Heat/Pressure/Food-Safe Hose or Tubing

[dsmithpdx]

Hi All,

I need to purchase or build a hose to connect to the faucet in my laundry room which I will use to fill my HLT/mash tun (Anvil Foundry), and to clean. So I'm looking for something that is NSF-rated/food safe and that can also handle pressure (house water supply is about 80PSI) and heat (130F or so). I had previously purchased this tubing but I left it connected to the faucet with a nozzle on the other end for several months, and stuff started to grow. Also, I see that several of the reviews mention a "chemical odor" which is disconcerting since I'll be consuming the water that flows through it in the form of beer. I have the fittings I need to make my own hose (with 1/2" barbs so 1/2" ID would be ideal), so I'm open to that or a regular hose.

Any recommendations? Thanks and cheers!

 

[jtratcliff]

Look for RV drinking water hoses....

something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-25ft-TastePURE-Drinking-Water/dp/B004ME11FS

 

[khannon]

Does it have to be flexible? PEX is pretty easy to work with, has some flex, has all sorts of options. Available at any of the big box stores. You could work yourself up some sort of adapter that would be removable, and there are pex to NPT or garden hose options as well as ball valves and the other type of valve that the name is escaping me at the moment. They use pex for running housing plumbing, can handle hot and cold at household pressures. You can use "Shark-bite" connectors or crimp or "oetiker" style clamps. The connectors are a little pricey, but I think a 100 foot roll set me back under $20. I've used it to "plumb" in some of my new indoor brewing space as well as setting up an outdoor shower.

Or you could go with 1/2 in reinforced silicone. Silicone Tubing, Reinforced, by the foot, 1/2'' ID x .80'' OD (1/8'' Thick Walls) as an example though they seem to be out of stock. Looks like Morebeer has it in stock but it's running ~$9.00/ft

I'm not sure how well RV water hoses handle heat and pressure together. I've used the stuff you are using. I use it for cleaning, and I don't let it sit, so I don't have too much experience with long term pressure. I also have yet to meet a garden hose that does not leak at one or other of the connections, your luck may be batter or I might just suck at gardening.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've been making my own reinforced silicone for this type of use for a while. I use nylon mesh on the outside of the tubing.

 

[ITV]

I found that the thicker drinking water hose doesn't collapse like the cheaper white RV hoses. Link

 

[Bobby_M]

I found that the thicker drinking water hose doesn't collapse like the cheaper white RV hoses. Link

They still make the water taste like rubber unfortunately.

 

[IslandLizard]

I had previously purchased this tubing but I left it connected to the faucet with a nozzle on the other end for several months, and stuff started to grow.

Stuff growing inside over longer times may always be the problem. Regardless of the kind of hose used.

+1 on PEX, but it's not a hose, it's rather stiff tubing. It's a much cheaper alternative to using copper. A (small) issue is that the PEX connectors are brass (containing a very small % of lead), unless things have changed the past 10 years.

 

[micraftbeer]

I've used the Camco white drinking water hoses like this for several years. I initially picked them out through some clean water website that tested different hoses for purity of the water coming out and they came out as the best. And I never had issues with any tastes or aroma.

The one downside they did have was the plastic female ends would develop leaks if it was a joint I had to put on and off. So I've recently bought some replacement Camco hoses, but these have the machined aluminum fittings on the end. I haven't yet used these in my system because I'm waiting on a fitting to hook up some other new water gear. These are the blue ones like @ITV mentioned. I didn't do the research on the blue ones like I originally did before I bought the white ones, I was just going on my good experience with the Camco brand. I home I'm not disappointed.

 

[ITV]

I've used the Camco white drinking water hoses like this for several years. I initially picked them out through some clean water website that tested different hoses for purity of the water coming out and they came out as the best. And I never had issues with any tastes or aroma.

The one downside they did have was the plastic female ends would develop leaks if it was a joint I had to put on and off. So I've recently bought some replacement Camco hoses, but these have the machined aluminum fittings on the end. I haven't yet used these in my system because I'm waiting on a fitting to hook up some other new water gear. These are the blue ones like @ITV mentioned. I didn't do the research on the blue ones like I originally did before I bought the white ones, I was just going on my good experience with the Camco brand. I home I'm not disappointed.

The only potential down side of the blue Camco blue hoses are that they do not straighten out very easily. I just keep mine coiled up but make sure that I drain the water out before storing.

I did not notice any rubber taste from my hoses.

 

[AkTom]

I’ve seen opaque pex turn funky colors. That was due to the funky water flowing in it though.
Cheers

 

[khannon]

I've been making my own reinforced silicone for this type of use for a while. I use nylon mesh on the outside of the tubing.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you sourcing the nylon mesh, and/or is it something that you would make available?