converting gravity to vac

[spencer11]

i have some laterals i put up when i didnt have a tubing tool, i dipped the end of the tubing in hot water and put it on the fitting. will i need to redo all of my fittings so i dont have a vac leak, or should they be fine? i have a tubing tool now so all new laterals will be put up using that.

spencer

[500592]

If it is a two handed tool it shouldn't be hat hard to redo the fittings just cut clamp and redo.

[spencer11]

i would use a 2 handed tool. but do i need to redo the fittings?

spencer

[red maples]

Probably not... as long as you hit that second barb you should be OK. The only way to tell is once you get the vac on, walk the lines. if you hear a his at the main line right at the saddles you probably have a leak. On newer systems you will may miss installing a drop or forget to close something up or connect something somewhere no matter how many time you doulbe check!!! most spouts will fit tight enough onto the Tee that you can get a pretty good test even before you tap. there are ALWAYS leaks...fitting will sometimes come apart(although not regularly the Newer leader stuff has bigger barbs so it will fit snuggly with just about any tubing rigid or semi rigid) but it does happen, squirrel chews, branches onlines what ever. also when its warmer the tubing both mainline and blue tubing expand so usually I need to go through and tighten the stuff I put up when it was colder. I noticed a few leaks this year on stuff I put in winter mostly mainline so it was just a matter of tightening clamps.

[spencer11]

i did hit the second barb on all the fittings, and i do use the leader fitting with the large barbs. i did notice i did have to gighten some up this year since i put them up in the winter. i will have to change alot of drops to make them longer. when i cut the tubing off the fitting, it obviously makes a mark in the fitting, so should i just replace them or wait till it leaks?

spencer

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

When I converted from gravity to vacuum I had the same situation. Let's just say I spent a lot of time after the season got started changing drop lines. Almost all of the connections had micro leaks. If you can hold the tube and twist the spout, there is definitely a leak!

[spencer11]

i cant twist any of the fittings..but alot of very small leaks make one big one..so should i just change the whole Tee, drop line and tap?

spencer

[G.Rainville]

I made up 600 drops this year using hot water and I only had 4 or 5 of them leak.

[spencer11]

if i cut the current drop line off the Tee and then put the new longer one on will it leak cause of the little score on the barbs?

spencer

[wiam]

if i cut the current drop line off the Tee and then put the new longer one on will it leak cause of the little score on the barbs?

spencer

In my experience, yes.

[spud]

Spencer,

It would be best to change all the Ts with the drops and spouts. It looks like you have 250 taps so it should not cost you much. The last thing you want is to have to run around fixing a hundred leaks nest spring. You can cut the Ts out with your two handed tool and then in with the new.

Spud

[spencer11]

well then it will be alot easier to make the drops of they all need new Tees. thanks

spencer