I am eagerly awaiting delivery of an espresso machine , and I have ordered and received a softener/filter kit from Chris Coffee with 3/8" tubing and John Guest fittings, with which I plan to plumb in the machine. From the source, I'll have an 8 foot or so run through cabinetry with a right angle before going up through a counter top to the machine. A question: I have room, I think, to simply run the 3/8" tubing around the right angle bend in the cabinetry and up without using right angle connectors. Though it won't be as neat an install, my thought is that if I have the room to do it this way I will have less of a chance of leaks than I would if I install two right angle connectors. Any thoughts either way? (NOTE: I am of course installing cut offs before and after the filter/softener kit.)

Thanks!

That short of a run will have no problem supplying the machine even with multiple right angle connections. I have two entries in my "How To" on my website and you can see how I did mine on a run that is well over 15 feet of tubing with multiple Tees as well as 90 degree bends. Go for it.

A word of caution: stick with John Guest fittings which are not easy to find. Home Depot/Lowes doesn't stock them. I've had problems with the imitations available at the big box stores.

Marvin

A large selection of JG fittings are available from Chris Coffee (not all are listed on their site- just call and ask). Some are also available from Espressocare and 1st-line I think. If not, just do a search on eBay for what you need.

While in general I think it's a good idea to minimize connections, the reality is that I have never had a JG fitting leak if properly assembled. I tend to get mine from McMaster-Carr, in addition to the other sources people have mentioned. One caution: I have found that if I need to remove a tube and replace it, it's a good idea to cut a bit off the tubing so that the fitting has a fresh surface to bite. Toward that end, I always try to do the install with some extra tubing length in the system.

Best,
David

iginfect wrote:A word of caution: stick with John Guest fittings which are not easy to find. Home Depot/Lowes doesn't stock them. I've had problems with the imitations available at the big box stores.

Marvin, I feel compelled to follow up to your post. For what it is worth, I ended up having two John Guest fitting leak on the in and out of my pressure regulator. I replaced them with Watts Quick Connect fittings and now have no leaks. (The pressure regulator is from Watts as well.) I'm not taking a position as to whether either JG or Watts is better than the other -- my system now includes both, but simply posting this anecdotal experience as a contrast to yours.

I have used both and never had a problem with either. I is very important to have a clean square cut end free of burrs. They are a lot easier than sweating on copper pipes, but I get to play with the torch if I go copper.

Dave, getting to play with fire is always a plus!

Until you are not paying attention and set the cabinet underside on fire.

When you cut the poly tube, give yourself an extra inch or so. That way you have some re trim room. Use a sharp utility knife not snips to cut the tube. Snips will mash it and you will end up with an oval instead of a clean straight cut. If you have any burrs on the tube, which you should not if you used a fresh utility knife blade, use a little sand paper to clean the edge. Make sure you push the tube into the fitting all the way, then give it a good tug backwards to make sure it is locked in. Then there is the obvious one of making sure you have the correct diameter tube and are not sticking an imperial sized tube into a metric fitting.

There is a task-designed JG tubing cutter. I made this one:



Two scraps of hardwood screwed together with an aluminum spacer between them. Hole drilled through for the tubing.

Using one of those "break-off" razor knives, the block keeps the tubing and blade square. Sort of a JG miter Box. The only fitting I had leak was one where I failed to push the tubing all the way in until is seated. Any dirt or burr (cat fur, etc.) on the end of a cut tube can also cause problems.