Imperial and metric measurements

[sparkymark75]

I have some 16mm/10mm soft tubing with appropriate Bykski fittings. I need to order some more black compression fittings but the only ones I can find that aren’t shipped from China are Barrow fittings which are 3/8 - 5/8 which I understand are comparable. Can these be used?

 

[Brizzles]

Personally i would never mix IMP with Metric, only a slight difference could cause a leak

 

[Disco_P]

I use 3/8" 5/8" primochill tubing with 10/16mm EK compression fittings without an issue. You could probably lift my PC with a single fitting they are that tight. I'd try it out, maybe just order a single fitting to begin with.

 

[sparkymark75]

I use 3/8" 5/8" primochill tubing with 10/16mm EK compression fittings without an issue. You could probably lift my PC with a single fitting they are that tight. I'd try it out, maybe just order a single fitting to begin with.

Even though the Bykski fittings I bought were listed as being for 16/10 soft tubing. When I check the packet, it states for 3/8” so some manufacturers must use imperial and metric interchangeably. I’ve ordered 4 from the store suggested by some on the auction site.

 

[ubersonic]

I have some 16mm/10mm soft tubing with appropriate Bykski fittings. I need to order some more black compression fittings but the only ones I can find that aren’t shipped from China are Barrow fittings which are 3/8 - 5/8 which I understand are comparable. Can these be used?

Yes, it used to be that all PC water cooling parts were advertised in inches but then EK started using mm, some other EU manufacturers followed suit, then European retailers started doing it too (some even removing the inches and just advertising mm).

As a general guide:

5/16 ID - 3/8 OD = 10/8mm
3/8 ID - 1/2 OD = 13/10mm
3/8 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/10mm
7/16 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/11mm
1/2 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/13mm
1/2 ID - 3/4 OD = 19/13mm

You don't have to worry about mixing inches and mm as most manufacturers list their hose sizes as an approximation anyway, I.E EK's 10mm is actually 9.5mm and their 11mm is actually 11.1mm, it's very rare that tubing/fittings in PC water cooling is precise to the whole number. As long as nothing is out by more than a whole mm you should never have an issue (unless you're using barb fittings without clamps, not really a warning needed in 2020 but figured I should mention it for completeness).

 

[sparkymark75]

Yes, it used to be that all PC water cooling parts were advertised in inches but then EK started using mm, some other EU manufacturers followed suit, then European retailers started doing it too (some even removing the inches and just advertising mm).

As a general guide:

5/16 ID - 3/8 OD = 10/8mm
3/8 ID - 1/2 OD = 13/10mm
3/8 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/10mm
7/16 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/11mm
1/2 ID - 5/8 OD = 16/13mm
1/2 ID - 3/4 OD = 19/13mm

You don't have to worry about mixing inches and mm as most manufacturers list their hose sizes as an approximation anyway, I.E EK's 10mm is actually 9.5mm and their 11mm is actually 11.1mm, it's very rare that tubing/fittings in PC water cooling is precise to the whole number. As long as nothing is out by more than a whole mm you should never have an issue (unless you're using barb fittings without clamps, not really a warning needed in 2020 but figured I should mention it for completeness).

Thanks. I’m using compression fittings so hopefully, other than my own ineptitude, I should be all good.

 

[Bossman]

Don't forget that you'll be compressing the tube over the barb creating a seal. So any 0.1mm of a difference will probably be eliminated by the fact that the tube will be stretched and compressed anyway.

 

[LePhuronn]

For soft tube you won't have an issue mixing imperial and metric as long as you get the closest equivalents. A lot of soft tube has minor variance in their measurements anyway, so things squish around and fill the fractional millimetre differences.

NEVER EVER EVER mix imperial and metric in hard tube though