[SOLVED] Can I replace the branded pump in a custom water cooling loop with a normal store bought one.

May 3, 2022
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I'm currently in my final year doing a project on a particular type of nanofluid. I wanted to test the change in temperature level when using nanofluid instead of typical coolant. The problem is that a custom water cooling loop is too expensive for me especially since I only need to use it for a few days. I was wondering if i could replace the pump found in kits from like cosair etc with a normal pump and maybe even replace the radiator with a copper tube bent like a compressed spring to act like a basic radiator. Since it's an experiment, i wouldn't mind if efficiency is lowered in using a diy style kit instead of a store bought one. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: i have a second question, is there a way to make a cheap reservoir that can be easily filled and drained. I'm a bit tensed whether i would fight the proper tubing since what if the size of the fitting were you insert the tube is different in the water block and pump. Can anyone also help me out here.
 
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Solution
There's 3 sections to an aio. The pump, the tubes, the radiator. If you buy an aio and replace the pump and radiator, you just realistically spent $100 on 2ft of tubing and whatever connectors/fittings are needed to attach whichever pump you do use.

Far better and cheaper to just buy whatever equipment you need. You can get some throwaway stuff cheap on eBay/Amazon build a complete full loop for way less than $100 and get the exact parts you really need with no waste.

Can even go to a hardware store for tubing and fittings since you aren't using a pc standard equipment. A reservoir is just a holding tank, you could easily make one of any size, could be a milk jug as long as the ends of the tubing are submerged fully. You can make a...
May 3, 2022
3
0
10
Since this is for a scientific experiment, and not a daily use PC, you certainly could try.
Alternatively, you could just get a basic water pump and get radiators for cheap online or from a scrap yard, and whatever tubing you would want to use.
Is there anything I should we wary of when buying a pump like its head or wether the tube fits or something, is getting a tube of required fiting size or diameter easy?
 
May 3, 2022
3
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Youll be able to piece it together relatively easy if all you need to do is test your project. The pump probably does not need to be anything special, maybe one with variable flow rate would be nice.
Any hardware store will have a variety of tubing sizes and fittings as well.
Could you also help me out on my second question please?
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
There's 3 sections to an aio. The pump, the tubes, the radiator. If you buy an aio and replace the pump and radiator, you just realistically spent $100 on 2ft of tubing and whatever connectors/fittings are needed to attach whichever pump you do use.

Far better and cheaper to just buy whatever equipment you need. You can get some throwaway stuff cheap on eBay/Amazon build a complete full loop for way less than $100 and get the exact parts you really need with no waste.

Can even go to a hardware store for tubing and fittings since you aren't using a pc standard equipment. A reservoir is just a holding tank, you could easily make one of any size, could be a milk jug as long as the ends of the tubing are submerged fully. You can make a passive radiator out of a good length of copper tube submerged in a fishtank full of water, just keep lower flow rate.

The only specialized parts needed for a loop is the cpu block itself, whether that's a coldplate/pump combo from an aio or a seperate piece like a full loop.
 
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Solution