pvc pipe watercooling?

[LinusLoveMe]

Right so why have I never seen a build that uses pvc piping for tubing. Sounds much more practical to spend $10 on tubing and fitting as opposed to $100+? All you have to do is paint them and it ends up looking relatively the same as powder coated copper tubing.

[Nacho Marco Segui]

But is there pvc as tiny as tubing usually used in wc loops?

never seen it,but would be interesting

[Sam Z Man]

Leaks, and where do you get G1/4 threaded pvc.

[Bananasplit_00]

because its not meant to have hot water flowing thru it, because you cant bend it, because you have to one hella powerfull pump to feed even the smallest diameter and lastly because its uggly

[RedSphyxis]

Right so why have I never seen a build that uses pvc piping for tubing. Sounds much more practical to spend $10 on tubing and fitting as opposed to $100+? All you have to do is paint them and it ends up looking relatively the same as powder coated copper tubing.

you can but the problem is that it's more rigid than the "specialized" tubing made so it tends to kink a lot more. Hot water might cause warping, which is really bad and can cause leaks.

 

Leaks, and where do you get G1/4 threaded pvc.

you can find them if you know where to look.

 

 

I'm assuming OP is referring to those cheap clear flex tubings and not the hard tubing pvc's?

[TheAmazingCookieFromSquare]

Why not just get some soft tubing instead of PVC?

 

You could get 10ft of 2/8 x 1/2 for $7 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-1-2-in-x-3-8-in-x-10-ft-PVC-Tubing-SVIG20/202257575

 

The thing is if you want some REAL stuff such as Primochill Primoflex tubing it's going to cost $24.99- http://www.performance-pcs.com/primoflex-b-advanced-lrt-10ft-b-tubing-3-8in-id-x-1-2in-od-crystal-clear.html

 

Of course you can buy some of that stuff by feet and measure how much you would need which is a better idea It's only $2.50 per feet- 

http://www.performance-pcs.com/primoflex-b-advanced-lrt-b-tubing-3-8in-id-x-1-2in-od-crystal-clear.html

 

 

If you want to do PVC it might be harder ti do fittings and such.Also it's more likely you are going to get leaks  but PVC watercooling loop is possible.

[Kyuubixchidori]

They make soft tubing for water in houses now instead of copper tubing. 

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-x-100-ft-PEX-Pipe-in-Blue-U860B100/202033010

 

can handle 160 PSI and 200*F. come at me regular water cooling 

[CostcoSamples]

because its not meant to have hot water flowing thru it, because you cant bend it, because you have to one hella powerfull pump to feed even the smallest diameter and lastly because its uggly

It seems you don't know much about PVC pipes.  All of those reasons are false (except the ugly part, but as OP said, you can paint it).

 

PVC pipe is bendable if you heat it up, but you can also get PVC elbows and you just have to use some PVC glue to seal it up.  Fittings to connect the PVC to water blocks etc might be a challenge.

[Ellis_D]

They make soft tubing for water in houses now instead of copper tubing. 

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-x-100-ft-PEX-Pipe-in-Blue-U860B100/202033010

 

can handle 160 PSI and 200*F. come at me regular water cooling 

I really wouldn't call PEX "soft" tubing. 

[Kyuubixchidori]

I really wouldn't call PEX "soft" tubing. 

its decently flexible from my experience with it. as long as its not a ITX case you should be fine

[Badger906]

because its not meant to have hot water flowing thru it, because you cant bend it, because you have to one hella powerfull pump to feed even the smallest diameter and lastly because its uggly

hot water!? 50c water isn't hot.. its warm.

washing machines have a 100c cycle and are attached to 40mm pvc piping you don't see it struggling!

and the water that comes out of my hot tap is 84c and goes down a pvc waste lol.

300c and above I'd start to worry about pvc

[Bananasplit_00]

It seems you don't know much about PVC pipes.  All of those reasons are false (except the ugly part, but as OP said, you can paint it).

 

PVC pipe is bendable if you heat it up, but you can also get PVC elbows and you just have to use some PVC glue to seal it up.  Fittings to connect the PVC to water blocks etc might be a challenge.

yah i dont know anything really this is just what i had to come with from my own experiance

[Bananasplit_00]

hot water!? 50c water isn't hot.. its warm.

washing machines have a 100c cycle and are attached to 40mm pvc piping you don't see it struggling!

and the water that comes out of my hot tap is 84c and goes down a pvc waste lol.

300c and above I'd start to worry about pvc

well that might not be a problem but i still think that pipe diameter is a problem because of through put

[CostcoSamples]

hot water!? 50c water isn't hot.. its warm.

washing machines have a 100c cycle and are attached to 40mm pvc piping you don't see it struggling!

and the water that comes out of my hot tap is 84c and goes down a pvc waste lol.

300c and above I'd start to worry about pvc

yeah, and at 300c you are dealing with steam and the whole system has to be designed for massively dangerous steam pressure.

 

For PC water cooling, heat will not be a limiting factor for PVC pipes.  Connections will be the challenge.  If you manage to figure that out, let us know!  I'm sure others will like to try it.

