Robs First Watercooling Loop

[RobM]

So, I am almost at the point where I have the required bits and bobs to make my first custom loop.
This is all being done on an extremely tight budget.
My checklist:

• CPU block - EK Supremacy EVO £33.30
• Rad - 240 slim copper - £8.50
• Reservoir - EK 240
• Pump - EK DDC
• Pump top - EK £45.00 pump/top/res combo and drain valve
• Tubing - ClearFlex 60 Tubing 12.7/9.5mm (3/8"ID) 2 meters (dispatched) £3.60
• Fittings - Monsoon 13/10mm Fittings Six Pack Blue (dispatched) £14.40

Total spend so far £104.80

I think this is all I need, and hope 2 meters tubing is enough.
I plan at some point to upgrade the rad to/or add a 360 at some point I know 6 fittings is keeping things tight but that all they had in Blue.
Will be putting this into the Entho Pro TG, as SWMBO let me spend a small bit at OCUK who did a cracking £50 deal

Wish list:

• 360 Rad
• Graphics card worth cooling
• Temp gauge
• Hardline fittings
• PETG or glass tube
• Maybe some rgb goodness

 

[AlienALX]

Don't forget to clean the loop (rads and everything else) with white vinegar. Distilled. Yes, it stinks, but it's far safer than using Mayhems acid. Then flush it all out with distilled water, and put on a warm source (I put mine in the boiler cupboard) and let it dry.

You will be amazed what comes out. Especially on used parts.

 

[Warchild]

What you have is enough. But any tight angles and you will have to use excess tubing length to compensate for the arching angles which could be countered with rotaries. That said, your tubing might kink at tight angles so careful. 2 meter is plenty for you though since you arent cooling a GPU.

Your DDC might be a little noisy, but if its PWM you can run it at just 30% and its still efficient, as well as quiet enough. I have 2 of them and noise wise I prefer the D5, but for pressure and restriction, you cant compete with DDC.

Personally I just flushed my rads with Water. It is a little frowned upon but I use coolants with biocide etc plus did the same as Alien with rapid drying. In my case I used my GF blow dryer on maximum heat. It is very important you get the flux out of the new rads, or you will experience a blockage on your first test loop.

 

[RobM]

the rad is 2nd hand but will flush, just realised I will need a coolant lol so will peruse some this evening.
Will be stripping the cpu block down also to give it a good clean.

 

[AlienALX]

At one point I built a cleaning station out of a bottle and a £8 pump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atwKmPZ8XsU

All you had to do was loop in what you wanted to clean, leave it to run with your choice of cleaner (water, vinegar mix etc) and empty it down the sink when it stopped changing.

Sadly I don't have room for anything like that any more. The pumps are cheap though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SC600-13...927543?hash=item287c3ae9b7:g:O8IAAOSwIAJcI3GC

And proven to be bloody good. Sure they don't look great but the bearings are all ceramic and the motor is powerful and heavy. Great way to clean without wrecking your good stuff. Sadly they have doubled in price, but still a good investment

 

[AlienALX]

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/watercool-passive-cooler-for-vga-ram-8-pack-hs-000-wc.html

They may come in useful also.

 

[RobM]

Well I got all the parts needed, even managed to persuade wifey to let me get a new case and got Enthoo Pro tempered glass for a sweet £50.

So now I am sat here looking at my rig and scared to death to actually do it lol.

 

[AlienALX]

Just remember never to start the PC up to test a loop.

IE, just connect the pump and run it around the hardware with the rig off. So just the pump powered up, and wrap paper towels like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n4EltAvUb0&feature=emb_logo

That way if you have a leak it can't go anywhere, the paper towels will suck it up immediately.

Leave the loop to run for a few hours before you power on the rig. Other than that really there's nothing to worry about. Just make sure the fittings are done up tight enough. Some are easy, some require the loss of skin. But just make sure they are sealed. It may take more force than you expect tbh.

