Cooling hose or pipe

[Quinten]

At what point do you go for alu/metal pipe over silicon hose when you're plumbing your cooling system?  Is it related to temperature (for instance, only on the hot side/before rad), or distance, or diameter?

[Thrustyjust]

Try and keep silicon hose as short as possible, within reason. Although others may disagree. You are more likely a leak from a flexible hose than a solid one.

[TAFKARM]

Agreed. Even more likely to leak from silicone / hard pipe joins. 

[Quinten]

Ok, so limit amount of joins, and keep long straights in pipe?  What about pipes with corners, can these be had 'over the counter'?