[SOLVED] Arcylic tubing not fitting over my fittings

[drogoredsmith]

I just got my custom loop all ready for tubing. I have 13mm(OD)/10mm(ID) acrylic tubong and it wont fit my 13/10mm G1/4 compression fittings. The website I ordered from said the fittings are for rigid tubing yet I cant fit them to my tubing. Tried once and the acrylic shattered.

Do I need to heat up the tube ends?! (I didnt think I did)

Tubing: Alphacool HardTube 13/10mm Plexi (PMMA) Clear
Fittings: Alphacool Eiszapfen 13/10mm compression fitting G1/4

 

[Karadjgne]

You have the wrong fittings? You have the compression fittings for soft tube, not the compression fittings for hard tube?

With soft tube, you slide on the nut, stuff the flexible tube over the barb tip, then screw the nut down and thats the compression part, where the nut squashes the tubing against the barb. It's important to match up OD and ID so that the nut on the outside is the right size, and the barb on the inside is the right size.

With hard tube, there's no barb. You slide the nut up the tube, slide on an o-ring stick the tube end inside the fitting, slide the o-ring to sit on the top edge of the fitting and the nut tightens down, squashing the o-ring into the tube, making the seal. With hard tube, only the OD matters to fitting size because the o-ring and nut must be correct, or you leak. 12mm is not 13mm or vice versa. So you won't see hard tube fittings listed with ID numbers, only OD numbers, 12mm, 13mm, 3/8, 16mm etc.

So how they list 13/10mm compression as rigid I'm not sure, a 13/10 would be a 13mm outer nut and a 10mm barb.


Barb, soft tube compression



NO barb, hard tube compression.

 

[drogoredsmith]

You have the wrong fittings? You have the compression fittings for soft tube, not the compression fittings for hard tube?

With soft tube, you slide on the nut, stuff the flexible tube over the barb tip, then screw the nut down and thats the compression part, where the nut squashes the tubing against the barb. It's important to match up OD and ID so that the nut on the outside is the right size, and the barb on the inside is the right size.

With hard tube, there's no barb. You slide the nut up the tube, slide on an o-ring stick the tube end inside the fitting, slide the o-ring to sit on the top edge of the fitting and the nut tightens down, squashing the o-ring into the tube, making the seal. With hard tube, only the OD matters to fitting size because the o-ring and nut must be correct, or you leak. 12mm is not 13mm or vice versa. So you won't see hard tube fittings listed with ID numbers, only OD numbers, 12mm, 13mm, 3/8, 16mm etc.

So how they list 13/10mm compression as rigid I'm not sure, a 13/10 would be a 13mm outer nut and a 10mm barb

That's what I thought but the website said these were for hard tubing..fml. Thanks

 

[Karadjgne]

What website please?

 

[drogoredsmith]

What website please?

https://www.performance-pcs.com/wat...ression-fitting-g1-4-deep-black-ac-17226.html

 

[drogoredsmith]

Now I can't seem to find 13mm rigid compression fittings. Any recommendations?
Will 1/2" fittings be the same as 13mm?

 

[drogoredsmith]

What website please?

I found a bunch over at ModMyMods.com. They seem to have what I'm looking for. Can't thank you enough.

 

[Karadjgne]

Ohhh, yeah, I'd say they screwed up, the description specifically says o-rings pressing against hard tube, yet has a picture/listing for a soft tube. I'd call PPCS, because that's their mistake. (well, whomever is in charge of setting up the website). Those guys are pretty decent, I don't see you having a problem getting it resolved, even if they need to substitute another brand to make it right.

No, 1/2" isn't technically 13mm, there's a very slight difference, some tubing really is 1/2" like brass, copper, glass but most acrylic use European standards of 13mm (alphacool is Swedish and EK is Slovakian) . I'd not chance the difference.

 

[drogoredsmith]

Ohhh, yeah, I'd say they screwed up, the description specifically says o-rings pressing against hard tube, yet has a picture/listing for a soft tube. I'd call PPCS, because that's their mistake. (well, whomever is in charge of setting up the website). Those guys are pretty decent, I don't see you having a problem getting it resolved, even if they need to substitute another brand to make it right.

What are knurled fittings, and do they work for what I need?

 

[Karadjgne]

Got knobby outside grip that's rough, sorta like sandpaper. Makes for a better no-slip grip when tightening. Some fittings like monsoon and primo chill can use spanner/wrench fittings with a fang type wrench that fits into slots on the fitting. Koolance likes a 1/2 knurled, it's more like a regular bolt with half the sides flat, the others knurled. It depends entirely on the look and feel you are after. Rotary fittings can be double knurled, got a bottom section that tightens solid to the block/connector, and a top section to clamp the tube. Common with angled fittings.

Oh, got the skinny on 1/2" vs 13mm.

1/2" is technically 12.7mm. So you can use regular 1/2" tube with a 13mm fitting, just make sure it's seated and has a solid grip with the inner/outer o-rings. 13mm is 13mm, so 13mm tubing is doubtful to work in many 1/2" fittings, being slightly too large for the fitting itself.

With 13mm tube, best to stick with 13mm fittings.

 

[rubix_1011]

Agree, Performance-PCs.com is a great site and they likely made a mistake. If you contact them, I would think they'd get the order fixed for you. Their site is the first one that I visit when I am shopping for watercooling gear.

 

[drogoredsmith]

Agree, Performance-PCs.com is a great site and they likely made a mistake. If you contact them, I would think they'd get the order fixed for you. Their site is the first one that I visit when I am shopping for watercooling gear.

Just got off the phone with them, they said they will refund me and I can return them. Sadly they dont have rigid tube compression fittings for 13mm so I will have to go else where.

They also said that the details come straight from alphacool so their description is even wrong.

 

[Karadjgne]

Try ModMyMods.com, I like those guys too, and the bonus being their website isn't slower than half frozen molasses like PPCS's is. There's also Aquatuning, FrozenCPU, TiTanRig, or in a pinch even Amazon, newegg or ebay.

 

[drogoredsmith]

Try ModMyMods.com, I like those guys too, and the bonus being their website isn't slower than half frozen molasses like PPCS's is. There's also Aquatuning, FrozenCPU, TiTanRig, or in a pinch even Amazon, newegg or ebay.

Yeah I love frozenCPU. Their website has tremendous selection