What kind of connection needed for pump tubing to copper pipe?

[bigfish2224]

Hello, I'm replacing old vinyl tubing for my garden water fountain and looking for someone to tell me what kind of coupling/connection to use.

My pump has an outlet for 1/2" ID tubing...so I bought flexible clear vinyl tubing that fits properly on the barbed adapter outlet on the pump end, but on the end that connects to the fountain head, it's the same size 1/2 ID tubing but in copper (it seems). I can't get the vinyl tubing to stretch over the copper (that's how the previous home owner made the connection and then put a ring clamp on it). Is there a trick to this or an easier way using some sort of connection fitting?

The copper fountain head inlet doesn't have any threads on it by the way.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sissy]

You can use a pipe clamp ,just make sure it is made of stainless steel so it does not rust .The pipe clamp needs to be tightened down but not so tight that it crushes the copper pipe .You can put a sealing compound on it to make sure it does not leak around the clamp.You can warm up that tubibg to make it slide on easier or use a little vaseline

 

[Stephen T.]

I've had good luck "stretching" vinyl tubing over things by cutting the tubing at somewhat of a diagonal (makes a bigger area to fit over the "too big" connection and dipping the tubing in HOT water for a minute or so.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Use the proper size tubing that will slide over the fountain Copper inlet. Purchase an adapter for the pump outlet.

 

[bigfish2224]

I've had good luck "stretching" vinyl tubing over things by cutting the tubing at somewhat of a diagonal (makes a bigger area to fit over the "too big" connection and dipping the tubing in HOT water for a minute or so.

Thanks, I'll try this out first! Also, the tubing is kinked up in spots as it was in a coil from the store, would the hot water trick fix that or is there another way to make it straighter?

 

[Stephen T.]

Usually, this type tubing will "relax" if it's nice and warm/hot. Sometimes running hot water through and working the kinked spot between your fingers helps.

You'll want a cup of very hot water next to the work area when you expand the tube over the copper, so you can immerse it and immediately stretch it over the fitting.

Good Luck,

Steve

 

[sissy]

I would still use a clamp with the force of the water it may push the tubing off .That happened to me .

 

[mgmine]

As Stephen said put the tube in very hot water and it will stretch.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

As Stephen said put the tube in very hot water and it will stretch.

This also weakens the tubing in the stretch area.as it reduces the thickness of the tubing wall.

 

[mgmine]

This also weakens the tubing in the stretch area.as it reduces the thickness of the tubing wall.

Never had a problem but then again who knows.

 

[sissy]

If it has problems it is always cheap to replace and you could always keep a piece ready to go .When I did my first pond I had to stretch the pipe so I just added a collar of a slightly larger pipe over it and clamped both down .

 

[Stephen T.]

As long as you are at low pressure it should be fine with the stretching, just don't try using it that way with 100' of head!