tubing size and flexibility.. what do u use?
 

since checking out silicone tubing, im sold...
i checked out some 10mm silicone tubing which looks like it should be able to do decent turns, to fit everything together.

ive been using 12mm clear PVC, which really sucks compared to the PVC in terms of flexibility.

its expensive enough though... it goes for about $10 a meter here.

i use primo flex tubing myself. and yes u can run pretty tight bends with it. check out frozencpu.com for it.

masterkleer 7/16"ID so far is the best tubing I have ever used. I have used tygon in 1/2" and 3/8" and of different grades, cheap vinyl tubing from HD, clearflex 60, so far the masterkleer is flexible and just the right size for 1/2" fittings.

I just finished setting up my water cooling system with masterkleer 7/16" ID tubing. Very flexible and very secure on 1/2" barbs, so much so i just put some zip ties on them (I can't get the tubing off the barbs unless i heat it).

I have to cut the tubing off the plastic barbs. It is an extremely tight seal. This can be good and bad: good if it is permanent, bad if you ever need to take the tubing off. It comes off metal barbs much easier.

I'm on clearflex 60 currently, it's a bit chunky and hard to route though as it's the 1/8" wall stuff.

Same here, best stuff ever and 40ft cost $20, so I don't feel bad cutting it off whenever I need to remove it.

I use tygon 1/2inch. Its great stuff. the stuff is near impossible to kink. Only thing is that its as costly as gold.

Its also good for getting it over big barbs. If you heat it up a bit it gets a little flexible Only thing is that you REALLY need to heat it up. I turned on the tap and set it to the hottest water my water heater can output and it barely made the tubing any softer. I guess this tubing is made to take extreme temperatures.

hehe, all my blocks are homemade, so i just put the 12mm (pipe ive been using) onto 15mm copper pipe, (its snug), ontop of a thin layer of high temp silicone RTV gasket maker, then jubilee clip it. no way that things leaking, and its easy to pull off after u loosten the J clip.

I tend to boil the kettle and pour some into a mug then soak the tubing for 15-30 seconds, it goes nice and soft then.

Thanks for the idea butcher. Wasnt exactly sure how i was goign to go about doing it. Will let u know how putting 1/2inch ID goes on 3/4ich ID fittings :p:

It's been pretty hit or miss for me, some times i can get off with heating and a lot of force and other times i do have to cut the tubing.

If i were to take apart my system a lot though i would just go 1/2" or 3/8".

This is slightly off topic but...... (there's always that "but" huh? :rolleyes: ) have any of you who use the 7/16" ID tubing been able to get it over 5/8" OD barbs?

seeing as teh tubing could probably fit inside the 5/8" barb It's a long shot. If you can get it on it's not coming off without cutting it.

Any recommendations for 5/8 OD barbs then? i.e In my case, heatercore barbs. Perhaps masterkleer 1/2"ID (not even sure if that exists)? I'm planning on useing masterkleer 7/16"ID in my computer, but larger tubing in my rad box (link).

DrCR

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why not use 5/8" ID in the radbox?

Mcmaster has master clear all the way up to 3" Id so i think you're set in that area.

Extra security. I may end up with 5/8" anyway though.

DrCR

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