Watercooling tornadoes and CPU fan errors :(

[Guest]

So I just finished moving my PC to a new custom case with a custom water cooling loop, and I can't seem to get it working. The loop works fine. I can boot it up and all, but I get a message from American Megatrends letting me know I have a "CPU Fan error", and should press F1 to run setup. Every time I restart my PC it tells me this Also, I look in my reservoirs after turning the PC on and there is a bubbly tornado in one of them and I can hear and see water flowing into the other. I can't fill them up any more as when I turn off the PC they both fill up to the top. HALP PLEASE!

 

UPDATE:

I forgot to mention I had the case done for me. It's completely custom. I don't know much except that the RADs are dual 480s in the bottom (One for CPU, one for GPU), the pumps sit under the reservoirs, and that it's badass. Here are some pictures:

Edited April 6, 2016 by ChickenNugget

[Atmos]

Are your reservoirs at the bottom of your loop?

if you have them placed correctly you should pretty much always be able to fill them when the loop isn't running.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Atmos said:

Are your reservoirs at the bottom of your loop?

What do you mean by that?

[skimmilk5]

Set the CPU fan warning to "Ignore" in the UEFI. Water cooled systems will freak out because no CPU fan means a dead fan to the motherboard.

 

46 minutes ago, ChickenNugget said:

What do you mean by that?

The order of your loop DOES NOT MATTER EXCEPT FOR THIS: the RESERVOIR must be ABOVE the pump to avoid catastrophic pump damage. It must be before the pump in the loop, and it must physically be higher in the system to allow gravity to pull water into the pump.

[Bigheart]

49 minutes ago, ChickenNugget said:

So I just finished moving my PC to a new custom case with a custom water cooling loop, and I can't seem to get it working. The loop works fine. I can boot it up and all, but I get a message from American Megatrends letting me know I have a "CPU Fan error", and should press F1 to run setup. Every time I restart my PC it tells me this Also, I look in my reservoirs after turning the PC on and there is a bubbly tornado in one of them and I can hear and see water flowing into the other. I can't fill them up any more as when I turn off the PC they both fill up to the top. HALP PLEASE!

i know that you can typically override the cpu fan error, not sure how. i normally just plug in my two radiator fans into a fan hub, then connect the hub to my cpu fan header. cause im lazy. 

 

44 minutes ago, kimsejin5 said:

The order of your loop DOES NOT MATTER EXCEPT FOR THIS: the RESERVOIR must be ABOVE the pump to avoid catastrophic pump damage. It must be before the pump in the loop, and it must physically be higher in the system to allow gravity to pull water into the pump.

this person is correct. gravity helps the liquid go from the reservoir to the pump, making its life much easier. 

[skimmilk5]

2 minutes ago, Bigheart said:

i know that you can typically override the cpu fan error, not sure how. i normally just plug in my two radiator fans into a fan hub, then connect the hub to my cpu fan header. cause im lazy. 

Boot up the computer, then mash delete to get into the UEFI. Press F7 to get into Advanced Mode, then under CPU (I think) there should be an option for "Enable CPU Fan Error." Set that to "Disable." If it's not under CPU, then explore the UEFI.

[Atmos]

6 minutes ago, ChickenNugget said:

What do you mean by that?

Are you r resevours low in your loop, are they physically placed lower down in your cooling loop. (I.e: below all your rads/blocks.)

[Bigheart]

1 hour ago, kimsejin5 said:

Boot up the computer, then mash delete to get into the UEFI. Press F7 to get into Advanced Mode, then under CPU (I think) there should be an option for "Enable CPU Fan Error." Set that to "Disable." If it's not under CPU, then explore the UEFI.

you just done learned me a thing right there right there. 

[skimmilk5]

6 minutes ago, Bigheart said:

this person is correct. gravity helps the liquid go from the reservoir to the pump, making its life much easier. 

not just that, but it also prevents the pump from running dry (running a water pump on air, especially for PC water cooling, can destroy it in about 30 seconds). THat's not to scare you. Just be informed of what you're getting yourself into when you own such a sensitive beast as a custom water-cooled PC.

[Bigheart]

1 hour ago, kimsejin5 said:

not just that, but it also prevents the pump from running dry (running a water pump on air, especially for PC water cooling, can destroy it in about 30 seconds)

yee. that much i know. if it is above the pump, it has very little chance of backing up and not having enough pressure to enter the mechanism. 

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, Bigheart said:

yee. that much i know. if it is above the pump, it has very little chance of backing up and not having enough pressure to enter the mechanism. 

So just to confirm - Are the bubble tornadoes a bad thing or not?

