What the Frack is this Funk in my T-Line?

[InTheFlow]

Well, I'm using Fluid XP in my loop at the moment. I had the case on its side with the t-line down for a few hours while I did some work.

When I put it right side up again I found some funk in the T-Line.

Anyone know what it is? Could it possibly clog my Storm's jets causing a loss in performance?

I did clean the RAD with vinegar before setting up the loop.

http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/4664/tlinefunkzc9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3996/tlinefunkwflashuy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[creidiki]

Could it possibly clog my Storm's jets causing a loss in performance?
You can do away with the "possibly"...

As to why, either its reacting with leftover vinegar, or its just a bad batch, or i dunno what.

I'll stick to DI, kthnx :)

[InTheFlow]

You can do away with the "possibly"...

Perhaps that's why my CPU idol/load delta is so lousy. Thanks.

I'll stick to DI, kthnx :)

DI...de-ionied water?

So to fix this problem...I obviously will need to get rid of the fluid XP and flush the loop. I'm thinking of using the scrubbing bubbles idea that Diesel used on his rig.

Do I need to replace all the tubing or will it be alright after I've throughly flushed/cleaned the system?

[qwerty69]

That's normal crap from Fluid XP. Usually appears because one of the chemical ingredients has dried up(at the top of t-line where it's dry).

In the loop where it's wet, i don't think you will see these gooey stuff so the Storm would run fine. (my Storm/Fluid XP is still running after 8 months but i can't wait to change it out ;) )

[creidiki]

If you flush them well you should prolly be ok.

Youre going to have to have to flush very, very well to get the scrubbing bubbles out, you dont want stuff that aggressive floating around for months.

Same with vinegar really...

[InTheFlow]

That's normal crap from Fluid XP. Usually appears because one of the chemical ingredients has dried up(at the top of t-line where it's dry).

In the loop where it's wet, i don't think you will see these gooey stuff so the Storm would run fine. (my Storm/Fluid XP is still running after 8 months but i can't wait to change it out ;) )

I hope you're right although the stuff had to probably be in the RAD since it never showed up until gravity could pull it down free of the pump flow. If thats the case then it would have had to been in the actual loop.

I actually kind of hope it is clogging up the storm so I'll have some hope for a better idle/load delta. :D

EDIT: Yeah, I flushed out the RAD by hand and have since learned that most people here seem to use thier pumps to do it. I probably didn't get it all out or something.

[creidiki]

Just for the record, my delta-t is 7c with fans @ 4.25v, 20c amb...

[septim]

nah just more cleaning and shaking of the rad needed, if only use pump, it might miss some nasties.

fill rad halfway, cover both holes, shake vigoriously.
use scrubbing bubbles or vinegar.
then flush it with water, repeat a few times...

[Amiteriver]

If it organic ? try some H peroxide to clean it out - works ok - if it foams up it is. doesn't effect plastic or metals
My h2o systems old and funky and it helps - think the next time I set it up Im going to get some sort of filter:)

[InTheFlow]

Just for the record, my delta-t is 7c with fans @ 4.25v, 20c amb...


Wow, that's half what mine is. Nice Delta baby! :toast:

[InTheFlow]

fill rad halfway, cover both holes, shake vigoriously.
use scrubbing bubbles or vinegar.
then flush it with water, repeat a few times...

This is what I actually did...a bunch of times. Maybe I got a bad batch of XP like crediki was sayin. Who knows...Once I'm done with installing my lights and running the fan wiring I'm going to re-do the loop to hopefully get better temps.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[septim]

luck then...

[Marci]

I've seen this scum floating in the last dregs of every bottle of premixed I've ever handled, be it FluidXP, MCT-5, MCT-40, PCIce... you name it. Bottom of bottle there's scum.

IMO, all premixeds needs to be run thru filter paper before use...

[Demo]

a little question when cleaning the rads after the vinegar treatment, in where i live our waters have a little chlorine mix, would that do the job of cleaning the rads from the vinegar or i have to get like a few gallons of distilled water and have that used instead?

[Shpoon]

a little question when cleaning the rads after the vinegar treatment, in where i live our waters have a little chlorine mix, would that do the job of cleaning the rads from the vinegar or i have to get like a few gallons of distilled water and have that used instead?

Distilled; with the chlorine, your tap water also has some flouride, minerals, dirts, etc. Things you DO NOT want in your loop.

[syne_24]

wow just to think I was about to put this stuff in my first setup :eek:

Pentosin ftw!

