Bradley BRA-AD1438 Brass Adapter — 1/4" SAE Female Flare x 3/8" SAE Male Swivel Flare

The Bradley BRA-AD1438 is the brass adapter you reach for when your manifold hose is 1/4" and the service port — or the next fitting in line — is 3/8". It steps a 1/4" SAE female flare up to a 3/8" SAE male swivel flare in a single solid brass piece, with no core depressor in the body, so it's a clean pass-through for charging, recovery, and evacuation work.

Key Features

• Connects 1/4" SAE female flare to 3/8" SAE male swivel flare
• Solid brass construction — vacuum-rated and pressure-tested ⚠️ (confirm against Bradley datasheet: competitor lists 800 PSI / 50 micron)
• Swivel end seats square without twisting the hose
• No core depressor or Schrader — straight flow-through adapter
• Genuine Bradley, sold by HVAC Shop with manufacturer warranty ⚠️ (competitor cites 24-month — confirm current Bradley AU warranty term)
• In stock — ships within 3 business days, fast Australia-wide delivery

Why the Swivel End Matters

The swivel on the male end is the detail that matters on the job. When you're tightening onto a 3/8" port with a hose hanging off the other side, a fixed-thread adapter wants to twist the hose with it. The swivel lets the nut turn while the body stays put — straighter seal, no kinked hose, less chance of a slow leak when you pull a decay test.

Brass construction handles standard HVAC-R service pressures, and the unit is rated for vacuum work down into the deep micron range ⚠️ (Bradley publishes 50 micron / 2 Pa per the competitor listing — confirm against current Bradley datasheet). That makes it usable on the suction side of a vacuum pump as well as on the high side during a charge — same adapter, both jobs.

Tradie Pro Tip: Always seat the swivel end first and tighten by hand before going to spanner — it stops the hose pre-loading the flare and gives you a cleaner seal when you pull vacuum.

Where It Fits in Your Kit

Common uses on Aussie jobs:

• Adapting a 1/4" manifold or charging hose to a 3/8" service port on older R22 / R134a systems
• Connecting 1/4" recovery hoses to 3/8" recovery cylinder valves
• Bridging 1/4" gauge equipment to 3/8" inlet ports on vacuum pumps and recovery units
• Bench testing and decay testing where you need a swivel end to seat against a fixed port

Refrigerant Compatibility

As a non-valved brass flare adapter with no elastomer seals in the flow path, it's suitable for the common HVAC-R refrigerants the brand specifies — typically including R22, R134a, R404A, R410A and similar ⚠️ (confirm specific refrigerant approvals — including A2L refrigerants like R32 — against the Bradley datasheet before use on flammable refrigerant systems). Australian refrigerant handling work requires an ARCtick licence regardless of the fitting.

Why Buy from HVAC Shop

Genuine Bradley stock, manufacturer warranty backed in Australia, price match guarantee — if you've been quoted lower elsewhere on the same SKU, send it through and we'll beat it. Trade accounts welcome. In stock and dispatched within 3 business days from our Australian warehouse.

Specifications