Coolant Tubing Advice

[Tim Walters]

Hi All,
I've been using silicone rubber tubing as my laser-cutter coolant piping for almost 3 years with no problems... until last night.
I was running a job and heard a popping noise. I looked over, and I've got coolant squirting against the wall.
The tubing had deteriorated where it attached to the pump.
I've got an EFR ZX-1250 glass-tube laser and use food-grade (motor-home type) antifreeze as the coolant.
What's the best tubing/attachment to use?
Thanks for any advice!
Tim

[Bill Reibelt]

If the fitting is 10 mm you can use air compressor hose as I did when I changed the cooling system of my machine.

[Dave Sheldrake]

I run 10mm bore 3mm wall silicone vacuum tube on all of mine Tim. Do you have to deal with very cold weather where you are?

[Tim Walters]

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies.

(Dave - I live in Atlanta, Georgia. It doesn't get cold here...)


I discovered that I wasn't using silicone tubing... it was latex.
I went online and found that ULS was using all polyethylene tubing in their systems. Good enough for me.
So - I've replaced all the tubing and installed a flow switch.
Hopefully, it'll last a long time.
Tim

[Roy Sanders]

If I read the correctly, you replaced the water cooling system with a food grade anti-freeze; yes?
A curious mind want to know, what difference did that make? I am new. I have a Chinese CO2 40W.

Thank you

[Bert Kemp]

Roy they use antifreeze to help protect from freezing in cold weather also I believe it helps control algae growth in the water, Some here say antifreeze is ok so say its not. Personally I don't need it as I have no cold weather here and the machine is in the house anyways. I use about a teaspoon of Clorox in about 5 gals of water and have no algae problems. Just a few drops is all you need. I get some of those pool test strips to check it .

[Ron Gosnell]

Same with antifreeze....just a very little.... 1/4 cup or less to 6 liters water. Not to prevent freezing but to control algae.
I use prestone automobile coolant. Not enough to hardly color the water.

I am not recommending this by any means to anyone because it has not been thoroughly tested. I have read enough
posts from others to convince me. I think it's a better alternative than algae gumming up the plumbing. So far so good.

Gozzie

[Roy Sanders]

Thank you, Bert and Ron. Your answers helped me. I do not need to use it either, now. I really liked the idea of the bleach and will use that.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Tim,

Grab a container of chlorine crystals (the ones used to keep home pools sanitary) ONE teaspoon in 50 litres of water and algae won't be a problem.

[Tim Walters]

If I read the correctly, you replaced the water cooling system with a food grade anti-freeze; yes?
A curious mind want to know, what difference did that make? I am new. I have a Chinese CO2 40W.

Thank you

Hi Roy,

I built my own laser tube many years ago. It had high voltage in contact with the cooling water. I switched to antifreeze because it didn't conduct. It also prevented algae growth. Now that I've got a REAL laser I use it just for algae control.

If I were going to start over, I'd use Dave's solution.

Keep in mind that bleach will attack stainless steel...

Tim