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Attn anyone using hardware store tubing: Evaporation problems?

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Excelsior

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Apr 19, 2003
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KITTENS!!! KITTENS!!! KITTENS!!! KITTENS!!!
I think I saw that Diggr uses hardware store type tubing (from home depot) and I purchased a bit of that same tubing from a local hardware store to account for the fact htat I didn't have enough tygon antimicrobial to cover my entire loop. I figured it wasn't a big issue.

Anyhow, I noticed the water level in my microres drops about two inches a day. If I leave for the weekend air bubles overcome the loop and I have to top it off. I'v ebeen finding myself topping the loop off every single day to maintain water levels. I've checked all of my joints and there are no leaks whatsoever. The only thing I can think of is the cheap, thin walled hardware store tubing is letting water evaporate, perchance? I heard someone say it clouds easily and is a bit porous. Any takers on that theory?

I really need to get this solved up. By the by, I'm quite disappointed with the swiftech microres. From mounting the thing I'v enoticed quite annoying stress marks on the acrylic and I haven't even been mounting it too firmly. I really don't trust that acrylic, heh.


-Ex
 
I have over a dozen feet of 1", and about 5 feet of 3/8" hardware store tubing (from home depot), and I haven't topped off my system in over a year.

I'd suspect a leak somewhere that's evaporating as it leaks, especially with that much loss per day.
The one downside to using distilled water is that there's no hardwater spots left behind as evidence....
 
speed bump said:
Umm correct me if I am wrong but, hardware store tubing is harder than tygon and thus has a higher tensile strength and lower porosity than tygon right?

Yes.
 
I think it depends because you can get tygon tubes with 1/2" ID but with a 1/4", 1/8", 1/16" tube wall thickness. Obviously the thicker the wall the better it is in regard to "water loss". Although thicker wall tubes are a little harder to bend around tight corners...

I suspect it could be water loss from a lose connection etc that is evaporating before a full water droplet is formed thus you cant see it. Maybe you have one or two of these "lose connections" scattered around your loop.
 
Excelsior said:
I think I saw that Diggr uses hardware store type tubing (from home depot) and I purchased a bit of that same tubing from a local hardware store to account for the fact htat I didn't have enough tygon antimicrobial to cover my entire loop. I figured it wasn't a big issue.

Anyhow, I noticed the water level in my microres drops about two inches a day. If I leave for the weekend air bubles overcome the loop and I have to top it off. I'v ebeen finding myself topping the loop off every single day to maintain water levels. I've checked all of my joints and there are no leaks whatsoever. The only thing I can think of is the cheap, thin walled hardware store tubing is letting water evaporate, perchance? I heard someone say it clouds easily and is a bit porous. Any takers on that theory?

I really need to get this solved up. By the by, I'm quite disappointed with the swiftech microres. From mounting the thing I'v enoticed quite annoying stress marks on the acrylic and I haven't even been mounting it too firmly. I really don't trust that acrylic, heh.


-Ex

I reread your post, it should not be dropping by 2 inches a day...maybe for the first day or two, but that is it. If it is more than 2 days, you have a leak my friend, I'd start looking. That water has to go somewhere! :bday:
 
Actually 2 inches in a swiftec microres is a fair bit...

I would be looking long and hard for that water too...

Turn OFF the fans on the rad its probably helpin evaporate the water so you can spot the leaks.
 
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