Brass tube tips/help please

[noname_9990]

Hello all. I just made my first brass tube loop using the Alphacool 13/10mm chrome tubes. I used alphacool's 13mm hard tube compression fittings and did a 90 for every turn because the metal does not bend (according to Alphacool). It holds water fine when off, but about a minute after turning the pump on the fittings blow out in a catastrophic failure. Luckily I was jumping it for the drip test and only the pump was on. I have tried re-ordering the loop, changing out fittings and o-rings, and re-chamfering and sanding tubes that blew out. I tested the water blocks and radiators individually outside the case before the build using soft tube (only have a couple feet of it bc it is the draining solution). I even went to alphacool's site to make sure I installed the o-rings and washer in the right order. Does anybody know how to get these tubes to stop slipping out of their fittings?

[W-L]

41 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

Hello all. I just made my first brass tube loop using the Alphacool 13/10mm chrome tubes. I used alphacool's 13mm hard tube compression fittings and did a 90 for every turn because the metal does not bend (according to Alphacool). It holds water fine when off, but about a minute after turning the pump on the fittings blow out in a catastrophic failure. Luckily I was jumping it for the drip test and only the pump was on. I have tried re-ordering the loop, changing out fittings and o-rings, and re-chamfering and sanding tubes that blew out. I tested the water blocks and radiators individually outside the case before the build using soft tube (only have a couple feet of it bc it is the draining solution). I even went to alphacool's site to make sure I installed the o-rings and washer in the right order. Does anybody know how to get these tubes to stop slipping out of their fittings?

It sounds like your tubing is undersized or fittings are over the nominal. Take a pair of calipers and measure the OD of the tubing to see what you get for a measurement it shouldn't be off from 13mm by very much maybe at most 0.2mm.

[noname_9990]

56 minutes ago, W-L said:

It sounds like your tubing is undersized or fittings are over the nominal. Take a pair of calipers and measure the OD of the tubing to see what you get for a measurement it shouldn't be off from 13mm by very much maybe at most 0.2mm.

Thank you. Took the calipers and the tubing is close. It is +/- .3mm. the fittings are + .1 or .2.  

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

Thank you. Took the calipers and the tubing is close. It is +/- .3mm. the fittings are + .1 or .2.  

Yeah that's a fair bit ~.4mm of difference could be a problem if the orings aren't compressing all the way down. Are you using the newer chamfered type fittings with the brass and plastic spacer between it and the compression ring?

[noname_9990]

2 hours ago, W-L said:

Yeah that's a fair bit ~.4mm of difference could be a problem if the orings aren't compressing all the way down. Are you using the newer chamfered type fittings with the brass and plastic spacer between it and the compression ring?

No. I did not know they made different types. Mine just have the plastic spacer and o-ring. None of them came with a brass spacer. I guess this means I got the old type. I ordered them last week and neither website mentioned different versions of the product. Know of any remedies to get them to stay together?

[W-L]

28 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

No. I did not know they made different types. Mine just have the plastic spacer and o-ring. None of them came with a brass spacer. I guess this means I got the old type. I ordered them last week and neither website mentioned different versions of the product. Know of any remedies to get them to stay together?

If it's the previous version it doesn't have the extra brass shim, since it's not chamfered on the inside. Make sure your compression ring is tightened all the way down, can you take a photo or video of how your installing it?

[noname_9990]

14 minutes ago, W-L said:

If it's the previous version it doesn't have the extra brass shim, since it's not chamfered on the inside. Make sure your compression ring is tightened all the way down, can you take a photo or video of how your installing it?

Apparently I can't upload a pic or video. Been trying for 20 min and just get error message every time. Weird

 

[W-L]

1 minute ago, noname_9990 said:

Apparently I can't upload a pic or video. Been trying for 20 min and just get error message every time. Weird

 

You should be able to just click and drag into the reply box, if it doesn't work you can use imgur or something else to share it. 

[noname_9990]

12 minutes ago, W-L said:

You should be able to just click and drag into the reply box, if it doesn't work you can use imgur or something else to share it. 

Here are 2 pics. 1 is my loop as it sits. I took allot out because of the problems. The other shows the order I connect the fittings.

[noname_9990]

14 minutes ago, W-L said:

You should be able to just click and drag into the reply box, if it doesn't work you can use imgur or something else to share it. 

