​Some of the biggest tube fitting manufacturers give a set life-expectancy of their fittings and valves. This is a factor that is entirely dependent on the environment and application, however, generally the replacement of fittings after a certain amount of time is recommended. This is to ensure quality and safety of using the fittings.

Tube Fitting Lifespan Approximations

*Chart is for quick reference only. For full details please contact the manufacturer/direct supplier of these products.

*Manufacturers cannot be named for comparative reasons, however, they are confirmed main manufacturers of tube fittings.

Replacement Costs Due To Failure

Piping systems and applications where tube fittings or valves are implemented are often replaced after a certain period of time. This may be by either the manufacturers recommendation or, more than likely, part of a health and safety regulation necessity within the given industry.

This is due to the high risk factors of operating systems within industries such as chemical processing and petroleum transfer. Components and valves that are within extreme environments of high pressure and temperature must be able to withstand these challenges over a long period of time.

Failures in equipment can be devastating to businesses, costing great loss of money and in some cases – loss of life.​

Tube fittings and valves that are likely to fail are those that:

• Are poorly manufactured.
  This is usually due to no official standardisation, such as the BSI regulations that Waverley Brownall strictly abide.
• Are made from a weak material.
  Material selection is vital to ensure the durability of tube fittings.
• Come with no material trace-ability.
  Some tube fittings that you can buy online are from untraceable or untrustworthy suppliers who will sell fittings with low quality material makeup. All of our materials come with full trace-ability and can be PMI tested for positive material identificationpurposes.

Material Selection

Material selection is one of the key considerations for buying a high quality tube fitting. Fittings, adaptors and connectors will need to be durable, giving a high performance over time.

Our standard material is 316 stainless steel, of which we have been supplying to Conoco Phillips and BP for many years with certified approval. This material copes well within many applications.

Other material choices include Incoloy 825, Hastelloy C-276 and Titanium Grade 2 for unique corrosion-resistant properties. ​

The environment and media of use must be considered before purchasing your tube fittings.​ If you are unsure of your material options, please consult a professional.

Cheaper Alternatives

Correct investment into tube fittings or pipe fittings is to be greatly considered. Cheaper alternatives will always be cheaper for a reason. In order to purchase cheap tube fittings, compression ends and other instrumentation products, you are more than likely risking factors such as accurate materials and application quality.

Interchangability Warning

Some engineers may choose to test the interchangeability of various manufacturer’s compression fittings and valves​ to save money and time. The problem with this method is that interchanging fittings causes complete failure of a system by default.

Example: On a Waverley Brownall equal tee body , a Swagelok-made or Parker-made compression nut will not connect to the body. If this was to repeated in a real life application, the effects would be devastating.

Interchanging tube or pipe fittings from different manufacturers is not recommended under any circumstances – even more so if the manufacturer is not known!

All of our tube fittings come marked for easy recognition.

A Simple Solution

Lower the risk of corrosion failure with the selection of high performance alloys that can cope with extreme environments and media.

Purchase only high quality tube fittings for the longest potential lifespan and quality of application.