Newb Qs: How to disassemble Water Cooling System and Do Repairs

[shogrran]

Good day!

I am new to the forums and I am also relatively new to computers (compared to the experts in this forum). Please expect a lot of noob questions and have mercy. I did use google to search for answers but unfortunately due to my noobness I don't even know what keywords to use exactly so I never really got satisfying answers.

I am planning on installing water cooling on my next build. The main problem is I know nothing of water cooling aside from quite a few videos I have watched over you tube.

I have a few concerns in mind that is holding me back from buying water cooling and I hope the experts here can enlighten me on the matter.


1. I'm worried the liquid/coolant will ruin my hard earned computer components. I have heard that some coolant products don't destroy the components even if they leak. I guess they are non-conductive? Is that true? Has anyone here experienced a leak and was still able to run the computer after drying the components out?

2. I do all my personal repairs on my computer and I don't really like other people to touch my set up. Due to this I am concerned on how I can do troubleshooting if I have water cooling installed. e.g. if I need to replace the video card do I have to drain all the fluid take out the video card and then refill the whole thing?

All I see are videos of water cooling components and how to install... I haven't seen videos on how to take them apart. If you know of tutorial videos regarding dis-assembly please post them here or send them to me.

3. Do I use anything on the metal fittings and tube connections to prevent leakage? e.g. teflon tape to seal the connections? I believe the metal fittings have rubber o-rings and gaskets on them already. Are those sufficient enough?

4. I have watched a video from LinusTechTips channel of you tube that there are some 'plating' of water cooling components or water blocks shouldn't be combined with other certain types of plating? (I thought I heared nickel and copper plated? not sure )

5. What are compression fittings? Are they the best type of connections to use? I have seen water cooling builds where people just fit the cables and then just seal them with cable ties or the metal screw something that pretty much works like cable ties.

6. Any recommended brands of water cooling components and fittings? I am thinking of EK since I really like the professional and heavy duty looks on their components. Is that brand good? Are there better brands?

7. Any other tips you can give a humble noob like me?

Thank you very much for your replies.

If in case I have opened this thread in the wrong section kindly move it for me....

 

[shogrran]

@all

I've read some reviews on XSPC's reservoirs with pumps. What do you guys have to say about those?

If I use one it's going to save me 1000php since that will lessen the need for 2 fittings. Plus it saves me from spending on 2 components and just spend on 1.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

It might be worth looking into an Xspc rasa kit to start the loop off, and add gfx blocks onto that, see if you can get them over your way?
Moto

 

[shogrran]

I can't go for the full kit yet. Too expensive for me at the moment. I'd really like to save for the apogee xt or xtz (finally found a supplier).

But the xspc reservoirs with pumps are interesting. I've seen a few other pics (dunno if they are custom made though) of cylindrical reservoirs with pumps as well connected to the bottom end. I think that is a brilliant idea on mounting.

One more suggestion I'd like from you guys is for the ease of draining the entire system.

I'll post a link to this thread about something I read in another forum about easily draining a system. 😀 Please give me suggestions

Heres a pic of the cyclindrical res + pump at the bottom set up.

Here are other pics of a system with fittings not sure why they are there. (for draining or refilling perhaps?)

...i am guessing this one gets connected to a cable for later draining?

This is another awesome mount.. but I guess this was custom made? ( if it is... can't do it... i wont pay extra for customization even if I had the money... I like everything stock and stock mounted)

Here is another pic I do not understand ... theres a bits power fitting at the bottom of the res...for draining as well maybe? But then where does the flow go? Upwards (sorry i really don't know)? or is there another fitting at the back? But then where's the pump? If its possible to mount something like this for draining this is awesome.

 

[shogrran]

I guess I found the answer to one of my questions above...

Apparently there is another fitting at the back which connects to a pump mounted somewhere under the bays.

So I guess the fitting at the bottom really is a drain plug?

Is this a good or a bad thing? From what Rubix said earlier i - water should always be in the pump to protect the bearings. In this set up... wont the pump run out of water when you drain?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Yes it will, but you aren't running the pump so its no problem, its running the pump when its dry that burns the bearings
All those pics are for drainlines except the first, thats just an angled connector from the graphics card
and that mount will be sold somewhere, if you look for pump brackets you might find one suitable for the chosen pump on your build
Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

From what Rubix said earlier i - water should always be in the pump to protect the bearings. In this set up... wont the pump run out of water when you drain?

When I drain a loop, I don't power it on. I disconnect the tubing and let 'er drain out. Extra water can be siphoned or blown out through the tubing enough to empty...my recommendation is that you don't power the pump to drain- too much risk of the pump running dry.

 

[shogrran]

@moto Oh.. the first one is for the res and pump combo mount that I'd really like to copy. well not to the exact details but I like the savings when it comes to tubing and space if you mount the pump directly below the res. Can this be done without customization?

@rubix 😀 oooh sorry wasnt paying attention to that. One more question. Instead of draining the loop... can I just flush the loop? I'm just going to use distilled water(which i think is relatively inexpensive). I was thinking of just continuously filling water in the res while draining on another end. Will that do? Or is that another one of my bad ideas... 🙁

 

[Motopsychojdn]

AAh, ok, the yellow marker threw me off there hehe
And I plan on flushing my loop in situ, so if you can ensure a source and drain (bucket) you should be fine,
but, how are you going to make that feasible? I know my method, but it wont work on your set up (Sorry bout that 😛)
this is where your ingenuity has to start working, you want xx result, you need to figure how to make yyy happen
plan your line, think where best point of drain tube will be, so then a fill tube is needed, and can you ensure a sealed pipe between the two points to prevent a lack of suction?
P.S. whole loop must be air/watertight to use the flush method

Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

I know my pump moves more water than I can actually fill using a funnel, so this method may/may not work...depends on your specific situation. Also, if you are going to refill, many people use this time to tear down their loop, clean blocks, flush rads, etc.

 

[shogrran]

was thinking of flushing the loop with another (cheaper) res... wouldn't that make it water tight?

and then I'll just put a drain tube somewhere near the lowest part of my loop.

@rubix I was hoping I wouldnt have to clean my blocks in 1 year since i'll just go for distilled-biocide-killcoil combo. I am afraid of taking the blocks apart... might ruin them 🙁 or ruin their water tightness...

 

[rubix_1011]

You have to be adding water if you are also purging water. Watertight isn't the issue...it's a matter of making sure you don't pull air into your loop. If you drain a res faster than you can fill it, or your water intake source is used up while also draining, you are going to introduce air into the loop.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

You mean use the drain line to add a res? a res needs two lines, one in one out, so you'd need two drain ports and a way of sealing the normal loop between those points, so that it used the 'new' res instead, you could use a stopvalve between the two T-lines,
and your getting dangerously close to my method lol
I found this link you may like to go over though for an in situ flush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9TwhwVlllo&feature=player_embedded
Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

I find it much easier to drain a loop, and then siphon fill the loop as full as possible, cap all the lines and then cycle the pump.

I usually use a funnel to fill reservoir, disconnect your res inlet (plug with a short piece of folded-over tubing secured with a zip tie), and siphon as much water through the loop as you can, including filling rads as much as possible. When you really can't get much more in, reconnect the tubing to the res to complete your loop, ensure the res is 85% or so full and start up your pump.