Plumbing question, nylon tubing

Hornet

Hornet

Member
I'm finally getting up nerve to start plumbing my system. The more I plan the more :confused: I get.

I purchased a used OM-4way and the guy I got it from also threw in some plumbing he was using. There are barbed 1" fittings attached to the 4-way. I'm thinking of ordering some Braided Nylon Tubing and some ratchet clamps to attach this to my closed loop bulk heads. Is there any problem or concern I should have about using this to plumb my CL?

I wandered around the plumbing department in HD & Lowes like a lost sheep yesterday and I did not see any flexible tubing I could buy locally. Could have been there but it's possible I missed something that will work for me.
 
BigJay

BigJay

Well-Known Member
check Ace hardware if you have one. They have a very large selection of different hoses.
 
cbrownfish

cbrownfish

Well-Known Member
I would not recommend using poly tubing for plumbing, unless it is for a very basci/small set up. It is unreliable and prones to leaks IME. Use PVC and add unions so you can disconnect for maintenance.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
cbrownfish said:
I would not recommend using poly tubing for plumbing, unless it is for a very basci/small set up. It is unreliable and prones to leaks IME. Use PVC and add unions so you can disconnect for maintenance.
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I "think" that barbed fittings have a very small inside diameter & will restrict water flow. The Ocean Motion units are real nice & pricey too! Please consider designing the plumbing without the barbed fittings.
 
Hornet

Hornet

Member
cracker said:
I "think" that barbed fittings have a very small inside diameter & will restrict water flow. The Ocean Motion units are real nice & pricey too! Please consider designing the plumbing without the barbed fittings.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the input.

I posted to find out what others think before I buy something I'll regret. I got the used OM-4way for about half the price of a new one.

I'll ditch the barb fittings but I'd still like to utilize some flexible tubing or PVC as I think it will be easier. I went to Ace today on my way home and all I saw there for flexible is some hard plastic tubing. I'll check a few more places but I think I may ordering some flex pvc from flexpvc.com. Sad thing about that is shipping rate sux.
 
F

funkpolice

Active Member
home depot or lowes should have a good selection of vinyl tubing, but as already stated, a barbed fitting is pretty restrictive. I just got done hooking up my fuge and sump and I had to use a short pc of vinyl because there wasn't enough clearance for pvc. I'm not happy about it, but it was the only way. I would try to hard pipe everything, with unions wherever possible, and lots of ball valves too, they make balancing everything much easier.
bill
 
Hornet

Hornet

Member
I'm going to use Hard pipe coming from my overflow and from my sump back to the DT. I mainly just wanted to use flex pvc for plumbing the CL returns. But that may change to all hard after I check out a few more local stores next week.
 
cbrownfish

cbrownfish

Well-Known Member
Flex PVC is just fine for almost any aquarium application. Keep in mind, we are not running a closed system that holds back a constant amount of pressure against the piping and fittings (as in a home application). The poly tubing with barbed fittings is just a marginal design, considering what saltwater does to it over time. Be aware that there is a heavy duty PVC glue that is recommended for use with Flex. Lowe's has it in/near the PVC isle.....I think it is called "Rain or Shine".
 
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