Desk pc problem

[Nik-Cologne]

Hi guys, 

I started my desk pc project a few weeks ago.. 

It is built similar to the desk diy by linus, he published earlier this year. 

As I started filling it today I ran into a huge problem: 

The first pump doesn´t get water, even when I lift the reservoir! Is anyone having any idea what could help? 

Thanks, 

Nik 

[airdeano]

welcome to the Linus Tech Tips forums!

 

the system prolly is 'air-locked' causing the pump to not draw coolant in. lossen one of the res 'empty' fitting ports (usually a top one) to relieve air pressure.

a photo/pix can help diagnosis a bit better.

[Nik-Cologne]

Thanks for the repy, was a few days away from home so I couldn´t answer.. 

I tried it with both reservoirs either and it still won´t work  

I attached a pictrue on which you can see that the res was full, but when I started the pump I also opened it, I just closed it for the pic... 

The loop goes: Res (full) -> pump -> pump -> rad -> rad -> cpu -> gpu -> res (empty) -> beginning

I tried it with both or just one open res.. 

I just started the first pump, because I didn´t want the second pump to run dry... 

The pump is simply not taking the water! 

Does anyone know how a dead pump is sounding like? 

In the tube that goes from the first to the second pump is a little bit water, but it isn´t getting more! 

Thanks for your help!! 

[For Science!]

Looks like you need to siphon the water. The pump doesn't "suck" liquid through it and so since the inlet is lower than the pump itself it wont receive water until you lift the reservoir high enough for the water to move through, or you need to let some air to let the water overcome the height difference.

[Nik-Cologne]

Ok just tried that and it didn´t work :I 

I lifted the res around 50 cm above the pump and the pump ist still filled with half water and half air.. 

I am pretty clueless, because I don´t even know how @LinusTech built the loop... 

Is anyone having an idea how to refer with the problem ://///???

 

[W-L]

8 hours ago, Nik-Cologne said:

Ok just tried that and it didn´t work :I 

I lifted the res around 50 cm above the pump and the pump ist still filled with half water and half air.. 

I am pretty clueless, because I don´t even know how @LinusTech built the loop... 

Is anyone having an idea how to refer with the problem ://///???

I assume the tube res your hold goes under the table to the pump on the left there? 

 

It sounds like you have an air lock try cracking a cap or fittings after the pump to see if it forces the water down via gravity. 

[XYOUNEED]

It's simple math, the res needs to be above the pump directly first. I can see from your picture you have the tubing going underneath and up again to the pump. The pump cant suck out the water from the res, try to fill the other res also.

Gravity can be a bitch sometimes bud

Otherwise are you sure you connected the tubing to the right inlets and outlets of the pump? I've made that mistake with mine  

[Nik-Cologne]

15 hours ago, W-L said:

I assume the tube res your hold goes under the table to the pump on the left there? 

 

It sounds like you have an air lock try cracking a cap or fittings after the pump to see if it forces the water down via gravity. 

Alright will try this later, ty

[Nik-Cologne]

8 hours ago, XYOUNEED said:

It's simple math, the res needs to be above the pump directly first. I can see from your picture you have the tubing going underneath and up again to the pump. The pump cant suck out the water from the res, try to fill the other res also.

Gravity can be a bitch sometimes bud

Otherwise are you sure you connected the tubing to the right inlets and outlets of the pump? I've made that mistake with mine  

I know, it would be muchhh easier if the res would be above but easy isn´t funny.. hahaha

I checked in and out three times, should be correct.. For the d5 by ekwb the inlet is on the side and outlet under it..

I will try disconnecting some tubing in the middle of the loop to scam the gravity  

I will report later, but ty! 

[For Science!]

33 minutes ago, Nik-Cologne said:

-snip

Another crazy thought, but would help is if you can put the whole desk on its side. This way the water should feed the pump for sure.

[Nik-Cologne]

Alright, just started the 7th try flushing the loop and it still won´t work... 

I think I´m done with this project.. @LinusTech isn´t telling anything about flushing the loop in his diy which makes me a little bit angry, but to continue working on it won´t make more sense when there is noone with an idea.. 

Thx for your help..

[W-L]

1 hour ago, Nik-Cologne said:

Alright, just started the 7th try flushing the loop and it still won´t work... 

I think I´m done with this project.. @LinusTech isn´t telling anything about flushing the loop in his diy which makes me a little bit angry, but to continue working on it won´t make more sense when there is noone with an idea.. 

