Correct flexible tubing for water?

[Vagabound]

Disclaimer: I am posting this for relevant reasons, having nothing to do with having forgotten how to locate Google.

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I put together a very simple water system for under my kitchen sink in my truck. It involves a few Jerry cans, a foot pump, and some vinyl tubing. It works fine, with one pretty important exception: My water tastes like it came directly from DuPont. Yeah, some kind of residual chemical taste is coming most likely the vinyl tubing. The Jerry cans and the water are from familiar sources and have not been a problem in the past.

The tubing I'm using is just clear vinyl tubing from Home Depot. Sort of like the kind for fish aquariums but larger diameter. Photo of similar tubing below.

Wanting to fix this, I went to Home Depot and asked about other kinds of tubing. I explained that I was trying to use it for potable water. One of the employees pointed me toward some kind of braided flexible tubing. It looks like the second photo below.

Before I get it and redo this installation, I want to make sure that this braided flexible tubing really is designed to be food grade and be likely to solve my chemical taste problem.

An opinion from anybody who knows about this stuff would be appreciated.

Tom

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Current tubing:



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Proposed tubing:

 

[LeeRevell]

Soaking that vinyl tubing in water with baking soda may remove the chemical taste. That works with GI plastic canteens.

 

[Jandoraa]

I've seen food grade water hoses, perhaps there's tubing like that you could buy? The food grade hoses don't give off any taste.

 

[bcbullet]

The braided stuff is the correct one...used in soda pop systems, etc. etc.

 

[TrainChaser]

I do not know personally, but my neighbor got a Camco brand (white) from HD for his travel trailer. I don't know the results, since they left at night, dodging the landlord.

From the HD website, your appears to be their Sioux Chief brand Braided Vinyl Tubing for $5/foot. It says it is designed for water supplies, but it is not FDA-approved. And it's more expensive than the white RV-type hoses.

HD has the Camco brand of drinking-water-specific hoses (w/connectors) starting at $6 (4 ft/1/2") to $18 f(25 ft/ 5/8") that is named TastePure drinking water hose:
•Made with NSF certified hose; drinking water safe
•Reinforced for maximum kink resistance
•Hose is made of PVC and is BPA free
•CSA low lead content certified and complies with California's AB1953 and Vermont Act 193 Low Lead Laws

Some of these are not available locally, but most HD stuff can be ordered and picked up at local store.

 

[highdesertranger]

the braided stuff in the second pic is ok. usually it is color coded, cold water has a blue stripe, hot water a red stripe. you could also use PEX tubing I am surprised HD didn't point that out. for getting the taste out of your jerry cans or any plastic water container, first use a bleach solution like you are disinfecting, follow that up with a vinegar solution. works every time. highdesertranger

 

[vtwinkicker]

What you are tasting in the water is the residual plasticizer in the hose. Its added during manufacture for flexibility. Usually if you put the hose in water and boil it you will remove the excess. Maybe try a small piece first, some hose is not formulated for the heat.

 

[Weight]

I have used both types of tubing, without problem. But, not from homedepot. I have a plumping supply house where I get all such stuff. You could have a wrong type of tubing material. Could it be the container you are using?
I have a 7 gallon water can from Walmart designed for potable water. I used some of the reinforced tubing for my electric pump pickup. The inside diameter is different on the reinforced tube and it is harder to work. For our type of uses I think the reinforced hose is over-kill. For the discharge side, I have a kit as used for the spray hose on a kitchen sink. Nice looking hose, brass fittings to pipe thread, and a spray valve and holder on the end. Pex is not as flexible, but is ideal in fixed areas.

 

[Reducto]

What type of connector does it lead to? When I still had a water system I messed around with various tubings and connectors that all eventually leaked. I eventually switched everything to 1/2" connectors and bought pre-made hoses with the correct connectors already on them. Hardware stores usually have a variety of different lengths. They are all food grade and cost about the same as bulk hose plus connectors.

Braided hose is nice because it doesn't kink like the clear flexible tubing does.

 

[Vagabound]

What type of connector does it lead to?

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Braided hose is nice because it doesn't kink like the clear flexible tubing does.

Reducto: The connectors are the plastic push on nipple type that have the angled circumferential ridges around the nipple, plus a similar one made of brass on the bottom of the spigot. See photo.

You brought up a nice feature of the braided hose that I hadn't really thought about. That vinyl tubing is getting pinched or crimped in a few places under the sink and I'd like that to stop. Maybe I will stick with the braided hose even if it is a bit of overkill.

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Thanks to everyone for the good replies.

A few people have mentioned the containers as a possible cause for the taste. I talked about that in my original post. To explain better, I used those water containers for drinking water before I installed this sink foot pump system. No problems, no bad taste. 

In terms of parts that carry the water, the new components are the vinyl tubing, the nipples, and the spigot itself. The spigot is for a water fountain or bar sink and came from the plumbing section of Home Depot, so I don't suspect it. I think the nipples are too small to be adding that amount of bad taste, even if they were problematic. So, probably rule those out as well. As I see it, that leaves the vinyl tubing.

Tom

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[Vagabound]

Update:

All problems fixed. The vinyl tubing was the bad taste and smell culprit, as I suspected, not the jerry cans.

Details in this post in my build-out thread:

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-V...1993-Ford-E350-Box-Truck?pid=276665#pid276665

Tom