# Using stainless steel tubing for AP bubbler



## kevin316 (Mar 29, 2017)

Can I use Stainless in my AP as my bubble line or will it cause issues with copper cementing out of solution. I think I know the answer, just need a second opinion.


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## kernels (Mar 29, 2017)

No - you know the answer. Aquarium air tube works fine for about a year.


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## modtheworld44 (Mar 29, 2017)

kevin316 said:


> Can I use Stainless in my AP as my bubble line or will it cause issues with copper cementing out of solution. I think I know the answer, just need a second opinion.



kevin316

The problem will not be the copper cementing out,but the Hydrochloric acid eating the stainless.Get some aquarium tubing and you'll be ready to go.Remember to use just a splash of peroxide to get it started.Hope this helps.


modtheworld44


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## kevin316 (Mar 30, 2017)

Thanks guys, I did know the answer. I thought if I used stainless I could make a nice coil and not have to worry about it floating. What do you use to hold the tubing in place? I used a small piece of brass on my test batch (small amount of pins with lots of solder mixed in) and the acid ended up eating it.


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## kernels (Mar 30, 2017)

I drilled a few holes in my inner bucket and just weaved the tube through. Tied off the end of the tube and poked some small holes in the tube with a hot needle.


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## anachronism (Mar 30, 2017)

kernels said:


> I drilled a few holes in my inner bucket and just weaved the tube through. Tied off the end of the tube and poked some small holes in the tube with a hot needle.



Kernels nailed it with this post. Keep SS away from HCl. Replacing some plastic tube is a heck of a lot cheaper.


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## kevin316 (Mar 30, 2017)

Actually the stainless is cheaper. I can get my hands on as much tubing as I want. But aquarium tubing will be the way I go.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Mar 30, 2017)

kevin316 said:


> Thanks guys, I did know the answer. I thought if I used stainless I could make a nice coil and not have to worry about it floating. What do you use to hold the tubing in place? I used a small piece of brass on my test batch (small amount of pins with lots of solder mixed in) and the acid ended up eating it.



Dont use brass, itll get eaten up. Also dont use nylon zip ties.
I usually just weave it through a colander and sit that on the bottom of the bucket, or I drill holes in a 3.5 gallon bucket and weave it through that, placing it inside the 5 gallon bucket.

There are plenty of other ways to get creative and remedy the issue of it floating... Another one is just putting the tube at the bottom and stacking scrap on top of it so its weighed down with that.


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## g_axelsson (Mar 30, 2017)

kevin316 said:


> Actually the stainless is cheaper. I can get my hands on as much tubing as I want. But aquarium tubing will be the way I go.


I don't think you got the point although you arrived on the correct answer.
Hydrochloric acid will eat your stainless tube too. It's not a question of what is cheapest, it is a question of what will work or not.

Göran


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## goldscraphobby (Mar 30, 2017)

I zip tied a rock to the end of the tube to keep it from floating


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## snoman701 (Mar 30, 2017)

I just have an aquarium bubbler stone on the end of mine. Seems to be holding up. At three for $1.99 it has lasted long enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Topher_osAUrus (Mar 30, 2017)

goldscraphobby said:


> I zip tied a rock to the end of the tube to keep it from floating



HCl and nylon zip ties dont play nice. It will eventually eat them up, unless they are a different plastic type.


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## kevin316 (Mar 30, 2017)

I did get the point Goran. I thought I would explain why I would consider using an expensive product like stainless. I understand now that tubing is the way to go. 

I used to work for an oilfield servicing company and we pumped hydrochloric acid (some jobs were well over a million liters) to stimulate the wells. We used brass fittings for most connections and they stood up well. Most jobs had other chemicals added such as wetting agents, inhibitors and non emulsifiers so I can't compare what I am doing here to that. We didn't use stainless for acid but only because it would make the it brittle.


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## anachronism (Mar 31, 2017)

Yeah it leaches the Chromium out and leaves a brittle iron behind doesn't it?


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## kevin316 (Mar 31, 2017)

Not sure, that just what the guys in the lab told us.


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