Project: Silent Overkill
- Thread starter Cenedd
- Start date
Pretty much. At least I'm justifying the expense (and pain) of installing the drain port! 
Yep. Wonder if I can get enough work out the way to start the ATX sleeving then
Soldato
How does this affect my machine? Well I ordered two new bottles of XSPC clear EC6 coolant since the ones if over-ordered in preparation were already in use replacing those that are soaked into my carpet! The new ones were clear and the old ones were quite yellow:
Spoke to XSPC and they say this can happen if exposed to direct sunlight. Not harmful but not pretty. Neither I nor OCUK can see how this could have happened but XSPC have kindly organised some replacements through OCUK. So soon it should stop looking like someone's relieved themselves in my res!
I've had loads of bottles that have done this. It's not necessarily direct sunlight, either. Seems to happen after awhile if they're left standing. Once it's in the loop, you can't really notice it. (I'm more function over form any who)
Thanks, that's helpful to know. It may be more apparent as the res has gone from 150ml to 880ml so there's a thicker section of coolant to show the colour change up. Will swap it for the new stuff and can now compare with my wife's PC since it has the 150ml res in it now.
Soldato
No worries. I've bought a couple of the 6 packs of these and the same thing has happened to all of them eventually, but no real degradation whilst in the loop that I've noticed.
I'll swap you! I've just realised that since I swapped the res input so that it fountains up the middle, I've effectively split my loop in two since there's a high point (and one-way at that) at the top of the res and a high point where the tubing goes over the top above the CPU. This means that, with the drain at the bottom on the other side, pretty much the entire contents of the res, pumps, GPU and CPU blocks will not drain. A weekend of fun is ahead I suspect!
Best thing is the colour. It's slightly darker than in this pic but I had to take it with a torch for lighting and a sheet of A4 as a background:
The best thing alongside it being this colour? Because the machine was running for the morning, it's almost exactly body temperature!
It's a delight as you feel the bottle I'm draining it into warm up! Ewww!
So how do you get the coolant out of the other half of the loop when your drain has been planned (or not) by an idiot (myself)? VAX for the win!
1500 Watts of idiot-compensating power
Now that's better! New stuff is crystal clear and looks much better. Many thanks to XSPC and OCUK
And lit - the extra bubbles look great but don't last.
1500 Watts of idiot-compensating power
Now that's better! New stuff is crystal clear and looks much better. Many thanks to XSPC and OCUK
And lit - the extra bubbles look great but don't last.
Soldato
Glad you got it sorted out man 
looks great
looks great
Cheers. Certainly looks better than it was....just hope it stays that way.
Thanks.
No problem. I posted it in a separate thread a while back in case it was of any help to anyone: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18730079
Incidentally, my skills with SketchUp consist solely of SketchUp's tutorial videos and this model. There was a fair amount of colourful language involved but it became a bit of an obsession so I got it finished. Hope it's of use to you.
No problem. I posted it in a separate thread a while back in case it was of any help to anyone: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18730079
Incidentally, my skills with SketchUp consist solely of SketchUp's tutorial videos and this model. There was a fair amount of colourful language involved but it became a bit of an obsession so I got it finished. Hope it's of use to you.
Well, it's been a while folks. I'd like to say that I've made or am going to make drastic and exciting changes to the system.....but in all honesty I've done nothing but get on and use it (work and gaming) since 2017. I'm resurrecting this thread solely because
Nope, 31....and it wasn't planned this time either. Was minding my own business, getting in a bit of gaming when something started beeping. Slightly annoyed, I looked left and spotted the reservoir fill-level graph taking a nosedive. Quick check through the window (handy things it turns out!) and there's coolant welling out of the graphics card and making a beeline for the PSU! Good job there isn't 880ml in the res and a good litre in the rad to follow it eh?! *facepalm*
After the panic, the kitchen roll (all of it) and drying the carpet* this is what the problem was:
These are Barrow acrylic stop plugs and I'd got one in the GPU to complement the acrylic tube coming in from the bottom, and one in the top of the res. Both had suffered the same issue - although the one on the res didn't actually crack through until removed. I've also had threaded acrylic tubes and filters from them - the former cracked (although I cannot rule out mechanical strain here) and the latter crazed so I replaced it with their glass version. Now I should point out that I have rather a lot of metal fittings by Barrow (extensions and angles mainly) and have had no issues with any of them.
Was going to just fill it back up once I'd dried the PSU - did I mention how glad I am that ignored the mounting advise and mounted it with fan downwards so that it presented a solid top to any coolant leaking from above?! Thought I may as well check it out with Dr Drop and found there was still a slow leak. Some testing and a res clean and rebuild later and it's air-tight again. Although it did save me from filling it with a loose fitting on the pump which could have been interesting!
Incidentally, the gauge on Dr Drops is very cheap and the slightest drop while you're using it (of while shipped) means that the needle points at some random point on the scale even when not connected. Manufacturer of the gauge says it isn't adjustable to re-zero it. That's not exactly true though. If you disassemble the gauge (two screws on back and then the case comes off) you can pull the needle off the spindle and put it back on reading zero. The scale won't be accurate anymore (ie 0.5 bar may only be 0.4) but it makes it usable again.
Also fixed some minor issues and cleaned a few things up. When the Aquaero got swapped out, the new screen was ever so slightly larger than the old one and the pressure caused it to bow. Filed the hole out a bit more to sort this out but the glue had gone along the top edge. Thought I'd get away with masking taping (Frog Tape) off the glass and just flowing some super glue into the edge. Nope, some got through the tape and now there's some crusty parts on the inside of the glass that I can't get rid of.
