Not only is it important to select the right gauge but also the right wall thickness when using stainless steel tubing. For instance, thin wall stainless steel tubing with a gauge size of 12 has the same otter diameter of regular wall and extra thin wall tubing. The difference has to do with the inside diameter being slightly larger than regular wall and slightly smaller than extra thin wall tubing.
Use Thin Wall Stainless Steel Tubing When You Want to Change Fluid Flow Rates
The wall size is important when you want to use a set gauge of tubing and need to increase or decrease the flow rate of fluid through the tubing. If you are using extra thin wall and the fluid is flowing through too fast, you should try using thin wall stainless steel tubing to decrease the flow rate. On the other hand, if you are using regular wall tubing and the fluid is passing through too slowly, thin wall tubing will help increase the flow rate.