There must be an easier way!! Installing hose onto barb fitting

[kingkongds]

Hello everyone... so.. its been about an hour of me trying, heating, and searching on the internet to find a way to fit the return hose from Waterbox onto the Vectra L2 barb fitting. I literally barely got onto the 1st barb after heating the hose to the point where it actually was hot to touch!
Any suggestions? tips?.....

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Hello everyone... so.. its been about an hour of me trying, heating, and searching on the internet to find a way to fit the return hose from Waterbox onto the Vectra L2 barb fitting. I literally barely got onto the 1st barb after heating the hose to the point where it actually was hot to touch!
Any suggestions? tips?.....

How are you heating it? I take a coffee cup with hot water then microwave it for about 2 min then I hold the hose end in boiling water for 20-30 seconds and it’s so soft will go over anything

 

[ddrueckh]

Boil some water in a cup. Dip the end of the hose in for 30 seconds. It will slip right over.

 

[ddrueckh]

You can also add saliva to the inside. It lubricates it.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

You can also add saliva to the inside. It lubricates it.

Make is greezy slides in eazy

 

[ffmurray]

If you heat it to fast it just bends and ya can’t push it on.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I'm surprised no one has made a lewd comment about that photo yet

I do the cup method as mentioned above with supplemental heating with heat gun on tough barb fittings.

 

[Malcontent]

 

[lagatbezan]

Can also use a hair blow dryer.

 

[A;exr54]

There is one guy who is considering dosing milk.
So kill 2 birds with one stone. Boil some milk and use the milk to heat up the hose


seriously tho. Answers above look good to me.

 

[ProxyAquarist]

a. I have always used the boiling water method suggested earlier by FordTesh, ddrueckh, … et al.

b. My next suggestion would have been to check that you were given the right tubing size, but the picture seems to show a good size.

c. My last suggestion is one I got from a tech. In a lab I worked in, freeze the barb first. The barb should contract to a slightly smaller size as it freezes; the heated tubing should be slightly larger in diameter and more pliable with heating. Both should give you a better shot.

By the way, do not freeze with liquid nitrogen. That did not go well for a colleague.

As for A;exr54's milk citation, it could not hurt. The proteins might lubricate too. I'd avoid chocolate milk though.

I also thought a bit about Malcontent's suggestion of an expander. If the fibers of the braided tubing are restricting expansion, an expander may stretch or break those fibers at the barb segment allowing attachment.

Yours in aquarium physics,
jim

 

[Projects with Sam]

Sometimes the pumps allow you to swap out the output port. I know my discount DC pump came with 2 different size output ports that I unscrew a collar to change between (minding the rubber gasket.) It looks like your pump has a similar setup from the picture. Check the pump parts. It seems like the OD of the Tube is the size of the barb - probably will break something before getting it on.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, throw out that hose. That hose is for pressure and is reinforced with nylon which as you found out doesn't stretch to easily but it is overkill for a tank. Use a regular vinyl hose.

 

[Floyd-]

I agree with Paul on this one. Thats braided hose and its going to be hard to slip over.
Also looks like that barb is the wrong size for that hose. Maybe 1/4" off.

 

[adittam]

I agree with the previous replies...get non-braided tubing.

 

[rusty hannon]

Is there no longer a hose spreader at the hardware store? I'm not being a jerk and I am curious. They were not expensive and helped out a lot. I'd look into it. Good luck

 

[Spieg]

Personally I'd use silicone tube for the return line.

 

[Tamberav]

Vinyl less ugly too... you get to see all the crud growing in the clear ones like that.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Soak it in hot water.