I tried to take a video, but it is too large to share.

 

[W-L]

4 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

Here are 2 pics. 1 is my loop as it sits. I took allot out because of the problems. The other shows the order I connect the fittings.

That seems alright to me, when you tighten down the compression ring all the way can you pull the piece of tubing out? 

[noname_9990]

4 minutes ago, W-L said:

That seems alright to me, when you tighten down the compression ring all the way can you pull the piece of tubing out? 

Yes. With almost no force at all.

[noname_9990]

7 minutes ago, W-L said:

That seems alright to me, when you tighten down the compression ring all the way can you pull the piece of tubing out? 

Here's a fitting that I had snugged down as tight as I could get it. Yes, the pipe was all the way inside the fitting. This tube had the factory edge on it, but it does the same thing with edges I sand down after making cuts.

KVID0888.mp4

[W-L]

8 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

Yes. With almost no force at all.

Make sure your inserting the tube all the way down into the base of the fitting past the second seal, if it's not down far enough it won't have enough holding power. From the looks of things your tubing might be too far undersized or the fitting is out of tolerances. 

 

[noname_9990]

10 minutes ago, W-L said:

Make sure your inserting the tube all the way down into the base of the fitting past the second seal, if it's not down far enough it won't have enough holding power. From the looks of things your tubing might be too far undersized or the fitting is out of tolerances. 

 

They'e not too far off from each other just over .1mm. 

[W-L]

20 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

They'e not too far off from each other just over .1mm. 

That doesn't look too bad then but it shouldn't come off that easily, if you put all the orings and washers in place and close down on the compression fitting with no tubing in place what do you measure on the compressed oring? I would expect something like 12mm or so if it's compressing properly. 

[noname_9990]

12 minutes ago, W-L said:

That doesn't look too bad then but it shouldn't come off that easily, if you put all the orings and washers in place and close down on the compression fitting with no tubing in place what do you measure on the compressed oring? I would expect something like 12mm or so if it's compressing properly. 

This may be the problem. It is only going down to 12.5

[W-L]

9 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

This may be the problem. It is only going down to 12.5

That's still reasonable since it will be compressing against the walls of the tubing, but with it slipping like that something isn't right. I'd contact Alphacool and show them the video but only other thing I can think of is if the tubing isn't fully seated at the bottom or the compression ring still isn't tight enough. 

[noname_9990]

Okay. I'll definitely contact alphapoint. I'll probably also try some plumbing threaded seal tape tomorrow just to see how it goes.

[noname_9990]

On 7/29/2018 at 10:32 PM, W-L said:

That's still reasonable since it will be compressing against the walls of the tubing, but with it slipping like that something isn't right. I'd contact Alphacool and show them the video but only other thing I can think of is if the tubing isn't fully seated at the bottom or the compression ring still isn't tight enough. 

I just took every piece apart, re-chamfered and sanded every tube end, reinforced every fitting with plumbing tape (without it being visible), and then reassembeled. It appears to finally be holding. 15 minutes into running the pump for the leak test. I thing there is insuficient friction in these chrome tubes. The plumbing tape gives the o-rings something they can grab onto more easily. Thank you for your help yesterday. I'll be sure to send some pics once it is all put together.

[W-L]

14 minutes ago, noname_9990 said:

I just took every piece apart, re-chamfered and sanded every tube end, reinforced every fitting with plumbing tape (without it being visible), and then reassembeled. It appears to finally be holding. 15 minutes into running the pump for the leak test. I thing there is insuficient friction in these chrome tubes. The plumbing tape gives the o-rings something they can grab onto more easily. Thank you for your help yesterday. I'll be sure to send some pics once it is all put together.

Hmm maybe the chrome is just a little too slippery, but still a bit odd to me how the oring doesn't just compress tight enough onto the walls of the tubing. Just keep an eye on it or even put a mark using some marker to make sure it doesn't ever so slowly back itself off of the fitting. 

[noname_9990]

12 hours ago, W-L said:

Hmm maybe the chrome is just a little too slippery, but still a bit odd to me how the oring doesn't just compress tight enough onto the walls of the tubing. Just keep an eye on it or even put a mark using some marker to make sure it doesn't ever so slowly back itself off of the fitting. 

Good idea. I'll definitely do that.