china pumps
- Thread starter RobM
- Start date
AlienALX
Well-known member
No worries. I have been told to avoid 14mm hard tubing as it's a complete sod to bend. Which did I buy? yup, 14mm. I won't be using that now any way.
Avet
Active member
Thicker wall tubes are easier to bend. Thinner wall ones very easy deform, making it harder to have clean bends.
Only rotataries, and redirectional blocks
What he said. I found my larger tubes much better and easier for bending. And overall better looking to me.
Well it comes down to the fittings. Companies are being cheeky now and making custom diameters meaning if you buy their fittings, you can only get the tubes to fit, directly from them. Or vice versa.
BP and EKWB however have very generic sizes. So I would suggest (for both hard and soft tube) opting for a 10/12mm or 12/16mm
i believe most manufacturers support these fittings also. Especially AlphaCool, and Barrow.
AlienALX
Well-known member
Well that is what the "noodles" are for apparently. 14mm requires more heat, meaning it can blister and bubble etc.
Either way? tbh? if he is doing this on a budget he can absolutely forget hard line, and I will tell you why. It will cost him £100 to get set up before he even buys a single fitting or piece of tube. The correct (heat controlled) heat gun isn't cheap, and a radius kit will cost £50 or so. Then you need a de-burring tool (only about £6 but you still need it) and so on.
That is mainly why I am not using that hard line tubing in mine. Oh and a good cutter too costs a few quid.
All you need with soft tubing is a good cutter. A proper hose cutter. Mine was about a tenner, IIRC.
RobM
Active member
I have spotted a few D5 pumps on the bay hoping they do not go the usual way out of reach, fingers crossed.
Not fussed on tubing just yet, if I go hardline I have a heat gun and enough tools to get the job done in the garage, no need for special radius blocks as intent to eyeball all of it.
Most probably I will flex first and also have a correct cutter, well the wife does as she is a trained plumber, hell I might even go copper tube lol
Not fussed on tubing just yet, if I go hardline I have a heat gun and enough tools to get the job done in the garage, no need for special radius blocks as intent to eyeball all of it.
Most probably I will flex first and also have a correct cutter, well the wife does as she is a trained plumber, hell I might even go copper tube lol
Yep Hardline is not for the budget oriented person. And to be honest Soft tubing can actually look far nicer than Hardline in some projects. I would say soft tubing starter kits like that which EKWB supply are good go to points. You can expand from there then. Cost wise they aren't too bad.
But don't get what you mean by 14mm needs more heat. Its the same material, so has same melting point. 10/12mm will bubble and blister just as much as the 12/16mm. Unless you mean 14mm requires longer time to warm?
AlienALX
Well-known member
The walls are thicker, right? sure that's what I was told...
