DIY RODI tubing adaptation for Kamoer

[DWill]

As part of the new build (follow the build badge link) I picked up Two Kamoer X1 Pros’s for dosing. They seem to be really nice pumps and the App looks easy enough but I really wanted to use RODI tubing on both the dosing container side and the sump side of the Kamoer pumps.

if you’re familiar with the X1’s you know how small the ID of the tubing is, if you’re not familiar; let’s just say it’s really small. Adapting RODI tubing might be a challeng, but I’m sure has done it right?

Well, likely someone has but Short search’s of YouTube, Google and several forums and I found no one that’s posted about doing it.


So, I set out to try and accomplish the conversation. Here’s what I did. See the attached picture for details.

I used 1/4 barb x stem John Guest fittings and straight couplings. Now 1/4 barbs are just a bit larger than the OD of the clear Kamoer tubing and a lot larger than the ID. So something had to be done.

I cut short lengths of the clear tubing that come with the Kamoer dosing pumps to use between the small X1 barb fitting and the JG stem x barb.

I dipped the clear tubing into boiling water to soften it and push it on to the barb side of the JG stem x barb. This isn’t easy, I had to reheat the tubing many times. Once on the JG barb I cut the clear tubing just lone enough so that the small Kamoer barb fitting runs fluid directly in to the JG barb (see pictures). I secured the Kamoer tubing on to the small kamoer barbs with zip ties. This probably isn’t necessary but it felt like a loose connection, I want to be sure it can’t slip off.

I pushed the stem on the JG fitting in to one side of a JG straight coupling the other side will, the down stream will have RODI tubing. Hopefully if you read this and look at the pics it will make sense.

i ran both pumps through the calibration process and the conversion seems to be workin fine.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Keep us updated on how it works for you long term!

 

[DWill]

So, a few months in on this DIY project. Started getting some inconsistencies in Alkalinity and Calcium test results. I calibrate the pump s every month, they are usually within .1-.2 ml of each other song a 5 second fill time for calibration. This time they were FB by a couple ml’s.

I ran the pumps in prime mode and noticed a lot of air bubbles in the lines of both pumps. After checking the connections I found the tubing I’d heated to stretch over the 1/4 barb x stem fittings was loose on the barb side. It had to be a source of a air leak.

So, I set about reworking the dosing lines while keeping the transition to RO tubing.

I went on McMaster-Car and ordered some 3mm x 4mm barbed hose couplings. Amazon turned up some 5/32 ID x 1/4 OD silicone tubing.

The 3mm side barb fitting fits perfect into the tube on the dosing pump. The 5/32 ID tubing fit the 4mm side of the barb fitting. The tubing also stretched easily over the 1/4 barb on the 1/4 barb x stem RO fitting. I was able to eliminate the 1/4 x 1/4 RO coupling on the pump inlet side (see the pic) thus eliminating another sourcf potential air leaks.

On the outlet side I used the San engine fittings but retained the RO coupling so that I could convert to RO tubing going to the sump doing tubes.

Re-plumbing the dosing lines at the pump took about 20 minutes after which I primed the lines. All the air purged from the lines and it all seems to be working better than the old method, it all fits together much better.

 

[TYmonster]

So, a few months in on this DIY project. Started getting some inconsistencies in Alkalinity and Calcium test results. I calibrate the pump s every month, they are usually within .1-.2 ml of each other song a 5 second fill time for calibration. This time they were FB by a couple ml’s.

I ran the pumps in prime mode and noticed a lot of air bubbles in the lines of both pumps. After checking the connections I found the tubing I’d heated to stretch over the 1/4 barb x stem fittings was loose on the barb side. It had to be a source of a air leak.

So, I set about reworking the dosing lines while keeping the transition to RO tubing.

I went on McMaster-Car and ordered some 3mm x 4mm barbed hose couplings. Amazon turned up some 5/32 ID x 1/4 OD silicone tubing.

The 3mm side barb fitting fits perfect into the tube on the dosing pump. The 5/32 ID tubing fit the 4mm side of the barb fitting. The tubing also stretched easily over the 1/4 barb on the 1/4 barb x stem RO fitting. I was able to eliminate the 1/4 x 1/4 RO coupling on the pump inlet side (see the pic) thus eliminating another sourcf potential air leaks.

On the outlet side I used the San engine fittings but retained the RO coupling so that I could convert to RO tubing going to the sump doing tubes.

Re-plumbing the dosing lines at the pump took about 20 minutes after which I primed the lines. All the air purged from the lines and it all seems to be working better than the old method, it all fits together much better.

Great DIY project!
Do you happen to still have a part number or link for the barb? I can't seem to locate a match in that size range on https://www.mcmaster.com/

 

[DWill]

Great DIY project!
Do you happen to still have a part number or link for the barb? I can't seem to locate a match in that size range on https://www.mcmaster.com

Great DIY project!
Do you happen to still have a part number or link for the barb? I can't seem to locate a match in that size range on https://www.mcmaster.com/

Here you go