 

37 minutes ago, kimsejin5 said:

not just that, but it also prevents the pump from running dry (running a water pump on air, especially for PC water cooling, can destroy it in about 30 seconds). THat's not to scare you. Just be informed of what you're getting yourself into when you own such a sensitive beast as a custom water-cooled PC.

So just to confirm - Are the bubble tornadoes a bad thing or not?

 

[Bigheart]

2 hours ago, ChickenNugget said:

So just to confirm - Are the bubble tornadoes a bad thing or not?

typically yes. you want a as little turbulence as possible. and the bubble might just mean that your loop is degassing, which is natural

Edited April 6, 2016 by Bigheart
more info

[Guest]

Just now, Bigheart said:

typically yes. you want a as little turbulence as possible. 

So how do I fix it?

[skimmilk5]

Just now, ChickenNugget said:

So how do I fix it?

Depending on your reservoir, you can have the in and out on both the bottom (unless that's the current configuration). Otherwise, put your inlet to the reservoir on the top, and put a piece of tubing inside the res to prevent the trickling noise.

[Bigheart]

2 hours ago, ChickenNugget said:

So how do I fix it?

first, how are you components oriented? 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Bigheart said:

typically yes. you want a as little turbulence as possible. 

 

1 minute ago, kimsejin5 said:

Depending on your reservoir, you can have the in and out on both the bottom (unless that's the current configuration). Otherwise, put your inlet to the reservoir on the top, and put a piece of tubing inside the res to prevent the trickling noise.

I linked pictures in the original post. Can you please give a clearer opinion based on that? I'm a little confused. In the reservoir to the left in the picture you can see the bubbles, but within 5-10 minutes of the PC being on bubbles fill the whole reservoir

[Jidonsu]

You normally shouldn't be seeing bubbles that fill the reservoir over time, especially the way you describe it. The air will lead to cavitation in the pump, increasing noise and reducing the lifespan of the pump. 

 

First, please show us or describe well how the loop is laid out, that means where the coolant enters and exits each component. It sounds like you have a lot of air in your loop or the layout is incorrect. We can't tell with your current pictures of description. 

 

Also, the pump doesn't have to be lowest component of your loop, but you do want the reservoir basically above it since pumps are gravity fed. It keeps it from running dry and overheating/destroying the bearing. 

 

 

[Guest]

Just now, Jidonsu said:

You normally shouldn't be seeing bubbles that fill the reservoir over time, especially the way you describe it. The air will lead to cavitation in the pump, increasing noise and reducing the lifespan of the pump. 

 

First, please show us or describe well how the loop is laid out, that means where the coolant enters and exits each component. It sounds like you have a lot of air in your loop or the layout is incorrect. We can't tell with your current pictures of description. 

 

Also, the pump doesn't have to be lowest component of your loop, but you do want the reservoir basically above it since pumps are gravity fed. It keeps it from running dry and overheating/destroying the bearing. 

 

 

I attached pictures in the original post of the whole case and loop. Please let me know if I'm missing something. I have the 2 radiators in the bottom, 2 reservoirs at the back of the case which sit directly on top of the pumps, feeding them water constantly. Then I have the blocks right after the reservoirs.

[skimmilk5]

4 minutes ago, ChickenNugget said:

 

I linked pictures in the original post. Can you please give a clearer opinion based on that? I'm a little confused. In the reservoir to the left in the picture you can see the bubbles, but within 5-10 minutes of the PC being on bubbles fill the whole reservoir

There's a "hole" in the top of the reservoir. Put your reservoir inlet to that hole. (yes, this will require draining your entire loop) I can't see the entire reservoir clearly. If there is a baffle (that is, there is a piece of metal between the inlet and outlet on the bottom, shaped like this:

 

 ___

|       |

|       |

|       |

|  |    | inlet

|_|_  | outlet

 

Then change it to this:

 

         ___

        |       |

        |       |

        |       |

        |  |    |

inlet |_|_  | outlet

 

Does that make sense? basically, have the baffle in between the inlet and the outlet to break up the turbulence.

 

If there is no baffle, then do this: 

 

Inlet at the top

 ___

|       |

|       |

|       |

|  |    |

|_|_  | outlet

[Jidonsu]

You normally shouldn't be seeing bubbles that fill the reservoir over time, especially the way you describe it. The air will lead to cavitation in the pump, increasing noise and reducing the lifespan of the pump. 

 

First, please show us or describe well how the loop is laid out, that means where the coolant enters and exits each component. It sounds like you have a lot of air in your loop or the layout is incorrect. We can't tell with your current pictures of description. If those reservoirs can be filled from the top when it's turned off, then you can try to fill them while the loop is running. I do it all the time. 

 

Also, the pump doesn't have to be lowest component of your loop, but you do want the reservoir basically above it since pumps are gravity fed. It keeps it from running dry and overheating/destroying the bearing. 

