Water in my res going down quick

[andre0002]

Hello,

I build my first water cooling setup over the weekend and after leak testing and bleading it i was using the pc and i looked at my res after a few hrs and the water had gone down , not considerably but enough that it was noticable, so I filled it nearly to the top and watched again and in about 4 hrs it went down about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. is this notmal? also I looked over all my lines and I found a small kink by where the rad intake line is, could this be the cause?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Lose the kink regardless, its not the cause of the liquid level loss, but it is a flow-killer, and that is bad for your cooling
re-route the line or put a cabletie at the point of kinking to hold the roundness of the line,
but yes, your working out the air in the loop, it takes time and wiggling bits about can often help loosen trapped pockets, keep topping up and leave an escape for the air to get out of the loop,
one thing you took on when starting the W/c game was constantly watching your system for any small issues, you seem to be picking up the habit well
Moto

 

[4Ryan6]

^ 2nd Moto's response!

 

[andre0002]

Thanks Moto18,

This has been a pet project of mine for a while, my ultimate (for the moment) build.

I keep upgrading as I go along and can afford. So any idea how long it will take for all the air to escape?, I know I have to drain it all over to fix the kink. I am going to put a 45 degree on to the radiator and then put back the compression fitting on the line.

Also should I just leave the pc on so that the pump is always running?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

If you sit down and hit it hard, you could have it airfree in an hour maybe less
if you leave it, the air pockets will never move unless they get banged out of place somehow so you'll be stuck with them and the detrimental effect they will have on your temps
top it up for now and monitor things, and when you fit the angle on, bleed, bleed like you've never bled before damn you!!
you are a child of water now, air is the enemy, and must not be tolerated hehe
but yes, if you leave it runnning with an escape vent (res filler open etc) it will help work some of the air out, but not all **Edited after Rubix' post,
remember to replace the cap/ close the line before moving the case around again **
Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

Sounds like air, like Moto mentioned. If you have a significant amount of air in your rad, your cooling efficiency decreases dramatically...air is a poor heat conductor compared to water. You will want to rotate your radiator (and likely your case) while the loop is running to move as much air as you can out. (make sure your reservoir is capped off )

I can move this into the watercooling forum...?

 

[andre0002]

Open as in open open?? I thought air would get in that way, so I bled till the loop looked ok and then filled (with space) and closed the res from the top. (EK multioption X2 400 Advanced)

I need lots of tips and know hows on how to properly bleed and to know when it is truly done.

 

[andre0002]

Rubix, yea please move into the water cooling forum, I tried to put it there and didn't see the option for it.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Yes, open as in the filler cap off,
As water pushes it through the loop, the air can escape to atmosphere instead of being trapped in the res, although if you have any air in there, the res is where I'd want it
Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

I usually leave my res capped unless its during the filling of the loop. Here is what I do:
1) Pump off/not jumpered on: fill loop as full as possible by siphoning water through the loop via open end of tubing. I find this easier than switching on and off for only a few seconds...it gives you a more-full loop to start with...and less chance of the pump initially sucking air.

2) Jumper the pump on using paperclip or wire on any black and green wire of the ATX plug (while disconnected from motherboard, obviously).

3) Evaluate water level, add more initially as needed, close reservoir when about 80% full.

4) While running, tilt case to move air from radiators and components into the loop and therefore, being pushed into the res. When water level in the res drops (meaning, more air is present), uncap res, add water.

5) Repeat this a few times until you aren't seeing the water level in your reservoir drop any longer after tilting. Also, you shouldn't hear trickling sounds or gurgling, meaning you have evacuated all the air (or as much as humanly possible).

When you complete these tasks, allow the loop to shut down for a while...this will allow any small bubbles in the loop to accumulate and pushed out at next pump startup. Also, while turned off, give your PC a shake...you shouldn't hear sloshing inside your radiators...if you do, you have air.

As they say...wash, rinse, repeat until you reach the desired result.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

My T-Virus resses should be here soon rubix,
I might do a step by step thread for rinsing and filling, including bleed tactics to put in the stickies up top
If I'm not too busy giggling of course
Moto

 

[andre0002]

Best answer selected by andre0002.

 

[andre0002]

Thanks everyone, i gave it a good couple shakes, (closed loop of course) and I saw a few small air bubbles come out and i left it running overnight and checked it in the morning, the water level didn't move any. Got a rats nest of wires to fix next and then on to overclocking!

 

[rubix_1011]

Good to hear...sounds like you resolved the problem.

My T-Virus resses should be here soon rubix,
I might do a step by step thread for rinsing and filling, including bleed tactics to put in the stickies up top
If I'm not too busy giggling of course
Moto

Nice...I'm curious to see what they actually look like and how they work in a real life loop. Keep us updated.