Safety Burner Tube

Quick Answer: The Safety Burner Tube is flexible gas tubing made to connect a Bunsen or similar laboratory burner to the bench gas tap; it carries LPG or natural gas over the short final distance from tap to burner and is the part of the gas supply that students handle most, so its condition matters for lab safety.

The Last Link in the Lab Gas Supply

Fixed pipework, often copper like the Copper Pipe for Gas Fitting, brings gas to each bench tap. From the tap to the burner, however, the connection must be flexible so the burner can be moved around the bench, and that flexible connection is the burner tube. Because it is handled, bent and dragged across benches many times a term, and because rubber ages, it is also a likely leak point in a school gas system.

Tubes sold as safety burner tubing are designed for gas service rather than general liquid transfer: they are commonly thicker-walled and resistant to kinking, and some patterns are reinforced or supplied with end fittings. The listing title does not state the material, bore or end fittings, so these should be matched to the bench tap nozzles and burner inlets before ordering.

Whatever tube is used, the checks are the same: keep it as short as practical, push it firmly over both nozzles, never let it lie across a hot tripod or near the flame, and replace it as soon as it shows cracks, stickiness or hardening. Burners heated by an electric element need no gas tube at all.

Specifications

Safety Checks and Care

• Inspect every tube before practical sessions, bending it gently to reveal fine cracks, especially near the ends.
• Check for leaks with a leak-detection solution or a gas detector, never with a match or lighter.
• Turn off the bench tap, not just the burner’s own control, at the end of every session.
• Replace tubes that have hardened, cracked, become sticky or been scorched.

Applications

• Connecting Bunsen, Teclu and Meker burners to bench gas taps in school and college labs.
• Replacing aged or damaged burner tubes during annual lab safety checks.
• Portable burner set-ups fed from an LPG cylinder through a regulator.

Why Choose LabEquip

School chemistry departments and colleges renewing burner tubing after a safety audit are the main buyers of this item. LabEquip supplies it through General Lab Products alongside the copper pipe used for bench gas lines; lengths and bore can be agreed on the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should Bunsen burner tubing be replaced?

Replace it whenever inspection shows cracks, hardening, stickiness or scorch marks, and at the interval set by your lab’s safety policy. Rubber ages even when it is not used.

How do I check a burner tube for leaks?

With the gas on and the burner unlit, brush leak-detection solution over the tube and its ends and look for bubbles, or use a gas detector. Never test with a flame.

What makes a burner tube a safety tube?

Tubes sold for burner gas service are commonly thicker-walled and kink-resistant, and some have reinforcement or end fittings. The details of this tube should be matched to your taps and burners.

Can ordinary rubber tubing be used for a Bunsen burner?

Thin general-purpose tubing kinks easily and can slip off the nozzle, and some rubbers perish quickly. Tubing intended for gas service is the safer choice.

How long should the tube be?

As short as practical while letting the burner stand safely on the bench, so that the tube cannot reach the flame or hang over the bench edge.

What should students do if they smell gas?

Turn off the bench taps, put out any flames, open windows and tell the teacher, who can close the main isolating valve. Do not switch electrical equipment on or off.

Last Updated: September 2026