Not quite a relay question

I have a question, and a relay is the closest thing I can compare what I'm talking about to, but I don't think it's really a relay.

I'm waiting for my WW to arrive here on Wednesday, and then my watercooling setup will be complete. I leave my computer on all day every day, the only time it goes off is when the power goes off. So, a relay to make my pump turn on with the computer isn't really needed. Plus, I'd rather just run the pump 24/7 regardless of whether the computer is running or not since I tend to be forgetful from time to time.

What I AM curious about though, is there anything that will make my computer NOT turn on if the pump isn't on? This may sound a little odd, but when the power here flickers, some things kick back on while others don't. Just this morning, the power flickered, and one of my computers came back on, but the computer sitting right next to it that's plugged into the same surge protector didn't. Naturally, this all happened in the early morning, when I wasn't awake.

Is the only way to do this with a relay that makes sure the pump comes on with the computer? I've searched a bit, but with my backward logic that I'm working with, I haven't found anything that was much help. Thanks.

I read your post twice. I hope that I answer your question appropriately.

What a lot of people do is just to bring the plug for the pump out of the back of the case and then plug it directly to the wall socket. If this is how you are connecting your pump, there is no problem. It will run as long as there is power. If the power flickers, the pump will also pause but it will go again when there is power.

If your pump is of the 12volt kind, then you have to have power to the computer. There are two ways to handle this. First, get a cheap UPS. I'm seeing them at Best Buy for as little as $40 now. They used to be a minimum of $100.

Second, look in your BIOS and see if there is a feature to trun on after a loss of power. The 200 Gateway machines that we have at work have this feature.

What I did was to take a power plug from an old PSU. I cut the wires off and all. I then cut a hole in my case to mount the old plug. I then took an old power cord and cut it to length. I soldered the cut end to the back of the old plug. The other end plugs into my PSU.

I also cut the cord to my 110 volt water pump. This was also soldered to the old plug. I then take a full power cord and plug it into the old plug and then to the wall. This provides continous power to both the pump and the PSU.

Even when the computer is down, the pump runs. The advantage is that I still only have one power cord from the machine.

If I didn't address your question, ask it agian and I will try my best for ya.

Well, I posted that around midnight, and having read it after a good night's sleep, I can see that it wasn't as clear as I'd have liked it to be. It seems like I was just trying to make a simple situation complicated.

As a side note, I just noticed your system specs. Almost identical to my system.

Cool. So you're all set then?

I like the water cooling. Lots to do to get it set up. But then it becomes bragg'n rights.

soul, you still need a relay, but a 220v/220v one, not just a 12v/220v relay,.... e.g. a relay with a control of 110-220v ac, not 12v dc...

and then wire the control to the same line as your pump and the load to your conputer,... so if your pump isn't getting power the computer doesn't turn on....

or you could to with one of these and a bios setup.... e.g. power off when the fans fail....

fafnir, Where do I get a flow meter? I could really use one.

i know inovek make them .. and iam pretty sure the one pictured is one.. but apart from inovek ones.. ive not seen a sinle one.. and ive also only seen 1/4 inch flow meters.

you could also wire the pump up of the 120v lines in your PS, that way if your comp is getting power, so is you pump. i saw an article on it somewhere, ill post it tomorrow if i can find it.

edit: here is that link : http://www.bit-tech.net/article/100/

don256us, thats an innovatek flowmeter like Enyo said, but the the things are only availble in 1/4 and they're really expensive too... like 45usd .... i think the places that carry the full line of innovatek stuff should also carry that....

the one pictured on the top has a sensor out that attaches to ur mobo that give a fan reading... kinda neat....

Rats. The last thing that I want is for a flow meter to restrict the flow of my system. My smallest tubes are 1/2 ID. I really like the idea of the MB sensor.

Actually that flow meter is around $20 ... Innovatek has a more complicated (and better looking) one for around $45

Still, 1/4" flow sucks.