1/2" barbs with 3/8" ID tubing

[deepcover]

Newb Question. I can't quite find an answer in my searches.

I was thinking this 3/8" ID tubing
http://www.ncixus.com/products/19706/DDTT31/Danger%20Den/

with these 1/2" fittings for the Thermochill pa120.3
http://www.ncixus.com/products/index.php?sku=25389


Will it work if I heat the ends? Can someone recommend better? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Kayin]

It will work, and the only better I could recommend is Tygon food service grade, as it has no plasticizer to leach out.

[Fujimitsu]

It'll work great for you.

You can fit 3/8 over 1/2" barbs pretty easily. Unless of course you're trying to squeeze it over "flat" barbs like these:
http://cooltechnica.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/MCP600-250.jpg

I had a nightmare of a time fitting 3/8 over my mcp-600 & mcw6002. If however you are using any recently produced WC equipment, then you should be fine, as the barbs are shaped like this
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/files/detail/g38thermochill.jpg

[deepcover]

Thank you for your help. That's what I needed to know. I'll be running 3/8" ID tubing with 1/2" Fittings throughout my sytem then. :yepp:

[welshtom]

begs the question - why not use 3/8" barbs or 7/16" tubing?

[Fujimitsu]

begs the question - why not use 3/8" barbs or 7/16" tubing?

7/16" tubing is tough to find if you're buying it at a retail store.

3/8" barbs would require clamps.

At least that was my reason for doing this.

[Chewbenator]

BTW it is a :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: trying to get these over plastic barbs. Spent nearly thirty minutes getting it over the Swiftech plastic barbs, and my pump.

[Snyxxx]

I use a coffee cup of boiling water, insert one or both tubing ends for 15 seconds, then push hard over the 1/2" barbs. All I have ever done and works great. Even on the D5 plastic barb.:D

[Nate P.]

Not to hijack this thread, but I have a question. I have 1/2in. barbs throughout my loop, and have both 1/2 and 3/8in. tubing sitting here next to me. Which size would you recommend? Is there a substantial decrease in flow with the 3/8in.?

[Martinm210]

Yes, I would always recommend using 1/2" barbs. Not hard at all, just use some needlenose plyers to stretch the tubing out a little.

I even got 1/2" tubing on a 3/4" barb before, so it just takes a little patience.


And this is why you don't want to use any smaller fitting than you absolutely have too...many blocks are much more restrictive using smaller fittings on them:

http://www.swiftech.com/assets/images/products/mcw30/MCW30%20PD%20vs%20FR%20SMALL.gif

[Boogerlad]

Not to hijack this thread, but I have a question. I have 1/2in. barbs throughout my loop, and have both 1/2 and 3/8in. tubing sitting here next to me. Which size would you recommend? Is there a substantial decrease in flow with the 3/8in.?

well, choose the one that is easiest for routing cause in cathar's thread, he said that there's less than a degree celcius differecne in between 1/4 pushpin and full 1/2 inch tubing and barbs.

[Nate P.]

What I meant was: I'm going to use the 1/2in. barbs regardless. But should I use the 1/2in. or 3/8in. tubing. I'm thinking the 3/8in. for ease of routing and a small (if any) change in temps.

[Chewbenator]

In another thread on tubing diameter's affect on flow rates showed enough for me to go with 3/8 tubing instead of 1/2. The difference wasn't worth the cost and proved very safe for the loop. In fact I couldn't pull the tubing off most of my 1/2 barbs, had to exacto to disassemble the loop for winter break.

[pika198]

well I tried the whole 3/8 over 1/2 inch and it was a nightmare...so i said screw it and i'm sticking with 3/8 to 3/8 and clamps :D

[Snyxxx]

I have some photos of 3/8" tubing on 1/2" barbs in this thread.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=146855&highlight=snyxxx


It will become obvious why I chose 3/8" tubing.

[Justler]

I used 3/8" ID Tygon over my MCP655 and Thermochill 120.3 1/2" nozzles.

I just put a pan with water on the range heated til bubble, stuck the end of the hose in there, and put my needle nose in as far as they would go in the end and stretched it a little bit.

Helps to have a little bit of water still on the tube w hen you slide it over the barb... lubes it a little bit. Otherwise, you can probably use some PAM.

[Jedda]

7/16" tube for the best all round compromise.

[filthysanchez]

I use a coffee cup of boiling water, insert one or both tubing ends for 15 seconds, then push hard over the 1/2" barbs. All I have ever done and works great. Even on the D5 plastic barb.:D


I had to use pliers and boiling water to get 7/16" masterkleer onto my D5.

[Digital Nirvana]

I had to use pliers and boiling water to get 7/16" masterkleer onto my D5.

with a little skill one can put 7/16 on it without any tools, it just takes time. and a good thumb that doesn't get sore :p

[Panthols]

Alot of the difficulty depends on the barbs, EK barbs are cake, D-Tek are a pain, and stock thermochills are hell. I would personally reccomend these EK 1/2" Barbs G3/8 (http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=228).

[septim]

just use metal high flow barbs, try to avoid plastic barbs...

Besides the soaking in hot water, you could also do martinm's idea of using needle/long nose pliers to stretch out 1/2 tubing before putting on 5/8 barbs...

7/16 tubing is still the best compromise for me with 1/2 metal high flow barbs

[Martinm210]

Yeah 3/8" tubing is fine.

It's not so much that there isn't a difference in restriction because there is some, it's more that the thermal restistance of radiator and todays waterblocks along with the higher head pressure of the D5 and DDC pumps makes flow rate much less important today than it was 5 years ago.

You really don't gain much at all between 1 GPM and 2 GPM in terms of temperature improvements, or at least that's what the curves that are published would indicate. And using a D5 or DDC pump is plenty strong enough for even fairly high restrictions.