Breaking a Hard Tube Loop?

[Dave66]

Hi,

Up to now I've used 8/6 mm flexible tube. Am planning the switch to acrylic 16/13 mm. So, in the old loop, if I say wanted to take out the GC, I would close 2 ball valves (into reservoir and out from pump), which effectively allows the loop to be broken while full of water.
I am not sure this method would work with 16/13 mm. Does the whole loop have to be completely drained in order to do this with the larger hard tubes?

 

[twinprime]

Hi,
I assume the pump is the "GC".
Yes it would work but it would depend on the type of fitting you use. I'm using the Thermaltake CPro fitting in which the pipe rest flushed against the fitting and not "insert" into the fitting. So when the outter fitting ring is removed, the pipe (and the water pump) can easily "slide" out without needing the existing hard tubes to be flexed or bent, not even slightly.


What I mean is if you have to connect these two pipe together with a small gap in between:

(pipe)===|CCCC|===(pipe)
The gap is "CCCC", for example that's 4 times a C=pro fitting. Wit the C-Pro fittings you can fit a piece of pipe that is precisely CCCC in length into that gap.

You do it like so

=CC= (the loose pipe to insert)
(pipe)===| (gap) |===(pipe)

Then you slide the pipe in
(pipe)===|=CC=|===(pipe)

And tighten the fitting:
(pipe)===|C==C|===(pipe)

So if you use this type of fitting (TT C-pro in my case) you can replace the pump no problem. That pump would slide in and out just like that pipe.
There are other, cheaper fittings that would require you to push the tube into the fitting (like soft tube) in which case it'll be hard to remove the pump. So maybe use these C=pro fittings at the IO of the pump.