 

[RobM]

cheers buddy

 

[Excalabur50]

Good luck with it buddy!

 

[AlienALX]

When filling fill the res, then turn the pump on. Wait for it to reach about 10%, then turn it off. Never let it run dry you will kill it.

Continue on. Then when it looks OK put the res cap on and tilt the rig through every axis. Turn the pump on and continue doing so. If you end up with an air pocket your cooling will be bad.

Always have a roll of paper towels or some junk towels at hand.

 

[RobM]

Just realised I don't have a mount bracket for the pump/res or a drain valve so no loop today.

 

[AlienALX]

Just realised I don't have a mount bracket for the pump/res or a drain valve so no loop today.

You don't need a drain valve dude. Not with soft tubing.

In fact, fitting one will cost you more fittings.

See yellow arrow. I undo that fitting, slide up the threaded part (the bit you do up) on the hose and then insert this into the bottom of the rig, under the fitting.

I then pull off the hose, and put it straight in there. Then I turn the black rotary it's on into the jug and that holds the jug in place. Once gravity has done the draining I remove the one next to it and blow into it. That then pushes all the water in the rads back down into the res and it drains into the one I initially removed.

Drain plugs are a waste of time with soft tubing. They didn't even exist back then tbh. They only became important with hard line, which IMO I would never want. Mostly because just to change a GPU you have a real bloody headache coming your way. You can't just change the GPU and block, you need to make new tubes and all sorts of faff.

To add. IMPORTANT. When I remove the tube I removed originally I cap the hole off on the GPU, put the jug on the lino and put that hose in it (it flops down into the jug) but yeah, cap your card or you blow it all in your face lmao. I did that when Diablo was at my house. So effing embarrassing gave myself a facial ffs.

 

[AlienALX]

I mentioned the plastic jugs before. £1 jobs from the quid shop.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kraftmann-...=1&keywords=funnel+set&qid=1588284346&sr=8-15

I also *strongly* advise a set of those. The smaller ones can be shoved into some tubing and cable tied on. Then I use them to fill (don't bother with posh filler bottles) and I use the big one too. With that I put the spout back in the coolant bottle (where it came from originally) plop a paper coffee filter into the big part and filter my coolant back into the original bottle

Try doing that with a filler bottle

 

[RobM]

What I thought was a decent DDC turns out to be a chinese copy from a liquid.cool vortex kit

 

[AlienALX]

What did you buy? link.

TBH I wouldn't care about that. I've used Chinese pumps and they were awesome. What I do know is that genuine pumps are stupid money. Like, almost insane prices.

 

[RobM]

Seems it is part of a kit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/2271975848?iid=383478715248

 

[RobM]

Finally plucked the courage to actually do it, so here it is.
It is meant to be clear but looks like milk due to the amount of air bubbles, cannot get more fluid into the res and boy is it noisy.
Other than that, I am well chuffed with 52C under full load.

 

[AlienALX]

I have never seen clear coolant do that. That seems to suggest your pump is running far too hard. Or fast, however you want to look at it.

How does the pump power connect? via Molex?

Also. Whilst you are "burping" the cooling system you need to leave the res uncapped. Or else that air will become a pocket and will expand when heated.

Wait until it is cool (so over night) then open up the cap.

 

[RobM]

I have never seen clear coolant do that. That seems to suggest your pump is running far too hard. Or fast, however you want to look at it.

How does the pump power connect? via Molex?

Also. Whilst you are "burping" the cooling system you need to leave the res uncapped. Or else that air will become a pocket and will expand when heated.

Wait until it is cool (so over night) then open up the cap.

yeah it on molex so fast as fk. during the leak testing i noticed when I turned off, that what little air was in the res got sucked up into the rad.
I might hack the molex and take the feed of the other wire, see if that slows.
Whole job was a nightmare tbh.
The rad mounts are m4, which meant I had to do a hack job just fit the fans and rad.
My own fault for not saving up and doing it properly with proper gear.