Thx for your help..

Can you provide detailed photos of your tubing runs and connections. 

[Nik-Cologne]

Alright here are some photos of the desk. 

On one photo you can see the overview which is similar to the way Linus did it.

On another you can see the tubing under the table. The loop order is (also similar)

res (1) -> pump -> pump -> rad -> rad -> cpu -> gpu -> res (2) -> res (1)

On the last photo you can see what I consider the problem: The pump isn´t sucking water, because it´s half filled with air! Even when I lift the reservoir 50 cm, the pump isn´t working properly! It is not running dry, but it isn´t pumping water.... I tried all ideas I got, do you have another idea?

Under both reservoirs theres a T -piece. The water flows through it, but if I have to drain the loop I can at least get the water out of the reservoirs.. 

It is connected via a quick coupling because I was a little bit worried when using a ball valve. 

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, Nik-Cologne said:

Alright here are some photos of the desk. 

On one photo you can see the overview which is similar to the way Linus did it.

On another you can see the tubing under the table. The loop order is (also similar)

res (1) -> pump -> pump -> rad -> rad -> cpu -> gpu -> res (2) -> res (1)

On the last photo you can see what I consider the problem: The pump isn´t sucking water, because it´s half filled with air! Even when I lift the reservoir 50 cm, the pump isn´t working properly! It is not running dry, but it isn´t pumping water.... I tried all ideas I got, do you have another idea?

The photos didn't get attached. 

[Nik-Cologne]

Yes I am sorry, they are attached now above!

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, Nik-Cologne said:

Yes I am sorry, they are attached now!

There is no water entering the intake of the pump, it doesn't suck water if your not priming the pump all the way, you need to raise the res up and ensure that your intake to the pump is the center hole in the middle of the pump and exits the top port. It looks like you have the intake and out of the pump incorrect which would be the cause of your problem. 

[Nik-Cologne]

No I am pretty sure that I have done it correct! It gets water from the reservoir through the center hole and pushes it down (I inverted the pump)! 

[W-L]

Just now, Nik-Cologne said:

No I am pretty sure that I have done it correct! It gets water from the reservoir through the center hole and pushes it down (I inverted the pump)! 

Then fill the tube in front of the pump with water and turn on the pump, it should automatically fill if you raise the res #1. 

[Nik-Cologne]

[pyrojoe34]

As the others have said, it looks like you are trying to work against gravity. Your pump is too high relative to your reservoir. When setup correctly, the pump and tubing before the pump should completely fill with water even when not running as the reservoir will force water in by gravity alone.

 

Also, the intake of the pump is the middle one with the clear cover, make sure you don't have it backwards.

[Nik-Cologne]

53 minutes ago, pyrojoe34 said:

As the others have said, it looks like you are trying to work against gravity. Your pump is too high relative to your reservoir. When setup correctly, the pump and tubing before the pump should completely fill with water even when not running as the reservoir will force water in by gravity alone.

 

Also, the intake of the pump is the middle one with the clear cover, make sure you don't have it backwards.

I Unterstand, but Linus did it just like me! 

 

[pyrojoe34]

9 minutes ago, Nik-Cologne said:

I Unterstand, but Linus did it just like me! 

 

Take a ruler and measure the height of the TOP of the intake port on the pump from the desk floor. Then measure the height of the water level in the reservoir from the desk floor (both reservoirs should have the exact same water level BTW since they free-flow between them). If the water level height is lower than the pump intake height then your reservoirs are either too empty (fill them to the top, both of them, you should be able to just fill the first one and the second will fill automatically to the same level), or they are too low.

[For Science!]

Just keep putting some books under the right side until the pump fills up with gravity. Once primed the books can go.

 

Your tubes are quite dangly under the desk and just accumulating there.

[Nik-Cologne]

9 hours ago, For Science! said:

Just keep putting some books under the right side until the pump fills up with gravity. Once primed the books can go.

 

Your tubes are quite dangly under the desk and just accumulating there.

I already tried lifting the reservoir by 30 inches! 

The bubble in Front of the inlet floats into the pump but it still isn‘t sucking it!

[For Science!]

Just now, Nik-Cologne said:

I already tried lifting the reservoir by 30 inches! 

The bubble in Front of the inlet floats into the pump but it still isn‘t sucking it!

Not the reservoir. The table.