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How often do you replace tubing

A

aces155

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
208
Simple question. Coming on the 1 year mark for my Water Cooling loop, and I am about to do a flush and clean out. Should I replace the tubing or can I get more milage out of it?

I have the tubing already, but I know how long ittakes to clean these buggers and taking up an entire day cutting tubing and getting this done would be a pain.
 
Depends on the type of tubing you are using. Tygon/Primochill/Feser? Home Depot Vinyl? Neoprene? Also, what are you running for water, distilled? Colored? If you drain your loop and your tubing looks stained due to additives, then by all means swap them as its cheap insurance.
 
I replace my tubing with each rebuild, which is > every 6 months.
 
What happens if you don't? Does it just look ugly, or is their an actual risk of leaking from decay?
 
I had the same tubing for about 4 years and it was still holding water, just yellowed and hard. If looks are more important than function, you'll change it when you think it gets ugly, otherwise when it breaks.
 
If you got some quality colored tubing you won't have to change it as much. IMO once a year just to be safe.
 
mwarps said:
I had the same tubing for about 4 years and it was still holding water, just yellowed and hard. If looks are more important than function, you'll change it when you think it gets ugly, otherwise when it breaks.
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If you wait until its yellow and hard, you increase your risk of leaking. Yellow and hard tubing means its becoming brittle and you risk build up (think of arteries) as pieces flake off. With good quality tubing, two years at most, but like some others have indicated, change them when you change your blocks out. Call it cheap insurance...
 
basic tygon turns yellow/brown pretty easily. get some black tygon and you'll be good. if you see any kind of mold or green stuff perhaps try some biocide (although there are mixed opinions about this)
 
It's just yellow from addiatives. While I am not going to be changing my blocks out, as they are still pretty good, I will probably run vinager through it, to wash the tubing and the blocks, and then replace the tubing.

Once I get my laundry and errands done I shall spend tomorrow whiling away the hours getting this baby ready for the new year. :cool:
 
bholstege said:
What happens if you don't? Does it just look ugly, or is their an actual risk of leaking from decay?
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As the plasticizer (a substance that keeps the tubing soft) starts to leach out the tubing gets brittle. I've never kept tubing long enough to see how bad "bad" can get. Tygon 2705 uses very little plasticizer, but it doesn't bend very well and torques the hell out of your blocks.
 
MrBloodshoe said:
As the plasticizer (a substance that keeps the tubing soft) starts to leach out the tubing gets brittle. I've never kept tubing long enough to see how bad "bad" can get. Tygon 2705 uses very little plasticizer, but it doesn't bend very well and torques the hell out of your blocks.
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my tygon tubing actually was very soft , easy to bend.Dont remember exactly what number it was though, theres a lot of different tygon out there.But still looking fine after a year of use.
 
game14 said:
my tygon tubing actually was very soft , easy to bend.Dont remember exactly what number it was though, theres a lot of different tygon out there.But still looking fine after a year of use.
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Half of my loop is Tygon 3603, the other Silver (which is plasticizer-free) and pretty rigid. I've had 3603 get cloudy over time, and harder. What sort of coolant are you using?
 
I'm a cheap bastard, I just take the loops apart every now and then to clean things up, including the tubing inside and out.
 
aces155 said:
Simple question. Coming on the 1 year mark for my Water Cooling loop, and I am about to do a flush and clean out. Should I replace the tubing or can I get more milage out of it?

I have the tubing already, but I know how long ittakes to clean these buggers and taking up an entire day cutting tubing and getting this done would be a pain.
Click to expand...

If you are flushing and refilling, might as well retube. Just did mine - Petras, Masterkleer 1/2" OD, 10FT, $12 shipped. Not worth trying to clean it. Took me about an hour to retube, it's cake.
 
MrBloodshoe said:
Half of my loop is Tygon 3603, the other Silver (which is plasticizer-free) and pretty rigid. I've had 3603 get cloudy over time, and harder. What sort of coolant are you using?
Click to expand...

dest. water with a little biozide. As dye i used a squezzed out yellow highlighter.When i turn on the UV cathodes i have already been asked if that stuff is radioactive :cool:
I used clearflex before the tygon and it got cloudy after around 4 weeks.Tygon is still looking good after a year of use and still very soft.Im happy i spent the extra dollar.
 
I'm using masterkleer 7/16" and just changed my routing over the weekend to see if i could get a little better temps. Its about 2 months old and still as clean and clear as the day i bought it.
 
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