Cloudy vinyl tubing-watermaker

[jpemb7]

A week ago i installed and tested my Katadyn 80e water maker. All went well so I pickled it with Sodium Metabisulphite until I leave the marina and need to use it in a few weeks. I now find that the clear vinyl hoses I got from the hardware have gone cloudy. The filter and filter housing which is also full of preservative is clear.
Am I right in assuming that the cloudiness is a reaction between the preservative and the hose ? I have read that some cleaners will cause hose to cloud up if it is soaked.
Is this very common and Is it a problem ?
Should i replace the hoses ?
Appreciate any information people have about this issue.
Jim

[JK n Smitty]

What kind of hose did you use?

More than the aesthetics of a cloudy hose is weather it should be used for potable water. My guess is probably not. If it were a chemically stable tubing that was approved for potable water it probably wouldn't have clouded. I would suggest going back to the store and try to find the box the material came in and find out what it is (i.e. poly propylene, vinyl, Teflon, etc.).

[Tellie]

Yes SM can do that to clear vinyl tubing. Other than appearances I don't think there is any harm. If you want to replace them look for tubing that is used in home refrigerators for water supply and ice makers. They come in sizes from 1/4" on up and will work fine and most hardware stores carry it for just a few bucks in 25' lengths.

[jpemb7]

Yep, I'll check it out tomorrow.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Tellie

... look for tubing that is used in home refrigerators for water supply and ice makers. They come in sizes from 1/4" on up and will work fine and most hardware stores carry it for just a few bucks in 25' lengths.

The “milky” white plastic tubing used for refrigerator water supplies is “polyethylene”.
I'd expect that "PEX" tubing might also be a good choice.

[jpemb7]

Thank you for the replies. Sounds like it isn't going to do any harm. But I'll try and source some hose that is more compatible. The main reason for clear hose is to see any air bubbles that are forming and help find leaks. At the moment it is so smokey it looks a lot like a "hookah" pipe ......I.. ah ... saw in a movie once.