Steel Wire Reinforced PVC Tubing

[Owenator]

Okay...I'll buy that (except the "thicker walled" part...thinner wall can't turn as tight a radius no matter what.)

That's what I said isn't it? "thicker walled stiffer tubing can bend tighter" which means tighter than thinner walled tubing. Not sure what about that was confusing, but I'm not a writer by trade I'm an Engineer.

I have a similar situation trying to route tubing in a desktop slim case that I'm water-cooling...VERY tight spaces and turns! I'm currently using R-3603 but I might get some R-1000 and try it...just to know for sure.

Maybe get some silicone tubing and play with it before you buy the Tygon? That's what I'm gonna do. But please take pics and share the wealth!

Thanks!

 

[QuietIce]

Just keep in mind the bend radius is measured at the outside wall of the tubing, not the centerline. R-3606 1/2"IDx1 1/8"OD actually has a smaller bend radius (7/8" rated + 9/16" tubing radius = 1 7/16") than 1/2"IDx3/4"OD (1 1/2" + 3/8" = 1 7/8"). Not that I'd want something that big inside the box! And you're probably right about it being very stiff.

It would be like built in Smart Coils but I bet it will be too stiff, hard to get on barbs and hard to get clamped well on barbs.

It's not the same as SmartCoils. The built-in reinforcement is at a fixed dimension relative to the tubing - the SmartCoils aren't. Build-in coils can only flex as far as the tubing material can expand and contract, SmartCoils being outside the tubing don't have that limitation. I've done a bend radius of ~1 1/2" at centerline using 1/2" thin-walled R-3603 and SmartCoils. I must admit it's a little tedious at times putting them on but they work very well ...

 

[Immortal_Hero]

That is why I suggest it to be stiff, I was meaning that it would keep tubing from collasping like smart coils.

 

[Graystar]

That's what I said isn't it? "thicker walled stiffer tubing can bend tighter" which means tighter than thinner walled tubing.

Oy...I messed up what I was trying to say. The point was that we had been comparing tubing of the same thickness...that's all.

Maybe get some silicone tubing and play with it before you buy the Tygon? That's what I'm gonna do. But please take pics and share the wealth!

It's kinda hazy now but I think that years ago silicone tubing was rejected for PC water-cooling because of its higher permeability...you just lose too much water too fast. Although I personally never checked out the claims and what the actual values are.

 

[||Console||]

LOL when is the USA gonna join the rest of the world and go metric all the fractions are giving me a head ache =)

 

[Owenator]

LOL when is the USA gonna join the rest of the world and go metric all the fractions are giving me a head ache =)

As soon as you guys adopt the metric 100 hour day! lol

Graystar - You are right! I forgot to check on permiability. I better google on that because it does ring a bell now that you said that. If it doesn't work I'm only out $16 so not too bad I guess. I'm getting some coolsleeves also so if I have to I can get some cheap 1/2"ID x 5/8"OD PVC tubing from HomeDepot.

Thanks!

 

[Graystar]

LOL when is the USA gonna join the rest of the world and go metric

When we become the keeper of the kilogram

 

[QuietIce]

LOL when is the USA gonna join the rest of the world and go metric all the fractions are giving me a head ache =)

When ya'all get smart enough to lengthen the meter by ~0.07% so that c = 3x10^8 m/s. Better yet, let's ALL adopt a new length so that c = 10^9 ?/s

Besides, the fractions keep us on our toes ...

 

[Phrenetical]

It's not the same as SmartCoils. .... I've done a bend radius of ~1 1/2" at centerline using 1/2" thin-walled R-3603 and SmartCoils. I must admit it's a little tedious at times putting them on but they work very well ...

Try getting them off :|

seriously took me a good hr and lot of snapped coils trying to remove them from my 3/8" tubing when i upgraded to 1/2" i eventually gave up.

that said they do work very well, just a royal pain in the ***.

 

[Owenator]

Try getting them off :|

seriously took me a good hr and lot of snapped coils trying to remove them from my 3/8" tubing when i upgraded to 1/2" i eventually gave up.

that said they do work very well, just a royal pain in the ***.

I hear that! I ended up giving up on removing them and just ordered some new ones. I tried to put them on my 9/16" OD tubing and they broke so I don't think that they are expandable to 5/8" OD ir 3/4" OD?

 

[QuietIce]

SmartCoils come in 5/8" - it's what I use.

Haven't had to take any off yet but I think I'd want to do it in place with the pump running just like I put them on ...

 

[Owenator]

SmartCoils come in 5/8" - it's what I use.

Yeah that was what I was driving at but I didn't state it directly. You need the 5/8" SmartCoils for 1/2" ID tubing.

Haven't had to take any off yet but I think I'd want to do it in place with the pump running just like I put them on ...

I put mine on the tubing first then assembled the setup, much easier that way. Not sure why you'd want to put them on with the pump running, maybe to see where it kinks? I used my SmartCoils on the entire system maybe you just put them where they were needed? On my upgrade to 1/2"ID x 5/8"OD silicone tubing, I'm using them on all the tubing.

 

[QuietIce]

With that thin-walled 1/2" ID Tygon (R-3603) it's almost like handling hard jello when the pump's running. Yes, I only use it where it's needed at the spacing needed - some curves need a very tight spacing, others just a few turns here and there or the whole run with a very wide spacing. If the run is long enough (CPU to lower vid slot) it sags a little from it's own weight. To counter that I run a few loops around ~1" of a plastic twist-tie then tie it off on the overhead X-bar to take the weight off the boards. No way you can predict that if the loop is empty and trying to add the twist-tie after the fact isn't as secure b/c the coils may not be tight enough to hold it ...

 

[Owenator]

With that thin-walled 1/2" ID Tygon (R-3603) it's almost like handling hard jello when the pump's running. Yes, I only use it where it's needed at the spacing needed - some curves need a very tight spacing, others just a few turns here and there or the whole run with a very wide spacing. If the run is long enough (CPU to lower vid slot) it sags a little from it's own weight. To counter that I run a few loops around ~1" of a plastic twist-tie then tie it off on the overhead X-bar to take the weight off the boards. No way you can predict that if the loop is empty and trying to add the twist-tie after the fact isn't as secure b/c the coils may not be tight enough to hold it ...

Wow! I didn't realize the R-3603 Tygon was so soft! I hope the silicone isn't too soft. Maybr I'll have to try the Tygon too. Thanks for the info!

 

[QuietIce]

IDK about the thicker-walled Tygon but this stuff is far, far different than your average tubing. After putting all your posts together I thought you might be interested once you knew what it was like ...

 

[Owenator]

Well I played with the silicone tubing last night and it is sure floppy stuff. It is actually too flexible until I get the coolsleeves on it. Once they are on it seems to bend and for very easily. I'll take some photos of it tonight.