XSPC Res Top bleeding made easy

[Jupiler]

I don't know if this ever popped up somewhere, but I'll post it anyway.

Last weekend, I was installing the Apogee GTZ in another rig.
The rig consists of a DDC pump + XSPC Res top + EK-FC8800 block + PA120.2. CPU block was the Apogee GTX, now the GTZ.

At the same time, I changed tubing (to 16/10) with BP compression fittings.
The only thing I changed was the loop routing (from Pump+res > GPU > CPU > Rad > pump + res to Pump + res > CPU > GPU > Rad > Pump + res).

I never had problems draining and bleeding the system, until last weekend.
When leak testing, I noticed air was trapped inside the loop. I thought it would come out after a couple of hours, so I let it run for 4-5 hours.
Unfortunately, the air was still trapped and wouldn't come out.

After 3 days of trying everything (holding the case in any kind of directions, draining and refilling it again), it still didn't help.
So my good friend and neighbor came by yesterday evening and I explained my problem to him.
After he checked things, he asked if I had some aluminum foil.
I was thinking "why do you need aluminum foil for?".

The solution was quite easy, actually.
He cut a small sheet of approx 7-8 cm width, and then formed it in a sort of L-shape.
The horizontal part (approx. 3-4cm length) was slightly bent into an U-shape, this was to prevent the inlet of the pump being blocked and not receiving water.
Don't really know how to explain it, so here are some pics of what I mean :

The piece of aluminum foil, wrapped up in an L-shape







Notice the U-shape :





Placed into the Res Top :








As you can see from the pics, you'll notice why the U-shape was created.
Because the foil is kinda blocking the gap between the plastic tube of the res and the pump inlet, it will create some heavy water turbulence inside the reservoir.
It's best not to fill up your reservoir completely, 60-70% should be enough.

All trapped air was gone within 2-3 minutes.

[MomijiTMO]

Awesome tip! I'd just be a tad worried it might get sucked down. . . . and then . .. . oh shhhhhhhhhhh

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

thats a pretty strong shape though

good idea jupiler

[MomijiTMO]

Well I'll give it a go next time [which will be soon]. Hmm maybe a straw could also achieve this.

[Jupiler]

Don't worry about it getting sucked down or so, that's why it has to be a U-shape.
The created form is long enough so you can hold it with your fingers at the top end, so it won't go anywhere.

[jetroho]

Thank You !!!!!
Such a simple idea . Works like a charm . 24 eBeers for your neigbor + 24 for you
j

[NaeKuh]

i dont think this will work on a DDC-3.2 class or higher.

possibly on your DDC-1 but a stronger head pressure pump. :X

im assuming u have a DDC-1 from your black impeller.

[b@llz0r]

did he just put Aluminium in his res?

great idea!

inlet restriction WITH galvanic corrosion... im astounded

please tell me you took it out

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

did he just put Aluminium in his res?

great idea!

inlet restriction WITH galvanic corrosion... im astounded

please tell me you took it out

he just did it to bleed, if you read the post he said he just put it there and held it with his hands. Maybe you should back off a bit with the attitude, or did you not realize you changed vbulletin skins?

[b@llz0r]

I should have realized it wasnt a permanent installation...


For a moment there I thought someone had just made an Aluminium Vortex Killer

(ill ignore that last comment sniper... I know your a little sensitive right now)

[Jupiler]

i dont think this will work on a DDC-3.2 class or higher.

possibly on your DDC-1 but a stronger head pressure pump. :X

im assuming u have a DDC-1 from your black impeller.

You're right, it's a DDC-1 (10W version, almost 3 years old I think, but still going strong).

The weird part of all this is that in my primary rig, I have almost the identical setup (Laing DDC Ultra 18W, XSPC Res Top, HK 3.0 CU, EK-FC280GTX, PA120.3, same loop routing as this one), and I never had any problems bleeding it. I just installed the EK-FC280GTX block again last week, and the system bleeded in just a couple of minutes.

did he just put Aluminium in his res?

great idea!

inlet restriction WITH galvanic corrosion... im astounded

please tell me you took it out

Galvanic corrosion?? Huh?? What's that?
I thought aluminium was to prevent it?
j/k.
Of course I took it out, after all air was gone.

[jetroho]

i dont think this will work on a DDC-3.2 class or higher.

To make it work on my DDC3.2 . I had to power the pump on and off . Trying to time the off when the bubble was coming to the pump inlet . Any way in 20 minutes I got the three air blobs I have been screwing around with for a week the heck out of there .
As a side note . I made mine out of .25mm brass shim stock instead of foil . I was worried that the foil might get sucked flat against the inlet or worse . The idea of cleaning shredded aluminum foil........not a pretty thought .
j

[bluehaze]

That's a great idea LOL surprised I never thought of that when trying to figure out how to get ek-bay spin to top sucking all the bubbles back in. Will have to try this next time I have to bleed with this PIA res!

[MulletBoy]

wouldn't it be far safer to do this with some of those double-wide drinking straws you get with some milkshakes?

just slice one of them in half and do the same thing....

plastic isn't going to corrode your water blocks... aluminum will... although i have no idea if brief exposure would have an effect.... i still wouldn't try it

[bluehaze]

wouldn't it be far safer to do this with some of those double-wide drinking straws you get with some milkshakes?

just slice one of them in half and do the same thing....

plastic isn't going to corrode your water blocks... aluminum will... although i have no idea if brief exposure would have an effect.... i still wouldn't try it

I doubt the brief exposure would have much effect if any, if your running straight distilled though you might want to take an alternate approach with plastic of some sort.

[Boogerlad]

micro res ftw. That is a cool method though.

[Navanod]

What's this? ALUM in the loop?!?!
Thats a crime around here ya know :P

But that's a pretty good idea, even the micro res could use something similar cos alot of tiny bubbles gets sucked back in

[MpG]

Wow. That's seriously a "why didn't I think of that umpteen restop bleedings ago" idea. I'll bet something similar could be done with a flexible drink straw.

[jagass]

I just seen this before...lol

[Jupiler]

I don't know if the short exposure with aluminum will have an effect on possible future corrosion. Time will tell.
I'm running pure distilled water + 1 drop Petra's PT Nuke.

A straw seems to be another good idea. Someone might give that a try if he experiences the same problem.

[dreamaxx]

That's a great idea LOL surprised I never thought of that when trying to figure out how to get ek-bay spin to top sucking all the bubbles back in. Will have to try this next time I have to bleed with this PIA res!

Ah dude you just solved a problem I've been having. WTF is with the EK spin res sucking all the air bubbles back in, it's hella annoying.

[Jupiler]

i would go with the straw idea... the thought if that alu foil shredding (wich it tend to do) and get sucked into the pump, and fragging the inlet of the first waterblock it meets is killing me...

great idea, not so great execution

I know that it possibly wasn't the best of ideas, specially because of using aluminum.

I just thought of something else :

Take a piece of tubing, cut it in 2 (over the whole length), and use that instead of the alu foil.

Here's a pic of what I mean :

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

a good idea JF, but maybe do the same with copper pipe from the hardware store and bend it up with some pliers - that way there is no ALU although the aluminum isnt really a problem in the first place since corrosion only occurs when the aluminum and copper are in contact via an electrolyte.

[converge]

Sorry for reviving such an old thread but I just wanted to say thanks and report my success with this on my xspc ddc bay res I used the tube method as pointed out earlier and bled my loop in a matter of seconds after attempting to bleed it for over 24 hours before that.

Here's some pics:

[ForceFed_B16A]

I'm really glad you revived it! Thanks for the tip!