Quite a few of the blue LEDs have failed. They were set to fade blue to red with temperature of each componant but I've had to switch so they fade green to red instead....although this now clashes with the sleeving which is all in shades of blue. There may need to be an LED rebuild at some point.....although I suspect this may be in the same sort of timeframe as Brexit!
Another couple of litres of XSPC EC6 from OCUK have refilled it with nice clear coolant again. It seems to go yellow with age and also, I suspect it may not be as non-conductive after a couple of years....and this seems to be an important feature the way things are going!!
In writing this, I've also just realised that there's another of these same time-bombs on the bottom of the GPU....so replacing that'll be fun now that I've filled it again!
So, yeah. The point of this was really to say that if you have any of these fittings, either replace them or at least check them for signs of impending doom!
*I still stand by the wise advice a friend of mine gave me: "When it leaks all over your carpet, are you going to want a clear, colourless stain or an alien green one?!"
Drain number 30?
Nope, 31....and it wasn't planned this time either. Was minding my own business, getting in a bit of gaming when something started beeping. Slightly annoyed, I looked left and spotted the reservoir fill-level graph taking a nosedive. Quick check through the window (handy things it turns out!) and there's coolant welling out of the graphics card and making a beeline for the PSU!
Good job there isn't 880ml in the res and a good litre in the rad to follow it eh?! *facepalm*After the panic, the kitchen roll (all of it) and drying the carpet* this is what the problem was:
These are Barrow acrylic stop plugs and I'd got one in the GPU to complement the acrylic tube coming in from the bottom, and one in the top of the res. Both had suffered the same issue - although the one on the res didn't actually crack through until removed. I've also had threaded acrylic tubes and filters from them - the former cracked (although I cannot rule out mechanical strain here) and the latter crazed so I replaced it with their glass version. Now I should point out that I have rather a lot of metal fittings by Barrow (extensions and angles mainly) and have had no issues with any of them.
Was going to just fill it back up once I'd dried the PSU - did I mention how glad I am that ignored the mounting advise and mounted it with fan downwards so that it presented a solid top to any coolant leaking from above?! Thought I may as well check it out with Dr Drop and found there was still a slow leak. Some testing and a res clean and rebuild later and it's air-tight again. Although it did save me from filling it with a loose fitting on the pump which could have been interesting!
Incidentally, the gauge on Dr Drops is very cheap and the slightest drop while you're using it (of while shipped) means that the needle points at some random point on the scale even when not connected. Manufacturer of the gauge says it isn't adjustable to re-zero it. That's not exactly true though. If you disassemble the gauge (two screws on back and then the case comes off) you can pull the needle off the spindle and put it back on reading zero. The scale won't be accurate anymore (ie 0.5 bar may only be 0.4) but it makes it usable again.
Also fixed some minor issues and cleaned a few things up. When the Aquaero got swapped out, the new screen was ever so slightly larger than the old one and the pressure caused it to bow. Filed the hole out a bit more to sort this out but the glue had gone along the top edge. Thought I'd get away with masking taping (Frog Tape) off the glass and just flowing some super glue into the edge. Nope, some got through the tape and now there's some crusty parts on the inside of the glass that I can't get rid of.
Quite a few of the blue LEDs have failed. They were set to fade blue to red with temperature of each componant but I've had to switch so they fade green to red instead....although this now clashes with the sleeving which is all in shades of blue. There may need to be an LED rebuild at some point.....although I suspect this may be in the same sort of timeframe as Brexit!
Another couple of litres of XSPC EC6 from OCUK have refilled it with nice clear coolant again. It seems to go yellow with age and also, I suspect it may not be as non-conductive after a couple of years....and this seems to be an important feature the way things are going!!
In writing this, I've also just realised that there's another of these same time-bombs on the bottom of the GPU....so replacing that'll be fun now that I've filled it again!
So, yeah. The point of this was really to say that if you have any of these fittings, either replace them or at least check them for signs of impending doom!
*I still stand by the wise advice a friend of mine gave me: "When it leaks all over your carpet, are you going to want a clear, colourless stain or an alien green one?!"
Soldato
Jesus wept...
That explains why the carpet was wet then!
I didn't get notifications on your project so I'll go binge read it now. Hope you're doing well and aren't suffering from acrylic fragility too!
Soldato
No actually it was the Barrow fitting
Sounds like notfun dude. Good on you for persevering though.
Soldato
Other than the awesome custom DDC top and mounting I don't think there's much you haven't read. Although finally resolving the pump issue is a big dealThat explains why the carpet was wet then!
I didn't get notifications on your project so I'll go binge read it now. Hope you're doing well and aren't suffering from acrylic fragility too!
Having a mare right now planning cable runs for the storage backplate as well as trying to gut the house so there's not much to report on
And I've lost my CPU block
Well, the stop plugs turned up and I changed the bottom GPU plug....whilst still full of several litres* of (fresh) coolant. Remembered to replace the pressure relief membrane this time - after learning the scary way that it really interferes (by design) with the Dr Drop readings. Container and kitchen roll under the plug and go for it. It started leaking out....and then thought better of it when it heard the degree of colourful language I was prepared to throw at it!
Here it is back together in its new green lighting....that doesn't at all clash with the blue sleeving *cough*
*More than 2 but less than 3.
Here it is back together in its new green lighting....that doesn't at all clash with the blue sleeving *cough*
*More than 2 but less than 3.