#2
mashie Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Reading, UK Posts: 149	1 mm is thin walls, the 1/2" ID silicone tube I got from dangerden has 1/8" (3.2mm) walls. __________________ mashie

04-02-2002, 10:58 PM	#5
ECUPirate Hottest Stank of them All Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Washington, DC area Posts: 533	is it desirable to have thick walls? mcmaster-carr carries silicone tubing in 3 different thicknesses for a given diameter tube. For 1/2" ID, you can get 1/16", 3/32", or 1/8" walls, for a maximun OD of 3/4"!!! It seems like that would be dreadfully hard to work with. What's wrong w/ the 1/16" thick stuff? Also, the tubing comes in two hardnesses, 50A and 70A. Which best suits our needs? (I want to use 1/2" throughout. My rad. will have 5/8" OD fittings, most likely.) Here's the link... http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/108/html/0096.html __________________ Does a radioactive cat have 18 half lifes? --Kenny my pimpin' rig: ...previously poorly cooled... 486DX-2 66mhz @ 75mhz, 4Mb ram, shared, 256Mb hard drive Onboard VGA, watercooled, of course 16-color monitor, labtec speakers, 28kbs USRobotics modem Windows XP (think about it) Maze 3, DDen GF3 block, Eheim 1250, econoline van HC, 1/2" hose w/ 5/8" fittings Comair 172mm fan

04-03-2002, 12:09 AM	#7
ECUPirate Hottest Stank of them All Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Washington, DC area Posts: 533	what about the hardness (50a vs 70a)? I'm getting a rad w/ 5/8 fittings, so I need 1/2" hose to fit... Is silicone more prone to kink that vinyl? __________________ Does a radioactive cat have 18 half lifes? --Kenny my pimpin' rig: ...previously poorly cooled... 486DX-2 66mhz @ 75mhz, 4Mb ram, shared, 256Mb hard drive Onboard VGA, watercooled, of course 16-color monitor, labtec speakers, 28kbs USRobotics modem Windows XP (think about it) Maze 3, DDen GF3 block, Eheim 1250, econoline van HC, 1/2" hose w/ 5/8" fittings Comair 172mm fan

04-02-2002, 09:06 AM	#3
sunblade Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 156	You can fit 3/8" silicone hose over 1/2" barbs. I was going to go with 1/2" silicone, but I also ordered a foot of 3/8" and the 3/8" hose is much easier to work with IMO (1/2" silicone is THICK). So, I'm going to buy some more 3/8" tubing and fit it over my 1/2" barbs because I've heard that the performance loss is minimal unless you're running an ultra high heat-load. Have fun, watercooling is like legos, lol.

04-02-2002, 10:58 PM	#4
AL666 Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The City Posts: 104	I certainly agree with sunblade. After all the talk about 1/2" tubing, i wanted to try and see the diff. myself and got me some for a new all 1/2" setup. But you know what, it's too cumbersome and didn't like it. The smartest way is to use 3/8" silicone tubing with 1/2" barbs.

04-02-2002, 11:45 PM	#6
sunblade Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 156	I would suggest getting the thickest (1/8") walls you can on silicone. The 1/2" id silicone can kink even with 1/8" walls from my experience, but the 3/8" silicone is VERY VERY hard to kink if you get 1/8" walls on it. I like it a lot as you can see I pimp it so much, lol! Now that I think about it, a lot of the European kits like Inovatek use 1/4" ID tubing, and they hold their own pretty easily.

04-03-2002, 09:24 AM	#8
EMC2 Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dark Side of the Moon Posts: 365	Here's a little local write up about vinyl vs silicone. Regarding Shore A ratings- the higher the number the less flexible the tubing and the higher the bend radius is. So you want a lower Shore A rating for flexibility.

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