collapsed tube

Bigbacon

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Jul 12, 2007
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I use flexible tubing in my system. I just redid the whole thing maybe 6 months ago and i noticed today the tube that runs from my video card out to my pump has partially collapsed in on itself.

Why would this happen and how to I resolve it?
 
Your bend is too tight. Increase the length of tube for that connection in order to soften the bend.
 
Or wrap some zip ties around the collapsed tubing. They will reinforce the tubing. Youll probably need to use them all the way around the bend thats too tight.
 
Your bend is too tight. Increase the length of tube for that connection in order to soften the bend.

Maybe it's just my interpretation of OP's post but I don't think he's talking about an elbow that's a little too tightly bent...I think he's talking about a straight section that's partially collapsed...

just my .02
 
I use flexible tubing in my system. I just redid the whole thing maybe 6 months ago and i noticed today the tube that runs from my video card out to my pump has partially collapsed in on itself.

Why would this happen and how to I resolve it?

There's a bit of room for clarification in your original post because "...redid the whole thing... " could mean you cleaned it all out versus "it's all-new tubing" and, if it is all new tubing, was it good quality stuff or stuff you got from Bill's Tropical fish supplies?

Not saying it's sub-standard quality...just trying to get clarification on what you meant about re-doing it and what type of tubing you used...

If you're referring to an elbow bend, the other responders have good advice...I've even gone so far as to get a spring that is barely larger than the tubing and put it on the tubing in the bended areas so that the spring keeps the tubing from kinking.

If you're referring to a straight section that has partially collapsed, you should think about replacing the section of tubing ...maybe consider replacing all the tubing.
 
sorry,

when I did my upgrade I used new tubing. the routing is exactly the same as my previous route. where it collapsed there really is no bend. its not straight but its maybe like a 20ish degree bend.
 
sorry,

when I did my upgrade I used new tubing. the routing is exactly the same as my previous route. where it collapsed there really is no bend. its not straight but its maybe like a 20ish degree bend.

You don't have to apologize...we've all posted issues and just forgot to mention something that turned out to be important...

I've had that same problem before when I built one of my old Koolance systems...my tubing was the culprit.

It sounds as if the tubing you got is either:

1 -- Being affected by the warmth of the coolant after it leaves the video card, which makes it more pliable so it is more prone to collapse when any kind of bend is present.

2 -- The material of the tubing itself could be the culprit...not all tubing of the same diameter is created equal...having flexible tubing (which resists kinking) is great and all but there needs to be strength as well or warmth from the loop can make the tubing more prone to this issue

This may be due to the thickness of the tubing being just a bit too thin. I've seen cases where half inch Inner Diameter tubing with 5/8" outer diameter had a thin spot where the outer diameter wasn't quite 5/8" (or for you of the metric persuasion...12mm inner/16mm outer having an outer dimension of 15mm in spots), making it more susceptible to kinks like the one you mentioned.
 
Forget the tube type, same stuff i used previously.

Sounds like im draining this thing to replace that piece.

Guess ill wrap it in the coil stuff i have for the tighter bends. It is the last tube from any compnents that generate heat. It goes into the pump and then to the rad.

Maybe the video card creates a flow bottleneck a bit and the pump just sequeeze it trying to get fluid out?

I am no fluid expert. Also just running distilled.
 
Forget the tube type, same stuff i used previously.

Sounds like im draining this thing to replace that piece.

Guess ill wrap it in the coil stuff i have for the tighter bends. It is the last tube from any compnents that generate heat. It goes into the pump and then to the rad.

Maybe the video card creates a flow bottleneck a bit and the pump just sequeeze it trying to get fluid out?

I am no fluid expert. Also just running distilled.

It sounds like you may be onto something important with the pump pulling a slight vacuum due to flow restrictions in the video card. That would make as much sense as anything I typed. (if not more sense)
 
It sounds like you may be onto something important with the pump pulling a slight vacuum due to flow restrictions in the video card. That would make as much sense as anything I typed. (if not more sense)

as I look, the new video card block is slightly different than my old one. Before it can straight out but now the new one it exits at the top and I have a 90 degree fitting there. I might have a spare 45 I should replace the 90 with that maybe.
 
Forget the tube type, same stuff i used previously.

Sounds like im draining this thing to replace that piece.

Guess ill wrap it in the coil stuff i have for the tighter bends. It is the last tube from any compnents that generate heat. It goes into the pump and then to the rad.

Maybe the video card creates a flow bottleneck a bit and the pump just sequeeze it trying to get fluid out?

I am no fluid expert. Also just running distilled.

Nah, None of this really applies in a closed loop setting. Temperatures, and pressures are fairly constant through the entire loop, and equalize rapidly during operation. There may be a total loop decrease in pressure compared to ambient (Try filling a T-line and see the slight vacuum you get when you turn your pump on) but inside the closed system, it's all pretty much equal.

Your bend is too tight. Increase the length of tube for that connection in order to soften the bend.

You are correct sir! BTW, how's it been?

Also while hot, a lot of tubing will lose its rigidity, and rapidly decrease its acceptable curve angles. How hot is the liquid in your loop? Thinner walled tubing, especially, is susceptible to this.

I'm still running Masterkleer 7/16" ID tubing, with only a few mm of wall thickness @ 5/8" OD. The damn shit will buckle, and kink entirely if bent at it's maximum safe bend radius, but heated beyond ~30-35c or so. I'd love to switch to PETG (hell, I own meters of it), but for the life of me I can't bend that shit.

Not that your loop liquid should ever be that hot... Mind you.

Yes I know you are asking to take a pic and post it so we can all see...your question was just so out of left field

I think he was actually going to ask you to slide a selfie into his DM's... Just my opinion.
 
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