How do I put water in it?!

OLMI · Dec 23, 2004

What's the safest way to add water to my new water cooling system? I know to use distilled water, but I need to know the best way to physically add the water.

Thanks

joelkyr · Dec 23, 2004

I use funnel or large syringe to add water to my WC.

skou · Dec 23, 2004

I'm running a "T" line system, and I just usually fill it through the "T" fitting. If you have a reservoir, just use it as a fill point.

steve

OLMI · Dec 23, 2004

So like... if I can't add anymore water, then I'm done, and I can turn it on without damaging anything? With the T-line, how much air should I leave in there? Should I tilt the T-line so that it is above the rest of the system? My setup looks like this:

skou · Dec 23, 2004

With that kind of a setup, I'd use a longer vertical leg on the T line.

Do you have a way to turn on just the pump? (Is it a 110V, or 12V?) Run the pump, by itself, until most of the air bubbles are gone. You'll have to keep filling the T line, until they are gone.

Another thing you can do, remove one of the radiator connections, and put the funnel there. Fill it up until the other hose is full of water.

steve

Sterculus · Dec 23, 2004

Pretty much what skou said. I used to use a T-line system. I had the hose coming the the T line longer, and i would simply tape it to the top of the case with a funnel, and let the pump run with the comp off while topping up the T-line occasionally for about a day or so to make sure that all the air was gone. Do you have a valve on the T-line? If so, you can close the valve then physically turn the system upside down and back a few times while the pump is running, which helps get rid of air bubbles.

OLMI · Dec 23, 2004

Well, the loop isn't in my case right now, my gear is coming at Christmas. It's a DC pump, so I can run it outside of the computer.

I don't quiet understand what you're saying. I thought that it was bad for bubbles to go through the pump?

No, I don't have a valve. Would it be ok to just put the loop on the ground, and then lift the T-line above the whole thing? Like this:

Sterculus · Dec 23, 2004

As long as there aren't any extremely large air bubbles going through the pump it should be OK. The main reason you don't want any air in the system is because air has such a low thermal conductivity, it doesn't remove heat anywhere near as well as water or other coolants. A few small bubbles going though the pump wouldn't hurt it. You don't want huge air bubbles going through the pump because the motor might burn out.

Have fun setting up your watercooling!

Edit:
I'd set it up inside the case so you [i[know[/i] that everything is going to fit just fine. However, if you'd rather set it up inside the case then remove it to fill (like in the picture) then install it back in the case, I don't see any problems with that.

skou · Dec 23, 2004

You don't want your pump running dry for any extended time, but the 1/4 second it takes a bubble to go through will be fine. In reality, the bubbles don't hurt anything except they will slow down the cooling effect. And, they make some sound.

The reason they don't want the pump running dry, the water cools and lubricates the moving parts.

steve

OLMI · Dec 23, 2004

Well what do you know!? The pump doesnt even work! I plugged it into my psu, and nothing happens. Is there something I forgot? I don't see how there could be anything else that I didn't do... it's pretty simple stuff..

JTanczos · Dec 23, 2004

joelkyr said:
....large syringe to add water to my WC.

THAT is a good idea. I always had problems with air getting trapped when I was pouring and the bubbles came up through the funnel and splashed water everwhere! Work with small batches of water no matter how you do it. Holding a gallon jug is not easy when holding a funnel.

*edit*

OLMI said:
Well what do you know!? The pump doesnt even work! I plugged it into my psu, and nothing happens. Is there something I forgot? I don't see how there could be anything else that I didn't do... it's pretty simple stuff..

Did you run it dry at all? If you did you could possibly have burned it out. Did it ever run? If not then you might have a defective unit. Just plug it in and turn on the psu.

JT

skou · Dec 23, 2004

Is your PSU powered up? (Do you have it plugged into a running mobo? Or is it shorted?)

steve

OCS911 · Dec 23, 2004

I see you already have sleeve your cable on the pump, that was quick without knowing if it is worked, make sure you're not messed up when you plugged cable back to molex connector

Acurax · Dec 23, 2004

Yeah I'd double check the pump wires to the molex... I switched wires once on a fan and I thought my fan controller was broken, lol.

indimint · Dec 23, 2004

I made sure I put them in the same way, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check. Other than that, I haven't done anything to break the unit like turning it on without water etc.

I'll check out the wires in a bit, I'm not at home anymore.

Thanks for the fast responses.

EDIT: Whoops, girlfriends account.

joelkyr · Dec 23, 2004

OLMI said:
Well what do you know!? The pump doesnt even work! I plugged it into my psu, and nothing happens. Is there something I forgot? I don't see how there could be anything else that I didn't do... it's pretty simple stuff..

jumpstart your PSU, without turning on your PC. On your 20 pin power cable, connect green and any black wire and power on your PSU.

indimint · Dec 24, 2004

I just plugged my pump into my psu that's installed in my working computer. Everything else started up, does that indicate that the wires are not swapped? In other words, if the wires were backwards, would my computer not work?

JTanczos · Dec 24, 2004

Everything else would run fine unless there was a short that tripped the PSU. Look at a fan connector and make sure to connect them the exact same way as the fan (assuming its 12V or a 3-pin connector).

One mistake I made once was connecting the sensor to the ground wire spot. The fan didnt start and I dont know if it would have done any damage to the MB but I am glad it didnt kill the fan.

JT

Sneaky · Dec 24, 2004

put the t-line in front of the pump inlet (where it sucks in) and just fill the t-line with water, start the pump up, and keep pouring more water into the t-line - it'll be running dry for a short period of time, but nothign that'll damage the components, because its going to be sucking water in from the t-line as you fill it

during this, it'll be quite noisy because of all the air going through the pump, but as bubbles are purged from the system, it'll drop down to its normal sound level

OLMI · Dec 24, 2004

Sigh, it was my fault, lol. I checked a fan and I had the red and black wires on the wrong side of the molex connector. Everything is working now, and the water is in there. I just gotta let it run until Christmas

Thanks, guys.

How do I put water in it?!

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