It is easy to take the humble hose barb for granted. After spending careful hours evaluating chemical compatibility and calculating peak pressure and flow rate, a decision is made on just the right tubing or hose for your system. Yet sometimes the next decision on how to connect them receives less scrutiny. A very common method is using a coupling or fitting with a hose barb termination. But it isn’t quite that easy. A secure and reliable connection is really determined by how well the fitting and tubing work together. Selecting the proper hose barb is just as important as the choice of tubing.

Fittings with hose barbs offer a simple, dependable and inexpensive means for terminating tubing or hoses. Hose barb fittings may have one barb or several barbs (see figures below). Barbs may be spaced evenly or with extra space behind, between or in front of each barb. The fitting itself may be constructed of various plastic or metal materials and have barbs in different configurations. All of these subtle differences are meant to improve the seal and grip for the various grades of tubing available on the market.

In any system, connections can be the weakest link. Failure of a $20 part has been cited as the reason for shut-down of a multi-million dollar operation; or just the inability to deliver a carbonated drink mixture to a dispenser. Without a proper match between tubing and fittings, connections can be pulled off from vibration or tension, blown off from a pressure spike, or leak just enough to cause problems. Finding the proper tubing connection is essential for a safe and secure system.