Whale fitting on SeaTech 15mm tubing?

[jkalucki]

My 17yo US-built J/109 has what looks like the original SeaTech (Aqualock) fresh water tubing and fittings. A push connect was leaking directly under the bladder tank at the pex tubing. I tried a fresh cut (carefully but with a utility knife) and then a Whale connector from the local West Marine. Both attempts leaked...a lot. Any side loading on the tubing made it far worse.

Tubing looks round, not brittle, etc. The new cut is quite perpendicular, de-burred, but not perfectly perfectly flat.

The Whale fitting had a warning that it only works with Whale tubing. (1) Is this valid, and do I need to mail-order a Aqualock fitting, or is this just some marketing mumbo-jumbo?

(2) Not sure if the tubing is just too old, but it's a long run, so I'd rather not just replace the whole thing if I don't have to.

(3) The last option is to try another cut.

I've so much water all over the grid. It's a real happy mess.

Thanks,
John

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by jkalucki

My 17yo US-built J/109 has what looks like the original SeaTech (Aqualock) fresh water tubing and fittings. A push connect was leaking directly under the bladder tank at the pex tubing. I tried a fresh cut (carefully but with a utility knife) and then a Whale connector from the local West Marine. Both attempts leaked...a lot. Any side loading on the tubing made it far worse.

Tubing looks round, not brittle, etc. The new cut is quite perpendicular, de-burred, but not perfectly perfectly flat.

The Whale fitting had a warning that it only works with Whale tubing. (1) Is this valid, and do I need to mail-order a Aqualock fitting, or is this just some marketing mumbo-jumbo?

(2) Not sure if the tubing is just too old, but it's a long run, so I'd rather not just replace the whole thing if I don't have to.

(3) The last option is to try another cut.

I've so much water all over the grid. It's a real happy mess.

Thanks,
John

I have never had any issues mixing and matching brands. Are you sure you aren't using metric fittings on standard tubing or vice versa?

[jkalucki]

Ah ha. There is at least one minor difference between Whale and Aqualock:

The old SeaTech / Aqualock fitting was 3/4" deep, whereas the new Whale fitting is 1 1/8" deep. I marked the tube at the depth line on the fitting and tried again. It was getting hung up at about...3/4". With some fiddling it went all the way in to 1 1/8" and all seems well.

Based on exactly one fitting which hasn't leaked in a few hours, it seems that Whale fittings are likely compatible with Aqualock tubing...