Properly connecting 3/8" Vinyl Tube to Soft Drawn Copper Loop

I'm finally putting my tap in my bar, approximately 25' from the keezer. I am planning to use a water cooling setup, but the only thing I want to be sure of is that I don't end up with leaks at the joint between the copper tower coil I'm producing and the vinyl coolant lines in the trunk. Can I generally achieve a water tight connection by just fitting the vinyl over the smooth wall of the soft drawn tubing or will I need some sort of flare or barb? Are compression fittings available?

You could either put the tubing on the copper and secure it with a hose clamp, or for a more secure fit, use a compression fitting x hose barb on the copper and slip the hose onto the barb and secure it with a hose clamp.

I appreciate the reply, I realize it was kind of stupid. I just couldn't think if I had seen a compression fitting of that type before.

I don't know if there is such a fitting. You might have to add a few things together. Compression x female thread + male thread x hose barb.

I'd just pick up a cheap flaring kit and put a bit of a flare on the end of the copper. This ensures that the line can't pull off. Of course, you can be pretty sure if you just double up on the worm clamp as long as you're not putting any real pressure on it.

horseinmay said:

I don't know if there is such a fitting. You might have to add a few things together. Compression x female thread + male thread x hose barb.

Click to expand...

+1 - that's the dealy. comp x fpt and fpt x barb. you can go flare x fpt, but then you need to know how to flare- and flare joints are notoriously fickle

I got it installed yesterday with no barb or flare. Just three spring clamps and it sealed. Thanks for the advice if I get a leak I'll throw on the fitting I bought. It was just harder to insulate around all those parts.

I use coarse sandpaper to scuff the copper to create shallow grooves around the tubing. I warm the vinyl in a cup of hot water and then use a pair of pex/oetiker style clamps on each connection.