2 things about watercooling...

[plague]

1) Do you guys use silicone grease on all your connections, or is just a hose clamp enough?

2) How tight with a hose clamp? I was tightening it down, and the tubing started to come through the slits of the clamp, too tight?

[Diggrr]

I use just the hose clamp, no silicone.
Tightening until the vinyl come through the slits is a bit too tight. That works okay for air compressors, but we don't see those kind of pressures.:D

[plague]

diggrr to the rescue, as always. thanks a lot. It's just that i have really soft tubing from danger den (I know I know, whyd you pay that much for tubing? I know better now.), and it doesnt feel like it's tight enough. hmm, I'll just have to test it out.

[VashTheStampede]

Originally posted by plague
1) Do you guys use silicone grease on all your connections, or is just a hose clamp enough?

2) How tight with a hose clamp? I was tightening it down, and the tubing started to come through the slits of the clamp, too tight?

1) I plan to use automotive, high-heat RTV sealant along with a hose clamp.

2) Uhh yeah that is too tight :). Just tight enough so when you wiggle it, it doesn't move.

~Vash~

[eh?]

Im not using a house clamp on one of my connections..... and no leaks at all. all the other ones have a hose clamp though

[The Overclocker]

i dont use either, i dont even use nipples on the waterblock or res, nothing, just pipe and tube. seems to work for me

[Diggrr]

Oh your using the silicon tubing? That stuff usually has better sealing properties than the vinyl does cause it conforms much better around the hose barb. Nice choice!
It may feel like it goes on too easily, but it does hold on better. It's also harder to kink shut.

The only time I really use hose clamps is on the pump, or if I have a leak at a junction. Usually fresh hose grabs well.

[plague]

Well it's just my first time, I dont have enough trust yet. I'll skip the grease, but I am putting clamps on everything.

[The Overclocker]

i just use cheepy green vinal tubing

[Pepsi]

I use vinyl tubing no metal clamps as they seem to crush to hard. But I do use small zipties one to two of them. They seem to apply pressure more evenly to the tubing plus they are easy to take off.
Pepsi

[ColdMiser]

I also have the soft silicon tubing from Dangerden. I noticed the tubing coming through the grooves in the clamp belt, so I wrapped a piece of narrow masking tape around the tube so it is between the tube and the clamp. Totally watertight, no damage to tubing. I don't think the extrusion of hte tubing wall is that big of a deal in itself. I was concerned becasue I did not know how many times I would be tightening/loosening the clamps. I was worried that the repeated extrusion of the tubing through the clamp belt would eventually cause the tubing to fail.

And that would be bad.

[Diggrr]

Great Idea, ColdMiser. Yet another way to get tape into the computer....love it!.:cool:

The best clamps I've seen used are for automobile gas lines. They are little rings with small tabs you pinch together with needle nose pliers and fit very snug.(fuel injection runs around 40 psi or higher!)
You can also paint them to color coordinate the sytem. I just never think to get them when I'm in town.

[plague]

I was thinking about wrapping some tape around under the clamps, but I have them all on now and I'm sure I'll be alright. I'm gonna go up to the grocery store later and get some distilled water and get it running for leak testing! I'm definitely having a lot of fun doing this. I cant wait to get it in my system in a few days. I'll borrow my girlfriends digi cam and post some pics in about a week probably.