Don't Be Too Casual Pairing Tubes To Barbed Fittings

© 2007 by Penton Media, Inc.

Designers spend a lot of time choosing the right tubing or hose for an application, yet sometimes the decision on fittings or couplings receives less scrutiny. In fact, a secure and reliable connection is really determined by how well the connector and tube work together. This makes selecting the right connector just as important as tubing choice.

A hose barb is one or more continuous ridges or bumps on a connector that grips the inside diameter of a tube and seals the connection. Installing a tube on the connector expands it over the barb. As the tube relaxes to its original diameter, the barb grips and seals it. For many applications, one barb on a hose connector provides 100% of the sealing and most of the holding for a tube termination.