Tips for removing hose from barb fittings?

[lexuschris]

Hey all,

I use my extra CO2 tank & regulator for pushing beer from my fermenter, gasing bottles with my bottling gun, and other various tasks. I already have a wye and 2 valves on it. One for swivel nut connectors, the other a straight barb connector.

When I went to swap off my bottle filler hose from the barb connector, I found that even after removing the hose clamp, I just couldn't get that sucker off. I had got it pushed up over all the barb before I clamped it, but now I cannot remove it.

I've tried pulling straight, straight while twisting, pushing and pulling, etc. Its just on real tight. Before I go cutting it off and losing an inch of the tubing, are there any tips for removing such a tight tube?

Hope everyone has a great week!
--LexusChris

[JonW]

Soak the end in hot water for a bit to soften it.

[lexuschris]

Good suggestion, but this end was on the regulator. I was trying to think of a way to bring out a hair dryer or something to heat it up, but came up with another idea.

Since the hose was capped with a ball lock connector, I just opened the CO2 and cranked it up to 10 PSI, and that put enough inside pressure on the tube to open up where I could give it a good straight pull ... worked like a charm.

I'm still interested in any other ideas for the future...
--LexusChris

[JonW]

I never remove hoses from barbed fittings as I like to clamp them with Oetikers. I do have several items that I connect & disconnect from my CO2 on a regular basis, but I've put MFL connections on everything so I can just thread them on.

[maltbarley]

I agree with Jon, I make my barbs permanent and use threaded fittings for interchange purposes. If you have to remove it, you want to push back from the cut end as this expands the tubing rather than pulling the tubing which contracts it, like Chinese finger cuffs.

[lexuschris]

Hmmm.. when I have tried using MFL fittings, I find I cannot go much above 5 PSI before the gas leaks. With the flared washers in there, maybe a few more PSI but no more than 8 psi or so.

I would love to have a better way to switch gas adapters between MFL shutoff valves and such. Can somebody upload a picture of your setup? Maybe, I'm just doing it wrong....

Many thanks!
--LexusChris

[brahn]

I never remove hoses from barbed fittings as I like to clamp them with Oetikers. I do have several items that I connect & disconnect from my CO2 on a regular basis, but I've put MFL connections on everything so I can just thread them on.

+1

If I do need to remove hoses from the barbed connectors, I usually cut them off.

[brahn]

Hmmm.. when I have tried using MFL fittings, I find I cannot go much above 5 PSI before the gas leaks. With the flared washers in there, maybe a few more PSI but no more than 8 psi or so.

I would love to have a better way to switch gas adapters between MFL shutoff valves and such. Can somebody upload a picture of your setup? Maybe, I'm just doing it wrong....

Many thanks!
--LexusChris

I don't have a picture, but my hoses are all permanently clamped to the barbs on the regulators. The other end of the hose has a permanent flare fitting like this:

http://morebeer.com/view_product/18264/ ... _5_16_Barb

To swap between my dispensing and bottling setup, I remove the ball lock connector (http://morebeer.com/view_product/18270/ ... In_-_Flare) and connect the hose directly to the MFL fitting on the beergun.

I regularly crank the CO2 up to 30 psi to purge my kegs and I've never had a problem with it leaking at the connector that a quick hand tightening wouldn't fix.

[lexuschris]

Thanks for those links. I have the same setup, and have already lost 2 tanks of CO2 to leaks in the swivel nut MFL fittings.

I have been finger tightening the nuts. Do you need to pull out the wrench and really crank down on them?

Loving the feedback! Thanks!
--LexusChris

[JonW]

If I'm just pushing beer from the fermenter to kegs or something really low pressure like that, I'll do hand tight. For anything where it is going to sit pressurized (like with a QD on it or attached to a distribution block) I always use a wrench.

[DrDually]

Thanks for those links. I have the same setup, and have already lost 2 tanks of CO2 to leaks in the swivel nut MFL fittings.

I have been finger tightening the nuts. Do you need to pull out the wrench and really crank down on them?

Loving the feedback! Thanks!
--LexusChris

Yes, use a wrench. finger tight will allow gas to leak...however, do not use gorilla grip as fittings can and will break

[jward]

I use some QDs for gas lines in a couple is instances. More Beer used to sell some that looked kind of like these http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=743. I think the female side has a cut off valve to close the connection when disconnected. The male side stays open.

I also started to use some the QDs the Dan Hempy used for his CO2 distribution.

[DrDually]

Here is a QD from MB
http://morebeer.com/view_product/17383/ ... _2%22_Barb