Help with condensation

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

Iv been watercooling for 2-3 years now and ever winter my setup goes outside. I have never had any problems intill now.

The Problem: Condensation is starting to take place on my GPU waterclock and I'm not sure how to stop it.

In the past Iv had this problem with my cpu waterblock but a small fan blowing on the block takes care of it. At first I thought the cause was the front intake fan, so I turned it of but that didnt help. I then tried placing the fan in the side panel cutout which is right in front of the gpu waterblock but I can see the water still forming!

Any ideas what I could maybe do to stop this other then wrapping my whole video card up? I should also point out that not a drop of water is forming on my cpu block or the lines.

rhino56 · Nov 5, 2004

when you say your setup goes outside what goes out? the whole comp?

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

I guess I should have been more clear on that, sorry.

I mean my res and rad go outside.

And I lied, after looing real close, there is some water starting to form on the cpu waterblock but its no where as bad as the gpu.

I just went outside and unplugged on of the 120mm fans.(out of two of em) With any luck this will help.

I don't know why Im having this problem now. Last year with temps in the lower teens, 6" snow on the ground and nothing...

rhino56 · Nov 5, 2004

so you have any air pumping in the case at all?

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

I have a fan plus the psu sucking air out and that is. Since I noticed water of the cpu waterblock, I put my little fan back over it and now there isnt any water to be found. I dont understand why this wont work with the gpu waterblock other then the X800 pro chip doesnt get as hot as the cpu. That doesnt really make sense to be either because last year I was using a Geforce3.

CandymanCan · Nov 5, 2004

Other than Insulating youre computer to keep the water from frying parts, thier is nothing you can do. Condensation happens because something is colder then the air temp around you.

A humid and hot room will only add to the affect so keeping youre room colder will help al ittle bit, and pointing a large fan in the case with the cover off will help also. Other then that you need to unsulate youre blocks and stuff to keep the water from forming.

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

What I dont get is why Iv never had this problem before even when its been colder outside.

Do you think bringing my res inside will help any?

If I do end up having to insulat, Im not sure how to go about doing that to my Maze4 gpu block because of its shape.

Diggrr · Nov 5, 2004

Condensation isn't just a matter of temperatures, it's also a function of humidity. Has it been raining there as it has here in Michigan (every day or so)?
In winter with snow on the ground, all the humidity that falls is locked into a solid, and humidity in the air is low. The water vapor that is in the air forms as frost (condensation that freezes solid as it's formed).
Also, do you have a clothes dryer that vents inside the house like mine? That really boosts the humidity inside...

The only way I see of avoiding the bundling up of your waterblocks, is to get a dehumidifier for your computer room or bring your equipment inside until the ground freezes hard.
Even then you'd have to watch it like a hawk, and as always NO GUARANTEES.

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

Diggrr said:
Condensation isn't just a matter of temperatures, it's also a function of humidity. Has it been raining there as it has here in Michigan (every day or so)?
In winter with snow on the ground, all the humidity that falls is locked into a solid, and humidity in the air is low. The water vapor that is in the air forms as frost (condensation that freezes solid as it's formed).
Also, do you have a clothes dryer that vents inside the house like mine? That really boosts the humidity inside...

It rained the other day and that it, no everyday thing. As for the dryer, it goes outside.

Right now the humidity in the room is about 34-38.

I can only guess that the X800 Pro puts out far less heat then my 9800 Pro or Geforce 3. Right now my GPU temp is 48F and that with the core overclocked from 475 to 567. My cpu (XP [email protected]) is running around 57-60F with just a hint on water forming.

I can only guess one problem is the size of the gpu block. It freaking huge and since the X800 Pro isnt putting out enough heat, the block is getting as cold as the water......and yet my hoses are dry as can be.

Diggrr · Nov 5, 2004

At 25C inside temp and 10.5C waterblock temp, condensation will form at 40% RH.
It's colder here outside than that now, at 5C.

DragonFire · Nov 5, 2004

Took me a min to figure that chart out! LOL....

The side effects of staying up all night, anyways going by that chart I might have problems then. Looks like I need my humidity to about 20-30 and right now its floating between 38-41

hawtrawkr · Nov 5, 2004

great post diggrr that chart is my new referal when I see people asking condensation related questions.

rhino56 · Nov 5, 2004

why dont you run a dryer type vent from the outside air into your case.
this will lower the case temp enough to stop the point of condensation hopefully.
if not your gonna have to insulate it good. the gpu is colder then the cpu so it would be more likely to form on it.

it happens when a cold object is in warm air.
not when a warm object is in cold air.

cetoole · Nov 5, 2004

Dryer duct would be my choice for the above reason, and because it will help cool your chipset, ram, mosfets, and everything else. You could also use a waterproof conformal coating, I think I have seen it come in spray cans, just don't get it in any slots or on any chips that get hot.

Alacritan · Nov 5, 2004

Since it's only on your blocks, disassemble the system, put masking tape on the bottom of the blocks and paint 'em with a couple coats of liquid electrical tape. You're not using phase change or anything so you don't need something as severe as conformal coating. Run down to home depot and pick some liquid electrical tape up. It's much cleaner and it'll do the job.

DragonFire · Nov 6, 2004

Alacritan said:
Since it's only on your blocks, disassemble the system, put masking tape on the bottom of the blocks and paint 'em with a couple coats of liquid electrical tape. You're not using phase change or anything so you don't need something as severe as conformal coating. Run down to home depot and pick some liquid electrical tape up. It's much cleaner and it'll do the job.

I will keep that in mind but I think I might have fixed my problem. I started running Find-A-Drug to keep my cpu at 100%. Right now its 51F outside and my gpu temp is at 62F. I wont know for sure intill its about 30F outside.

But I figure its 50F outside, my water has to be around that temp and inside its about 76F and not a drop of water anywhere yet...

rhino56 · Nov 6, 2004

you better make sure you got a good antifreeze in there and keep an eye on it when the cold winter comes.

hawtrawkr · Nov 6, 2004

rhino56 said:
you better make sure you got a good antifreeze in there and keep an eye on it when the cold winter comes.

yeah especially if you dont run your system 24/7 not having the water moving through the rad and res never helps much when you have them outside for the winter

DragonFire · Nov 7, 2004

Not to worry. My system always runs 24/7 and if I did my mixing right, Im using 15% antifreeze/85% distiled water.

I tell ya its nice seeing my cpu temp at 60F knowing Im pumping almost 1.8volts into a 1.65V chip.

Diggrr · Nov 7, 2004

hawtrawkr said:
great post diggrr that chart is my new referal when I see people asking condensation related questions.

Thanks man, but I coppied it too from someone who was nice enough to share it here. It's always on my webserver so if you just want to link it, that's fine. :thup:

The other way to cool this out, would be to drop the ambient temps in the case. You can duct cool air from outside like rhino said, or you can place a second heatercore in series after your waterblocks, to cool the case air.
With the second heatercore idea, you'd need to stop the inflow of room air and just let the case air recirculate through the HC over and over.

With either method, watch for condensation on the cords at the back though, you'd probably hate to short a USB or monitor cord out...

You can get a hygrometer to check the freezing point of your juice. Any store that sells antifreeze should have one. Mine has the analog readout, but the little dropper style with the floating balls works fine too. It's nice that the system is always on and heating it, but my power's not that reliable in winter, and shtuff happens.

Help with condensation

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