First loop weirdness

[Surfie]

Ok, first up, a caveat: the question below is asked on my project thread, but given that I really do need the question answered, I'm also asking it here...

Is it normal for a water loop to make strange noises once nearly filled? What I am noticing is that sometimes the pump will run completely silent, for a minute or so, then some strange noises will start coming out of the loop (to wit: gurgles, trickles and even some noises I can't really describe) for a while then it'll go silent again. At this point it is about 2 hours after the last major fill phase (so I know that I have most of the major air bubbles out but some micro bubbles are still working their way through the system. ). Is it normal? Can I expect silence from the pump at some point?

I look forward to any and all responses from those more experienced than myself.

 

[Greenback]

that's just air going through, the gurgles and trickling is air in the rads probably the top 1

 

[Remmy]

Hey Surfie, sounds like that are due to the air in the system. You get trickling sounds from radiators when air bubbles are trapped in them, and you get quick rushing sounds when air bubbles pass through the pump.

Two hours sounds a bit long to me, maybe half an hour is a bit more typical, but it depends on the complexity of the loop, the pump speed, and whether it's been properly bled of air.

Where you say "it's two hours after filling, so the major air bubbles will be out", have you literally just filled it and let it run for two hours, or have you spent 15-20 minutes actively bleeding the air out? After filling, you should slowly rock the computer back and forth, left and right etc. to allow the air to move more easily. When you do this, you should notice major bubbles coming out when you dislodge them if you tip the case such that the fittings end of the radiator is at at the highest point of the radiator. Try moving it about in all directions, holding it there for a short while, possibly giving it a small shake while it's in that position. This helps get bubbles out very quickly, and it what most people do to bleed their loop of the trapped air.

Edit: For obvious reasons, try not to tip the case such that the air in the res will go into the pump, as that just fills your loop with air again. It sounds silly, and it usually wouldn't happen because it would require the case to be practically upside down, but when I bleed mine, I have to put the case on its front to bleed the upside down front radiator, and it's easy to get loads of air back into the system when it's like that.

 

[Surfie]

Remmy: I've been pretty active in bleeding the air out.

In fact did most of what you suggested already. I thought it might have been trapped air, but not too sure where if not the top rad...

Pictures of the loop will be incoming once I get access to my laptop (wife is using it atm). Need to reduce size of the images and upload to imgur.

Edit: on the plus side, no leaks so far, so that is looking good.

 

[tinytomlogan]

Just keep at it dude, the more complicated the loop (barbs at the bottom of a rad stood up for example) can take AGES to bleed.

Just keep at it, thats all your problem is atm. just remember the bubbles will always go up and form together and its pretty simple to see where they will end up and for you to try and work out how to get them out.

 

[Remmy]

Okay, at least there's no leaks like you say Can you hear fluid in the radiator swilling about when you tip it a bit? If you can, there's still air in there.

You may get trickling sounds from the reservoir in certain configurations. I have a tube res with an inlet on top, and if the res isn't really full, I can hear the coolant trickling into the top of the res.

I forgot to mention but the fact that it is silent for a while, then noises appear probably just indicates that occasionally more air is managing to escape and produces the noises then. It may not fully escape immediately too (as in get stuck in the reservoir), some of it may make its way through the reservoir back to the pump, especially with small reservoirs and/or powerful pumps.

If you have a small tube resevoir, and strong pump you could be getting vortexing in the res, which lowers the level of coolant in the centre above the outlet to the pump, and air can get in there easier. If this is the case, some places sell little pieces of plastic which sit in the res and break up the vortices.

 

[Greenback]

if you have the computer off and tip the case back and forth side to side with the side panel off you will be able to hear the air in the top rad if it's there,
When you get the trickling sound give the case a shake I normally find that is when air is trapped in the actual port/fitting of the rad and a quick shake loosens it

 

[Surfie]

Thanks for the replies all.

Will keep tipping the case around.

Bright side: I'll have guns like Arnie if I have to keep it up for another 2 hours!

Look Ma! I can has a water loop!

Edit: After leak testing, and continuing to move the case around bleeding out air, the pump is now virtually silent. Can only hear a slight hum...