Cleaning out vinyl tubing

TangingOut · Oct 3, 2017

So I'm planning on a 20% WC tomorrow, but noticed my vinyl tubing has built up some bacterial film on the inside. Has anybody figured out a way to clean that out?

Last time I tried vinegar with little effect and when I used it the next day, a bunch of the film ended up in the tank. Right now I'm running a muriactic acid solution through it with mixed results. Would it make a difference if I capped off the ends and let the solution sit in the tube as oppose to the solution constantly running through?

What about bleach?

chefjpaul · Oct 3, 2017

Vinegar, use a pump circulating in a bucket

TangingOut · Oct 3, 2017

chefjpaul said:
Vinegar, use a pump circulating in a bucket

I tried that last time. Right now I have an even stronger acid circulating in a bucket.

TbyZ · Oct 3, 2017

TangingOut said:
So I'm planning on a 20% WC tomorrow, but noticed my vinyl tubing has built up some bacterial film on the inside. Has anybody figured out a way to clean that out?

Last time I tried vinegar with little effect and when I used it the next day, a bunch of the film ended up in the tank. Right now I'm running a muriactic acid solution through it with mixed results. Would it make a difference if I capped off the ends and let the solution sit in the tube as oppose to the solution constantly running through?

What about bleach?

Submerge the tube in a solution of cloths washing powder, hose out next day.

oceanfreak09 · Oct 3, 2017

Vinyl tubing is cheap enough to just replace in my Opinion.

TangingOut · Oct 3, 2017

oceanfreak09 said:
Vinyl tubing is cheap enough to just replace in my Opinion.

I wouldn't consider 30' of 1" vinyl tubing to be cheap when the only place I can get it tomorrow is at home depot. Plus I don't like being wasteful.

Currently I'm letting full strength muriactic acid soak inside the tube. I'll hook it back to a pump in a few hours and hopefully that'll do the trick.

oceanfreak09 · Oct 3, 2017

TangingOut said:
I wouldn't consider 30' of 1" vinyl tubing to be cheap when the only place I can get it tomorrow is at home depot. Plus I don't like being wasteful.

Currently I'm letting full strength muriactic acid soak inside the tube. I'll hook it back to a pump in a few hours and hopefully that'll do the

oceanfreak09 · Oct 3, 2017

I have way too much invested in life stock to be worried about $30-$50 of tubing. I hope your Techniques work without any Ill effect.

TangingOut · Oct 3, 2017

A little bit of bleach did the trick. Looks like new again. Now to run some RO/DI with some prime through it and all should be good.

Plunker05@gmail · Oct 3, 2017

I don't blame you for trying to save your hose. $50 is on average 4 hours of work for most of us.

roberthu526 · Oct 3, 2017

Plunker05@gmail said:
I don't blame you for trying to save your hose. $50 is on average 4 hours of work for most of us.

Are you sure? That's $12.5 per hour.

Drewbacca · Sep 20, 2019

TangingOut said:
A little bit of bleach did the trick. Looks like new again. Now to run some RO/DI with some prime through it and all should be good.

Dealing with exact thing now. 30'. ...How long did you run bleach through and how much? How did it all end up overall? Thanx!

Billdogg · Sep 20, 2019

What I did the last time I cleaned my python siphon tubing (50', and not cheap) was to use floating fishing line. I stretched it out as straight as possible on the driveway and then starting at the garage, used my garden hose to create flow through it. Once flow was going I started feeding the line into it until it came out the other end. I tied a heavier string to that and pulled it through so I'd have something that wouldn't break when I pulled. I then tied a short length of kitchen scrub pad to the line and pulled it back through. It looked brand new! It was also a PIA that I haven't bothered repeating in about 20 years.