[Badger906]

well that might not be a problem but i still think that pipe diameter is a problem because of through put

you can get 15 and 22mm pvc so similar sizes to standard hosing.

[Chiobe]

The main problem with this idea is the fitting, as you need to find some threaded G1/4 fittings that works with both the water cooling hardware and the pvc pipe.

 

The question is if you save anything at all? Fittings are 3-4 dollars each and tubing is 3 dollars per feet. I cant imagine that pvc is that much cheaper.

[LinusLoveMe]

The main problem with this idea is the fitting, as you need to find some threaded G1/4 fittings that works with both the water cooling hardware and the pvc pipe.

 

The question is if you save anything at all? Fittings are 3-4 dollars each and tubing is 3 dollars per feet. I cant imagine that pvc is that much cheaper.

You can get pvc pipe for like $0.30/ft where I live and fittings are anywhere from $0.50-$1.50 each

 

Now of course it would be a challenge to get a fitting to connect to water blocks... But we saved astronauts with duct tape so there's always a way.

[brandishwar]

I actually considered this at one point as well. The limitations aren't really any different from using copper pipe as opposed to copper tubing. It's more of a matter of finding the right size, which is easier with copper than PVC. I'll presume you're talking the standard Schedule 40 PVC you can find in every hardware store.

The main problem is you're not going to find hardline fittings that will work with directly Schedule 40, meaning you'll need to cut your own threads. Using a G1/4" tap plus male-to-male rotary fittings will allow you to secure things down. In that instance you'll want 3/8" Schedule 40, which is about 12mm ID, the perfect internal diameter for cutting a thread and getting a secure fit. You'd want to use the same pipe throughout the loop. And you'd be using PVC fittings and pipe dope to make any turns you need.

Typically the smallest most hardware stores carry is 1/2" Schedule 40, though a Google search showed online plastics distributors carrying it, and you may have luck finding it in your neck of the woods. If you have to order online, definitely adhere to the mantra of ordering more than you think you need. And make sure any pipe and fittings you order have a rated temperature of 140F (60C).

[tomas710]

Right so why have I never seen a build that uses pvc piping for tubing. Sounds much more practical to spend $10 on tubing and fitting as opposed to $100+? All you have to do is paint them and it ends up looking relatively the same as powder coated copper tubing.

Acrylic (PMMA) and PETG are thermoplastics, they become maleble with higher temps before reaching the fusion point, PVC given it's much linear structure forms much stronger intermolecular bonds with other polyvinil chloride molecules, which means it stays completely solid until it melts, no way to bend it. Also, it's less stable, it can be degraded by Aspergillus molds, one of the most common fungi family. Other way to analyze it, PVC was the third plastic polymer ever discovered, if it could be used in watercooling a PC it would be in use already, but it's not a thermoplastic, and that's the most basic requirement.

[Biggerisbetter]

I'm not a "PC water cooling expert or enthusiast", but I haven spent many hours researching this very topic. I'm a pipe fitter by trade for HVAC. So I know a thing or two when it comes to working with pipe and fittings. The fittings you will need are found in the commercial drinking space, Ice machines and soda machines. Here is a link to show you what I'm talking about: Push-to-Connect Fitting for Drinking Water. Here is also a link of fittings: Push-to-Connect Tube Fittings. Now with these fitting you can use hard line pipe like copper, pvc or cpvc. You can even use puch to connect pneumatic fittings: click here. You are also restricted to the pipe size: 1/4 or 3/8 tubing

 

Draw backs to hard piping other than petg and acrylic. 

 

Copper must be in mm and not US standard. This will increase the cost of the copper 2 to 3 times over. Also you must use soft copper to make wider bends so you dont restrict the flow of water. Also hard drawn copper cant be bent and must be wielded. That can be messy and costly.

 

PVC and CPVC must use adapters. Reason being PVC and CPVC wall thickness. The wall thickness of PVC and CPVC are greater than metal pipe. So after the adapters the PVC or CPVC must be glued. Its very messy and can have lots of leaks if your not use to gluing them together.

 

The best piping is stainless steel. But your will need bending tool that may cost a hundreds of dollars and its a pain to bend. Also stainless steel cost 3 times more than copper. You will need a special welding rig.  

 

I understand this is a lot more than you asked for.  Just my 2 cents

[W-L]

I really wouldn't call PEX "soft" tubing. 

PEX-AL is really good for making hardline type bends it has an Al core in between plastic:

http://www.wattsradiant.com/products/radiantpexal/

 

You can get pvc pipe for like $0.30/ft where I live and fittings are anywhere from $0.50-$1.50 each

Now of course it would be a challenge to get a fitting to connect to water blocks... But we saved astronauts with duct tape so there's always a way.

 Like you said is it possible yes if you had the correct G1/4 adapter but is it a good idea not really with hard PVC pipe since it's more work and the cost savings wouldn't be worth it to most. At that price you could go for clear hardline with PETG or Acrylic. For copper piping and water cooling fittings that's pretty common and has been done by some builders.

 

The thing is plumbing even in homes fittings are what cost the most compared to piping itself, so it's pretty normal.