Barbs or compression fittings?

Peter_S

Peter_S

Peter_S

Associate
Joined
25 Jun 2008
Posts
34
Hi,

As per title really!

Having ordered some bits for my first go at watercooling I'd like some advice regarding fittings. Which should I go with 1/2 barbs and 7/16 tube or 1/2 compression fittings?

Thanks

Peter S.
 
If you are to go compression fittings only ever use bits power ones, as they are the best on the market, cost abit, but are really worth the money.

Can't seem to find the 1/2" ones on OC, but they have the 7/16th ones
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-054-BP&groupid=962&catid=1529&subcat=

Thing is with compression fittings is that you have to exatactly match them with the correct tubing.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-036-OK&groupid=962&catid=1529&subcat=1745

Those 1/2th barbs and 7/16th tubing will work like this, all you do when connecting it all up, is heat the end of the tubing with hot water, to relax the walls abit, the push over the barb, still takes some effort, and once cooled, it forms a extremely tight fit.

As below
fxqzcz.jpg
 
Do you want to:

A) Be able to easily remove and replace sections of tubing when it comes to maintaining or adjusting your loop, but have relatively bulky looking fittings.

or

B) Have almost invisible fittings but have to cut, potentially discard and replace tubing whenever you need to maintain or adjust your loop.
 
if you are using compression fittings, use expensive ones.

cheap compression fittings are a bad idea
 
Ive used jubilee clips, cheap and chearful, though i have been thinking about compression fittings, but there expensive and i dont have a windowed case to see them so it seems like a waste of money
 
Seems a bit of a Hobsons choice for a beginner!
I think I'll go with 1/2 barbs and 7/16 tubing. Tubings not that expensive and if it needs a few attempts then its all part of the learning curve.
Do I need to hose clamp or cable tie over barbs? Or is that paranoia to far?

Thanks

Peter S.
 
With 7/16" tubing over 1/2" barbs, arguably you don't need any retention, but I would anyway just in case.
 
I use the Barbs because they look really nice i got mine Ainodized pink (husband did them at work) they loook really amazing with EK see thru block and black water.

Ofc it's totally upto you and how much time you want to actually spend if you want to have the water cooling as a feature to look at or just cool the system.
 
IF u take a look at the pic i posted, thats 7/16th tubing over 1/2" barbs, absolutly no hose clamps or cable ties needed.

It really is a tight fight, i was paranoid at first but when i saw how hard it was to get them on, before heating them up with hot water, and even then needs some pressure too.
 
This is probably a daft question but.....going back to what Bubo said about ease of removal to maintain a loop.
I plan to mount the radiator in the roof of my case does this mean I'm going to have more trouble bleeding the system or maintaining it? I'm now thinking about a couple of Bitspower compression fittings perhaps on the pump or the bay reservoir to make it a bit easier to dismantle for maintenance.
 
If you are happy to replace some/all of your tubing whener you do anything with your loop, and by that I mean taking blocks/rad out to clean, reposition things, change loop order or generaly tart about with it, then you'll be fine with 7/16" tubing. So, depends on how often you are planning to maintain, most people leave it 1-2 years.

It certainly won't make any difference in how hard is it is to bleed.

You can however avoid having to replace all your tube when using 7/16" by intentionally building in slack in your tube lengths between components, but then this will not always lead to the most tidy looking setups, and is only really possibly for longer sections of tube really.

edit: You could argue that if you need to be changing your loop round that you would still need to replace tubing even with compression fittngs, so in reality its only really an issue for when you need to work on the loop with the intention of putting it back the way it was, i.e. annual cleaning.
 
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i have used standard silver compression fittings,no problems here,bitspower is just a name that your paying for,most compression fittings are the same,there all made the same,they all fit the same.

The steel spring clips are very good also,you wont get any leaks with those i can tell ya,just avoid the plastic clips,anything else is ok to use.
 
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Peter_S said:
This is probably a daft question but.....going back to what Bubo said about ease of removal to maintain a loop.
I plan to mount the radiator in the roof of my case does this mean I'm going to have more trouble bleeding the system or maintaining it? I'm now thinking about a couple of Bitspower compression fittings perhaps on the pump or the bay reservoir to make it a bit easier to dismantle for maintenance.
Click to expand...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-050-SW&utm_source=froogle

You could try this instead of a bay reservoir?It can be mounted anywhere as it has metal clamps and velcro strips included,great for bleeding also.
 
MameFX said:
i have used standard silver compression fittings,no problems here,bitspower is just a name that your paying for,most compression fittings are the same,there all made the same,they all fit the same.
Click to expand...

I disagree - cheap fitting are crap.They looks ugly with bad build quality and some of them have cracks.
I can't see any different between Freser and Bits Power, but betwen them and no name ones there is a big whole ;)
 
The ID of the cheap fitting is also a LOT smaller.
In fact the ID of all rotary compression fittings are woeful compaired to even a cheap ek 1/2 barb (let alone a fatboy, ghost or highflow)

Barbs for begineers every time:
no passive unscrewing or
tube incompatabilities or
three possable leak paths or
block incompatabilities as to bulky or
overpriced/lack of stock issues.

Compression fitting are bling - they offer nothing other than 'neatness' over a barb.
If your watercooling for fashion then pick 'quality' compressions (feser, bitspower, koolance)
If you doing it for ultra quiet/silence or 24/7 performance pick barbs as you want +10mm ID.

If you don't want any of those three things use air and have a holiday on the saving you just made.

Sorry for the tone btw (bad day at the office) - but it all true
 
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