Have you noticed your silicone ozone tubing is starting to change color and texture? This is a normal occurrence, even with a silicone hose that is A-rated for ozone compatibility. The tubing that’s attached directly to the bubbling stem input and exhaust stems can be tricky. With a little know-how, however, it’s not as difficult as it might first appear.

Follow these simple steps below to replace the tubing on your water and oil bubblers. All you need is some sort of straight-edged blade, like a razor blade or Exacto knife, and two small segments of silicone hose, about three to four inches in length. Ideally, you will recycle the Luer fittings that are currently in the tubing. If you find those difficult to remove from the old tubing we do have them available for purchase here.

Getting Started

Let’s get started! Many assume that the tubing is glued to the glass because it adheres so well, but this is not the case. The glass stems are so smooth that when paired with the silicone tubing, the tubing adheres naturally to the glass. Pulling the tubing off of the glass will not work for this reason, and this is where the blade will be a great help.

1. With the straight-edged blade, make a straight cut to butterfly the tubing off of the glass prong.

2. Attempt to peel away as much of the old tubing as possible. Some remnants of the tubing may adhere to the glass. If they do, use the blade to shave off these remnants. Failing to do so will make replacing the tubing much more difficult.

3. Now replace the fittings in the new tubing. I’ve found it to be much easier to install the fittings in the replacement tubing before attaching them to the bubbling stem. Simply push or work the barbed end of the fitting into the tubing.

4. The final step is to place the silicone tubing on the bubbling stem itself. This is where a little patience will be key because at first glance the glass prong seems much larger than the inner diameter of the tubing. Fear not, though, because the tubing will fit.

Work the tubing over the end of the glass prong. Once the tubing is over the glass, I’ve found that gently pushing with a twisting motion works to move the tubing down the glass prong. About half an inch is sufficient for a good seal.

Take your time here because if you use too much force you can break the glass prongs. If you find it difficult to make any headway in pushing the tubing over the glass, dipping the end of the tube in a little water will help lubricate it to make this process a little easier.

That’s it!

You can now use your glassware again with fresh tubing.