Watercooling help!

shadowake · 5 Oct 2009 at 13:11

OK my systems finally all up and running, no leaks (thank god). However there are loads of tiny air bubbles in the loop. They are stationary not moving? Also the flow meter on my reservoir (EK Spin) is completely stationary, but you can see the waterfall on the front so it must be flowing?

How can you tell if the water is moving or not? Also are the small stationary bubbles normal?

I've been running the loop with the res top off for 4 hours or so and the bubbles just wont shift, I've tried tilting the case and even shaking it a bit.

I havn't powered the system yet, just the loop as I'm worried if the flow is crap it could damage it?

FYI It's a CPU/GPU loop with one D5 pump and 2 rads (1 x 120 & 1 x 360), with feser one coolant.

shadowake · 5 Oct 2009 at 15:24

shadowscotland said:
D5 vario or standard, if vario adjusting the speed can also dislodge the bubbles.

The spiner not rotating is a bigger issue.
Is it new or secondhand, but the 'waterfall' also shows flow.
Did you change the impella?
have you got the tubes the right way round?
Have you tryied turning it upside down?
Have a look at the many youtube vid's of the res in action.
big thread of this in XS too

Yeah it's a vario (D5 second hand off MM) set to full (5). The res is new and it spun with me just blowing air in to test it when I got it. It seems wierd the waterfall happens as it has to get past the spinner to do it? Very confused. Just to check, the top of the D5 is outlet (with arrow pointing up).

shadowake · 5 Oct 2009 at 16:07

shadowscotland said:
If the vario is at 5 - it 'may' be pinning the spinner to the res wall.
How fast is the 'waterfall' - linky

The waterfall is slow compared to vids on you tube. There are definately no kinks in any of the tubing. Could I have been sold a duff pump?

shadowake · 5 Oct 2009 at 16:30

shadowscotland said:
And can you list the full loop - that way I can use martin's flow tables to get an appoximate 'expected' flowrate

No problem, full loop in order is:

EK Spin Bay Reservoir
D5 Vario Pump
Zern.at PQ+ 775 CPU Block
XSPC 4870x2 Block Acetal
Feser 120.1 Rad
Aquacomputer XT 360mm Rad

Then back to res. All with 7/16 ID tubing and 1/2" high flow barbs. Feser One coolant.

shadowake · 5 Oct 2009 at 16:54

shadowscotland said:
This may sound silly - but are you sure it on 5?
It may be on 2 - as the guage on the back is not obvious.
the indent is the base of the arrow - rotate fully clockwise pump should sound like a dentist drill next door at full power.

Flow should be around 1.5gpm @ 5
Edit: about 0.5gpm @ 2

Will check when get home but I tried it turned both ways, it's louder the way it is now, but not massively loud?

shadowake · 6 Oct 2009 at 09:50

shadowscotland said:
2 is near silent (even by my standards) so it's most likely on 5 as you say.
Could just be a sticky spinner - try a few start/stop cycles when you get home.

All fixed, gave the res a good whack (was getting anoyed with it) and out shot a massive bubble from the spinner (not that you could see one) and it started spinning! Proves the good old if it isn't working, hit it, theory!