carwash1970
New member
Last weekend I replaced my 1/4 tubing lines on one of my self serve bays - now at the fittings the tubing is leaking! Do I need to also change all of my filttings? help please
Angela
Angela
Car Wash Forum
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replaced tubing now its leaking
- Thread starter carwash1970
- Start date
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
Not enough 411. Do you have compression fittingd? Push lock fittings etc.
Simplest and relativley inexpensive solution is go the the local home center, Home depot or Menards and get some push lock fittings which work well for any low pressure poly flow tubing application.
Even though they are plastic I reccomend using teflon tape for the threaded portion. Helps insure ease of dissasembly if needed years dwn the road.
Simplest and relativley inexpensive solution is go the the local home center, Home depot or Menards and get some push lock fittings which work well for any low pressure poly flow tubing application.
Even though they are plastic I reccomend using teflon tape for the threaded portion. Helps insure ease of dissasembly if needed years dwn the road.
carwash1970
New member
MEP001
Well-known member
The brass push-to-connect tubing fittings are bad about that, especially if you use poly tubing instead of nylon. First, though, check and make sure the tubing is pushed all the way into the fitting. If it is, then you'll have to replace the fittings.
I like the John Guest plastic fittings which you can get from Kleen-Rite.
I like the John Guest plastic fittings which you can get from Kleen-Rite.
carwash1970
New member
I still have two more bays to replace the tubing in. what type of tubing should i use? nylon or poly or something else? Where is the best place to buy the tubing at?
Angela
Angela
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
I bought rolls of poly tubing from Windtrax. Depending on where you are and how much you need a local supplier may save you money on shipping costs.
Is it cold where you are? If it is, I have found that push lock fittings don't always seal well on cold tubing. If this is the case get some hot water and stick the end of the tubing in it for 10 seconds or so before you insert it in the fitting.
Is it cold where you are? If it is, I have found that push lock fittings don't always seal well on cold tubing. If this is the case get some hot water and stick the end of the tubing in it for 10 seconds or so before you insert it in the fitting.
carwash1970
New member
not to cold. I am in east texas.
Push Loc fittings
1970: Got a suggestion for you. Use JG fittings and tubing. Here is a real time saver and problem preventer. At some time your boom tree check valves will fail, period. To prevent your tubing from blowing at random some where between your tree above your boom and the mech. room install a short piece of hardware store 150 psi tubing ( 3/8" JG poly is 300 psi ) as a rupture (fuse) where you want it to fail. I usually install next to the 1/4" DEMA control valve for that low pressure system. Here it is: 1/4"DEMA Valve, 1/4npt x 3/8OD JG Push Loc(PL), 3/8OD JG tubing, 3/8OD JG PL plastic check valve by 3/8OD PL, 150 psi tubing, 3/8OD PL by 3/8 OD PL JG coupler, and your 3/8OD JG tubing to your boom tree with a 3/8OD PL X ?npt to your check valve. Wrap the fuse with three or four wraps of old towel and plastic tie, this keeps the fuse from spraying where your don't want it to, it just drips to the floor. This way you will know which check valve has failed and the tubing between the mech. room to boom tree is not blown just somewhere you may not want to dig out. If your adding air to your LP system at the boom, do the same to the air lines. That's it.
jjw
1970: Got a suggestion for you. Use JG fittings and tubing. Here is a real time saver and problem preventer. At some time your boom tree check valves will fail, period. To prevent your tubing from blowing at random some where between your tree above your boom and the mech. room install a short piece of hardware store 150 psi tubing ( 3/8" JG poly is 300 psi ) as a rupture (fuse) where you want it to fail. I usually install next to the 1/4" DEMA control valve for that low pressure system. Here it is: 1/4"DEMA Valve, 1/4npt x 3/8OD JG Push Loc(PL), 3/8OD JG tubing, 3/8OD JG PL plastic check valve by 3/8OD PL, 150 psi tubing, 3/8OD PL by 3/8 OD PL JG coupler, and your 3/8OD JG tubing to your boom tree with a 3/8OD PL X ?npt to your check valve. Wrap the fuse with three or four wraps of old towel and plastic tie, this keeps the fuse from spraying where your don't want it to, it just drips to the floor. This way you will know which check valve has failed and the tubing between the mech. room to boom tree is not blown just somewhere you may not want to dig out. If your adding air to your LP system at the boom, do the same to the air lines. That's it.
jjw
PaulLovesJamie
rural 5 bay SS
This was my first thought too. Question: did you cut the tubing with a razor knife, or with a tubing cutter? I swear that if I use a sharp knife I can do a better job than a tubing cutter, but darn it, I get less leaks when I dont use a knife. Point is that if the tubing isnt really close to round, it'll leak a bit.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
I need to resurrect this post because I have gone retarded. I am doing the plumbing for my winter purge system and I can't get the flowjet fitting to attach to my 3/8 line. I have tried heat from a heat gun, hot water, I even tried to stretch the hose out with a hex head screwdriver. I got about one and a half barbs into the hose and put a hose clamp on to see if it would hold. That was a tragic mess. I could really use some advice. I checked the other flowjet pumps and none of them look like they went into the hose well either. Please Help!
MEP001
Well-known member
I assume you're trying to connect 3/8" tubing to the barbs - nylon and poly tubing are measured OD, hose is measured ID. You can get poly fittings for the bigger Flojet, but I don't know if they make them for the 040 model.
You could push about a foot of 3/8" hose over the tubing, put several clamps on the hose over the tubing, then clamp the hose onto the barb. It should hold as long as you don't use full pressure to the pump.
You could push about a foot of 3/8" hose over the tubing, put several clamps on the hose over the tubing, then clamp the hose onto the barb. It should hold as long as you don't use full pressure to the pump.
I slide about 8" of 3/8 hose over the flojet barb (assuming you have the 3/8 barbs) and clamp it. Then slide my poly tubing about 4-5 inches up inside of the hose and clamp it. It's a forever fix and holds fine. I've been doing it like that for many years.
I've had trouble with the poly tubing connectors made for the flojets leaking if there is any sideways strain on them.
I've had trouble with the poly tubing connectors made for the flojets leaking if there is any sideways strain on them.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
That sounds like the case. You have to buy the 3/8 barbs seperately. Kleen Rite, etc. sells them. They allow 1/4 or 3/8 hose attachment.
John, I've got some of those 3/8 barbs I can send you or you can drive across the state to pick them up
This sounds hokey but will work for you...get a piece of 1/2 hose (push lock or whatever) to slide on your pumps barbed fitting. Couple it together with a reducing barb type coupler to the 3/8 push lock you have. You may have to make up that coupler with a few fittings. You should be able to get everything at Home Depot or were ever.
