Most beverage tubing is manufactured by Arrow, Saint-Gobain or Accuflex. Beverage tubing can be loosely grouped into BIB (Bag in Box), braid reinforced, bundled and polyethylene. A newer type of beverage tubing has been on the market for a while called Barrier Beverage tubing. This product is manufactured with a barrier layer, typically PET which has excellent gas permeation properties. All beverage rated tubing is FDA* and NSF** certified and only tubing that carries these two certifications should be used in any hot or cold beverage install. We can supply all of your beverage hose needs.

BIB Tubing

BIB tubing is composed of heavy wall PVC because it is light weight, non-marking and flexible. Unlike thinner wall PVC tubing, BIB tubing can be coiled very tight without any danger of kinking or collapsing. BIB tubing is available with barrier and non barrier construction and barrier tubing should be used when you have concerns of pungent flavor transfer or gas permeation.

 Typical uses for BIB tubing are the connection from a soda system BIB box to BIB pump or as a beer line from the keg coupler to the beer tower in a free standing beer kegerator. In the case of a kegerator, the restriction provided by 3/16" ID BIB tubing is used to slow down the beer down which helps to prevent foaming. Examples of free standing homebrew and draft kegerators can be found at kegkits.com.

BIB tubing is normally temperature rated at +25F - +150F (-5C - +65C)

Braid Reinforced Tubing

Braid Reinforced Beverage tubing is used to transfer syrup from the BIB pump to the soda fountain and to transfer carbonated water from the carbonator pump to the soda fountain. The tubing is made from polyester braid reinforced polyethylene with an EVA (Ethylene vinyl acetate) jacket. Because of its good solvent resistance, braid reinforced tubing is also used to transfer beer, juices liquor and CO2.

An upscale substitute for Braid Reinforced tubing is Barrier Beverage Hose, which has a layer of Mylar tape wrapped around an inner tube before the EVA (Ethylene vinyl acetate) jacket is applied. The Mylar tape acts an additional taste & odor barrier and barrier tubing should be used when you have concerns of pungent flavor transfer or gas permeation.

Braid Reinforced tubing is not near as flexible as BIB tubing, making it a poor choice for the connection between a soda system BIB box and BIB pump or as beer line from the keg coupler to the beer tower in a free standing beer kegerator.

Braid Reinforced tubing is normally temperature rated at -50F - +150F (-45C - +65C)

Bundled Tubing

Bundled tubing is composed of 8 to 14 polyethylene tubing runs bundled together with a moisture resistant outer protective cover made of PVC. The tubing diameter as well as the bundle diameter will vary depending on the application. The bundle cover may be insulated or un-insulated, also depending on the application.

Un-insulated bundled tubing is often used to run long distance syrup lines or liquor lines. These bundles are used in soda fountain and bargun installs to connect the dispenser to the back room package where the BIB boxes, BIB pumps, secondary regulator and carbonator are located. Running bundled tubing instead of individual lines saves the installer time and results in a much cleaner install.

Insulated bundled tubing is typically used in a bar to keep beer cold from the keg room to the tap towers. This is accomplished by circulating refrigerated glycol through some of the tubes in the bundle. These tubes are usually larger than the beverage lines and are strategically placed in the bundle so that each beverage line touched at least one glycol line. Bar installs will also include a metal glycol loop inside the beer tower to keep the tower cold.

Bundled tubing has the same temperature rating as its components, -50F - +150F (-45C - +65C).

Polyethylene Tubing

Polyethylene beverage tubing is made from linear, low density polyethylene and the tubing is probably the least flexible of all beverage tubing selections. But polyethylene does have excellent solvent & crack resistance and is used most often for water lines and as a component in bundled tubing.

Polyethylene tubing is normally temperature rated at -50F - +150F (-45C - +65C).

Recommended Oetiker Clamp size for different tubing sizes

Tubing / Hose Style	Tubing / Hose Size	Clamp
Reinforced Barrier	1/4" ID braided (.265 X .420)	12.3-706R
Reinforced Barrier	3/8" ID braided (.375 X .535)	14.5-706R
Reinforced Barrier	1/2" ID braided (.510 X .675)	18.5-706R
Non-Reinforced Barrier	1/4" ID non-braided (.265 X .375)	10.5-506R
Non-Reinforced Barrier	5/16" ID non-braided (.313 X .438)	13.3-706R
Non-Reinforced Barrier	3/8" ID non-braided (.375 X .500)	14.5-706R
Non-Reinforced Barrier	1/2" ID non-braided (.500 X .625)	17.0-706R
Reinforced Non-Barrier	1/4" ID braided (.265 X .420)	12.3-706R
Reinforced Non-Barrier	3/8" ID braided (.375 X .535)	14.5-706R
Reinforced Non-Barrier	1/2" ID braided (.510 X .675)	18.5-706R

 

* FDA certified tubing is made from components that comply with FDA standards.
** NSF certified tubing has been manufactured under standard NSF 51.

Mark Powers & Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 72 • 1821 Henry Street • Guntersville, AL 35976
Phone: (800) 633-2256 Fax: (800) 216-6606

E-Mail: orders@markpowers-and-company.com