Watercooling noob with a couple of Qs

[samehsameh]

So i've came up with a plan for my loop that i like the look of. I understand that the res has to flow into the pump so that when you turn the pump on to fill the system it doest run dry. I want a tubular res (frozen Q) and want to run it like this.

to my understanding water will only fill to the highest point i.e. the top of the res across the entire system. So if i fill the res to the top the pump should be submerged in water meaning i can turn it on to fill the system then turn it off when it goes below my blue line and repeat till the system is full. Am i missing anything or does that make sense? ive never done a wc loop before so if i run my loop like my diagram will it be ok? Can you have both a return and outlet at the bottom of a res? Cheers.

[CornOnJacob]

I think the pump should really be underneath the res, not just even with it. The water can't flow up that tubing to get to the pump. You may want to get a pump top mod kit, which basically lets you attach the pump to the underside of the res, as well as vastly improving the aesthetics of the pump itself. That way you have less tubing, you know the pump has water, and it looks nicer.

[Emkryan]

Most likely you're setting yourself up to kill your pump during the fill-up. Like Corn said, have a pump top kit and mount the sucker somewhere nice

[samehsameh]

I think the pump should really be underneath the res, not just even with it. The water can't flow up that tubing to get to the pump. You may want to get a pump top mod kit, which basically lets you attach the pump to the underside of the res, as well as vastly improving the aesthetics of the pump itself. That way you have less tubing, you know the pump has water, and it looks nicer.

Why? its an inverted syphon/u bend so it would "flow" up the tube.

[CornOnJacob]

Why? its an inverted syphon/u bend so it would "flow" up the tube.

It would, to some extent (I believe adhesion/capillary action is responsible for that). However, it can't get all the way up the tube because nothing is pumping it. From the water's point of view, it is easier to backup and overflow out the res, than to climb up the tubing and fight gravity.

From you diagram, I'm assuming you plan on mounting the pump in a 5.25" drive bay, or something in that area. If you plan on doing that, then you could get a pump/res combo (XSPC has a good one) so you don't need to worry about this problem.

[Ghost]

The OP is completely correct.

 

I think the pump should really be underneath the res, not just even with it. The water can't flow up that tubing to get to the pump.

 

The water CAN flow up the tubing to get to the pump. The only issue is if air will prevent the water from going up (a bit like underwater research stations where you float up into them).

 

You would have to let the air escape.

[tabuburn]

The rule of thumb for custom loops is reservoir is always above the pump. Although, it is possible to do it this way, it's not advisable. Water will always go to the path of least resistance so it will naturally want to go down. In this configuration, it's fighting against gravity and the air ahead of it. You might be able to get the coolant to the pump by bringing it down then turning it on to keep the momentum enough to bring it the pump back up again but you would have to repeat this every time you power it off.

[CornOnJacob]

The OP is completely correct.

 

 

The water CAN flow up the tubing to get to the pump. The only issue is if air will prevent the water from going up (a bit like underwater research stations where you float up into them).

 

You would have to let the air escape.

However, it would be hard to get air to escape without the pump running. It seems like A LOT of hassle to get that working.

[Ghost]

However, it would be hard to get air to escape without the pump running. It seems like A LOT of hassle to get that working.

Not really, just open a fitting at the highest point in the loop to let the pressure  equalize. The water would flow up and then it could start pushing the air out next time you switch it on.