[Demo]

Distilled; with the chlorine, your tap water also has some flouride, minerals, dirts, etc. Things you DO NOT want in your loop.


so can i like pour 1 gallon of distilled water in a big bucket and have the water cycle in there during the cleaning process? or do i need it that all the distilled water used for cleaning are not cycled ?

[creidiki]

I run tap water through it for an hour or so (all the loop lnked up to the pump) in an open loop (tap open, loop outlet going down the drain), then rinse for half an hour with distilled in a closed loop (inlet and outlet in a kitchen pot filled w. distilled)

[mcflurry4321]

Sorry for the halfway off topic post, but since we are talking about running pumps separately from the computer how can I run my pump without having it hooked up to my PSU? I have a MCP655 btw.

[creidiki]

Pin-trick your PSU into starting up. Check the beginners sticky, its got pictures and all. (youll want to disconnect *everything* else from your psu 1st, ofc)

[voigts]

My favorite way to flush my system is to use a waterbed flush/fill kit with an adapter to literally hook the loop up to the kitchen sink and open another line and extend it into the sink to drain. That way I am force flushing everything out instead of just recirculating anything. I then drain and refill a couple of times with distilled and then do the final fill. I don't even have to power up the pump to do this.

[septim]

vinegar, tap, vinegar, tap (plenty of shaking) still more vinegar...
then run distilled water for a few times
then run distilled water with pump pressure

PS: there was also one post here in which he ran a seperate water filter unit for a few days to ensure clean water flow free of dregs...

[Dragoon42]

I haven't gotten build up before, i use the koolance pre-mix. If i have I can't tell. When I did check a couple months back, I didn't see anything

[Demo]

i cant do the tap water cleaning coz we have chlorine in our tap water.. this is gonna cost me a bit to use all out distilled water..

[Lurid]

Its like $1 at any major super market....for a gallon jug =\

[InTheFlow]

You can also get the de-ionized/reverse ozmossis kind for close to the same price. I picked up 8 gallons at my local supermarket for under $1 each.

You need to look at the fine print on the label because it wasn't readily apparent that it was that kind...plus, it was right next to the regular stuff too. :)

[bestmancajun]

Dish soap and tap water pump on... Doesn't everybody have chlorine added to their water? You sure your tubing isn't tilting your block causing poor temps? Naked opty + two bolt down + Tygon is problematic. You can tell by removing block and seeing if the thermal paste is depositing to one side of the block where it should come into contact with the CPU.

[septim]

and how many gallons distilled do you recon we'll be spending with ddc pump to flush down rad and blocks??...

[InTheFlow]

Today I drained the loop and then flushed it going against the normal flow. The idea being that the reverse flow would possibly 'unplug' any stuff that got stuck in the jets of the Storm.

Then I flushed it the other way and filled it up with distilled water. Let that run for about an hour, emptied it, re-filled with DI water and got all the air out.

Now I have better temps, more in line with what I expected when first getting into water-cooling. :D

For both tests:
Pump Speed Setting: 3
Load figured with ASUS Probe after Dual Prime for 30 min on Large FFT.

BEFORE:
Ambient Temp: 23.6° C
Idol w/Fluid XP: 32°C
Load w/Fluid XP: 45°C
Idol/Load Delta: 13°C

AFTER:
Ambient Temp: 22.3° C
Idol w/Water: 30°C
Load w/Water: 40°C
New Idol/Load Delta: 10°C

Nothing physically changed in the loop except replacing the fluid xp with water and a tubing coupler had to be added on the return path. None of the water blocks were removed either so that rules out mounting as being a reason for the lower temps.

I also looked up my old GPU temp tests and found one where I had tested them at pump speed 3. Here are those results:

BEFORE:
Ambient Temp: 24°C
GPU 1 Idol/Load w/Fluid XP: 38/42°C
GPU 2 Idol/Load w/Fluid XP: 38/43°C
GPU 1 Idol/Load Delta: 4°C
GPU 2 Idol/Load Delta: 5°C

AFTER:
Ambient Temp: 21.8°C
GPU 1 Idol/Load w/Water: 33/36°C
GPU 2 Idol/Load w/Water: 34/37-38°C
GPU 1 Idol/Load Delta: 3°C
GPU 2 Idol/Load Delta: 3-4°C

[creidiki]

Next time around take the storm apart and clean the few jets that are still clogged (this always happends) ^_^

[InTheFlow]

Next time around take the storm apart and clean the few jets that are still clogged (this always happends) ^_^

I plan on it. Thanks for the tip. :)

This was a quickie just to see the difference between the fluid xp and water. I have EK barbs coming and when they get here I'll be re-doing the loop. Including replacing the tubing.