 

 

 

[Bigheart]

2 hours ago, ChickenNugget said:

 

I linked pictures in the original post. Can you please give a clearer opinion based on that? I'm a little confused. In the reservoir to the left in the picture you can see the bubbles, but within 5-10 minutes of the PC being on bubbles fill the whole reservoir

ahhh. sorry i missed them somehow. in this case i think it could be one or two things. you system has a discharge side (pump to reservoir) and the suction side (reservoir to pump) if you see a lot of bubbles in the resevoir itself, you may have an air leak on the suction side. check to make sure all of your firrings are tight and make sure to keep an eye on the water level in your resevoir. if it changes, you may be facing a larger failure. if your fitings arent tight, you may be sucking are through the circumferences. and sorry for the late reply. multitasking.  

[Guest]

Just now, Bigheart said:

ahhh. sorry i missed them somehow. in this case i think it could be one or two things. you system has a discharge side (pump to reservoir) and the suction side (reservoir to pump) if you see a lot of bubbles in the resevoir itself, you may have an air leak on the suction side. check to make sure all of your firrings are tight and make sure to keep an eye on the water level in your resevoir. if it changes, you may be facing a larger failure. if your fitings arent tight, you may be sucking are through the circumferences. and sorry for the late reply. multitasking.  

 

1 minute ago, Jidonsu said:

You normally shouldn't be seeing bubbles that fill the reservoir over time, especially the way you describe it. The air will lead to cavitation in the pump, increasing noise and reducing the lifespan of the pump. 

 

First, please show us or describe well how the loop is laid out, that means where the coolant enters and exits each component. It sounds like you have a lot of air in your loop or the layout is incorrect. We can't tell with your current pictures of description. If those reservoirs can be filled from the top when it's turned off, then you can try to fill them while the loop is running. I do it all the time. 

 

Also, the pump doesn't have to be lowest component of your loop, but you do want the reservoir basically above it since pumps are gravity fed. It keeps it from running dry and overheating/destroying the bearing. 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, kimsejin5 said:

There's a "hole" in the top of the reservoir. Put your reservoir inlet to that hole. (yes, this will require draining your entire loop) I can't see the entire reservoir clearly. If there is a baffle (that is, there is a piece of metal between the inlet and outlet on the bottom, shaped like this:

 

 ___

|       |

|       |

|       |

|  |    | inlet

|_|_  | outlet

 

Then change it to this:

 

         ___

        |       |

        |       |

        |       |

        |  |    |

inlet |_|_  | outlet

 

Does that make sense? basically, have the baffle in between the inlet and the outlet to break up the turbulence.

 

If there is no baffle, then do this: 

 

Inlet at the top

 ___

|       |

|       |

|       |

|  |    |

|_|_  | outlet

So I really don't know much about custom loops. I had the whole loop done for me, and I am am super afraid to try and change anything. I hear if I just shake it it should fix it, and that putting soap in the loop can also help, but I am not sure...

[Jidonsu]

I think I know what's going on. You have an inlet on the side of the top caps on the reservoirs, but no inner tube, right?  So when the coolant flows in, it's literally splashing in, creating all the bubbles. If that's the case, fill it while running using those 45 degree top inlets if possible. After that, bleed the system of air by gently rocking the case back and forth while the pump is running. 

[skimmilk5]

2 minutes ago, ChickenNugget said:

 

 

So I really don't know much about custom loops. I had the whole loop done for me, and I am am super afraid to try and change anything. I hear if I just shake it it should fix it, and that putting soap in the loop can also help, but I am not sure...

I was assuming that you have already tried "bubble slaying" as I call it. If you haven't, unplug all peripherals from it except for power. Get down on the floor. You may want to grab a helper for bubble slaying. Tilt the computer so that all of the bubbles go up and to the highest point in the rig (which may be a block, res, or some tubing). Have one person support the computer while you tilt it around. It looks and sounds weird, but it's all part of the process of bubble slaying. You can see Linus do it in the Whole Room Water-cooling series in part 2 or 3 I think. Theres a part where he gets on the floor with Taran's system and slays them bubbles. I wouldn't recommend shaking the system as vigorously as he did (go as smoothly as possible) but that's a start.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Jidonsu said:

I think I know what's going on. You have an inlet on the side of the top caps on the reservoirs, but no inner tube, right?  So when the coolant flows in, it's literally splashing in, creating all the bubbles. If that's the case, fill it while running using those 45 degree top inlets if possible. After that, bleed the system of air by gently rocking the case back and forth while the pump is running. 

No idea what any of that means, but sure, I'll try that. Tomorrow tho. I'm gonna sleep now... Jesus Christ I've had a long day