Question on attaching and reattaching hard tube

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Sep 11, 2022
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Is it possible to disconnect and reconnect the same piece of hard tube multiple times, say so somebody can pull out the motherboard for upgrades? I'm used to soft tube and it's easy to attach to reattach. I am not sure if hard tube can be connected / disconnected like this.
 
Yes, you can, however, the ends are very easy to crack or chip if not done carefully... soft tubing is much more forgiving in this regard. The older, the more brittle and less forgiving the hard tubing will be if stressed. As long as you don't put any undue stress on anything, or over torque fittings, you should be fine.
 
I am unfamiliar with computer specific watercooling tech, but the hard tubing setup seems likely to use soft "O" ring type things in the connectors.
those soft seals might wear or harden with time and might be good to replace rather than reuse when swapping tubes around.
 
I am unfamiliar with computer specific watercooling tech, but the hard tubing setup seems likely to use soft "O" ring type things in the connectors.
those soft seals might wear or harden with time and might be good to replace rather than reuse when swapping tubes around.
They don't wear out nearly as easily as you'd imagine. I've swapped tubes in and out of systems many, many times without issues or failure of the O-rings.
 
They don't wear out nearly as easily as you'd imagine.
yes.
just a aspect that seemed overlooked for consideration.

anybody polish the seal surface of hard tubes prior to reassembly ?
I am thinking along the lines of 2000 grit paper followed by happich simichrome to smooth the surface the rubber seal contacts ?
 
anybody polish the seal surface of hard tubes prior to reassembly ?
I am thinking along the lines of 2000 grit paper followed by happich simichrome to smooth the surface the rubber seal contacts ?
None of that is necessary. I just wet the end of the tube with the soapy water I use for wetting the silicon insert into the tubing and everything goes together easily.
 
None of that is necessary.
yes.
I think in terms of 2000psi oxygen systems, and work downwards.
that bit was aimed at reassembling a system after years of use with possible contaminants adhering to the seal surface of the tube.
the years of use scenario also inspired the seal replacement notion.

a watercooling rig is a VERY low stress setup and has few things to really mess with the parts, but looking for, and eliminating, possibilities is fun.
 
Is it possible to disconnect and reconnect the same piece of hard tube multiple times, say so somebody can pull out the motherboard for upgrades? I'm used to soft tube and it's easy to attach to reattach. I am not sure if hard tube can be connected / disconnected like this.

Not a problem at all. Especially PETG tubing; acrylic is a bit more finicky, and can crack if you are bending the tubing getting it in and out.

I have a few bends of acrylic that have been in and out of my system a dozen times the last couple of years with no problem. Biggest issue is you may get some scratches down where the screw ring touches the tubing.

The issue you will run into is that the hard tube you used for the CPU block may not fit, unless you are swapping out the same make/model of motherboard. The cpu socket location can shift around a bit between different models of motherboard.

A few mm difference with a soft tube does not matter, but is a huge gap with a hard tubing.
 
Not a problem at all. Especially PETG tubing; acrylic is a bit more finicky, and can crack if you are bending the tubing getting it in and out.

I have a few bends of acrylic that have been in and out of my system a dozen times the last couple of years with no problem. Biggest issue is you may get some scratches down where the screw ring touches the tubing.

The issue you will run into is that the hard tube you used for the CPU block may not fit, unless you are swapping out the same make/model of motherboard. The cpu socket location can shift around a bit between different models of motherboard.

A few mm difference with a soft tube does not matter, but is a huge gap with a hard tubing.

In my experience it generally doesn't shift too much if at all from board to board unless you are changing socket types.
 
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