Page 1 of 1

Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 17th, 2015, 2:31 pm
by Marcle_Leisure
Zildjian has asked me for information on reliable pipe connections. I had posted information prior to the site crash, but that was lost, hey ho.

Most peeps are familiar with the popular 'push-in' type pipe connections for water and pneumatic connections. These are quick to use and relatively simple to dis-connect. However they are not reliable in harsh situations, like under vehicles. If there is any scratches to the exterior of the hose (easily done when pushing through holes etc.), this can cause issues with sealing. If the fitting is in a harsh environment and subject to dust and vibration, this can lead to poor sealing, especially if disconnected and reconnected several times.

For a more positive connection, you can use a compression fitting with an 'olive'. These compression fittings are good positive connections, however they're not so good if you wish to change the length of the hose, or perhaps re-routing through small holes as once the olive has been compressed, they're not removable and requires replacement if removed (big hassle in the wilderness).

What's the answer? We use an olive-less compression fitting on all our air suspension systems (bar the connections to our basic gauge assembly which is mounted in a non harsh environment) as they give 100% leak-proof. The fitting as shown in the fuzzy photo below comprises of a hose barb/hose tail which is pushed in to the inside of the hose, then a cap is screwed over the top to retain the hose in position. These connections can be dis-assembled and re-assembled without detriment to the reliability.

These fittings are regularly used with automotive pneumatic systems, however I've also used them with the water plumbing in my own motorhome as the original push-in fittings had started to fail leaving me with soaking carpets :twisted:

Any questions, do ask.

Steve

Image

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 17th, 2015, 2:40 pm
by Marcle_Leisure
The airline fittings are listed here http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/-c-449.html
If your looking for larger connectors, let me know what size you require and I'll add them to the site.

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 17th, 2015, 3:13 pm
by zildjian
Thanks Steve, thats a lot of stuff there, you appear to offer almost everything needed I think
for me I'll check under truck and count up what I need, maybe see if I can reduce the number of joins at same time
and send it you thanks
Zildjian

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 17th, 2015, 3:13 pm
by zildjian
Thanks Steve, thats a lot of stuff there, you appear to offer almost everything needed I think
for me I'll check under truck and count up what I need, maybe see if I can reduce the number of joins at same time
and send it you thanks
Zildjian

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 18th, 2015, 8:34 pm
by rubberrat
Interesting, I'm on the push on fittings and so far they don't leak despite being moved from old truck to new, but i wouldn't mind upgrading anyway.

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 19th, 2015, 11:22 am
by zildjian
Mine has been transferred across three different vehicles now so its probably past its best, its not so important with air on tap but if you need to plug in a compressor every day, that would quickly become a chore.

On this subject, do you offer regulators to compensate for air loss and inflate the bags automatically?

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 19th, 2015, 11:29 am
by Marcle_Leisure
zildjian wrote:do you offer regulators to compensate for air loss and inflate the bags automatically?
They're not listed on the site, but I can supply them.

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 20th, 2015, 10:21 pm
by Marcle_Leisure
zildjian wrote:do you offer regulators to compensate for air loss and inflate the bags automatically?
I assume you already have a pre-pressurised system with a reservoir/tank then? If not, you'll need one if your thinking of using a regulator. You could use an adjustable pressure switch, but the differential would be too wide.

Re: Pipe fittings/connections

Posted: November 21st, 2015, 8:47 am
by zildjian
its an over-winter option to ensure there's minimum pressure in the bags, and another labour saving device to eliminate all that labour intensive glancing-at-the dashboard-gauge-every-day :D

the only constraint is physical size of the reg' really, it needs to be a tiny one to install