Loop won’t fill completely

[Unframed]

I finished building my system and attaching the tubes a couple of days ago. I then started adding water yesterday. At first it went smoothly and all the tubes was pretty much full of water.

I started tilting the case to get air out of the rads and it was then I started to have a problem with the tube going from the outlet of the top radiator down to the reservoir. Tilting the case was making a big air pocket inside the tube. The speed of the water going from the rad to the res is very slow, and I have been tilting the case in all directions trying to get the water going but nothing have helped so far.

I recorded a small video of my machine/loop so you guys could get an idea how things look, probably easier to understand my problem by watching that instead of me typing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVIOTLl01gE&feature=youtu.be

After recording, I poured some more water into the reservoir, almost to the top and still the same problem.

Running with the reservoir closed: the water inside the tube going from the rad to the reservoir will drain into the Res leaving the water level inside the Res unchanged.
Running with the reservoir open: the water inside the tube going from the rad to the reservoir will remain unchanged but the water level inside the Res will drop.

The only thing I haven’t tried is turning the case upside down, would that be an idea to try that and see if the air would move out of the top rad/tube?

Some info on the bits and pieces in my loop.
Pump: Swiftech MCP35X2
Top Rad: Hardware labs Black Ice SR1 360
Bottom Rads: 2x Alphacool NexXxos UT60 240
CPU block: Swiftech Apogee HD
GPU Blocks: 2x EVGA hydro copper 2
2x 45° Fittings
6x 90° Fittings

The Res and pump is connected with a Koolance sli connector. The same thing with the 2 rads in the bottom.

I know I have a lot of 90° fitting but that pump should be able to handle that and my rads/blocks, right?

If there is anything I forgot to add just let me know

Hope someone is able to help me with my problem, thanks in advance.

-Unframed

 

[jamesriley94]

I'm not sure why the reservoir isn't already filled up completely?

If that's completely filled up with the cap when the levels drop, then even when that fills up it will be full. Then tilting the case around, and running it upside-down should allow for you to get the air out of the loop and into the res. With the reservoir filled up only half full as it is now, you can't really run the system upside-down without letting a lot of air back in.

Try to get all the air you can out of the res first, then worry about the air elsewhere getting into the res.

 

[SEBAR]

You could have an air lock in the loop. Remove the fill port on the res and cycle the pump a few time.

 

[airdeano]

usually in a case like this, i remove the pump/res and lay the case back making
the pump and res the highest point. then tilt the case like a 5-axis chasing the
lowest air pocket to the next junction. how much coolant is installed?
as said, youve got a major lock and prolly downstairs to start. itd be nice to have
some still shots of the layout..

 

[Unframed]

As mentioned, after recording the clip I added more coolant to the reservoir making it almost full, I might be able to add a small amount to make it completely full.

I didn’t have much time yesterday, so I only tried turning the pump on/off a few times without anything notable happening to the air inside the tube.
I will however have some more time when I get home later today and through the weekend, so I will be trying all of your suggestions to get the air out.

At the moment, I have about 1,5 L coolant installed in the loop.
When I get home, I'll take some still shots of the setup and post them here.

Thanks for the help so far.

 

[blair]

I had an issue like this once where one section of the loop had nothing but air in it, and it was because the pump was way under powered for what i was trying to make it do, upgraded the pump and never had the issue again, how many blocks you got, and what pump and rads?

 

[Unframed]

3 blocks and 3 rads
Pump is the swiftech MCP35X2 so 2 pumps in total

 

[Deejeta]

Did you flush the rads before you installed them?

 

[blair]

I think turning your case upside down completely will probable solve it then are the pumps running 100% and do the rads have any bleed holes in them?

 

[Unframed]

Yea I have flushed the rads, I did both the shaking method and I made a small loop with 1 rad at a time together with a water filter and kept it running for an hour or so.

I have now made my case do a 360 front flip twice since I got home and every time I do so I am able to add more coolant to the res. It is not much each time but I guess I just have to keep doing it to get the air out. Because there is A LOT of air inside the rads.
When the case is upside down I can really hear the water moving from one rad chamber to another, and at one point the tube going from the outlet on the CPU to the inlet on the top Rad, was only containing air.

I haven’t connected the pwm cables for the pumps so I guess they are both running at 100%
Both the 240 rads in the bottom got bleed holes

Here is a couple of pictures as promised
http://imgur.com/a/04tWd