First leak... I think!

Baulten · 09-30-2009, 09:43 PM

I was playing some Mass Effect earlier, left, and reentered the room, only to notice my reservoir is filled with bubbles! Every fitting is tight, res is tight. I'm assuming this means there is a leak somewhere between the reservoir and pump, because that's the only place the pressure is negative, so a leak would pull air in?

I'm going to leaktest tomorrow, but if I could narrow it down a bit that'd be nice. Luckily I caught it before anything was damaged or leaked on.

pika198 · 09-30-2009, 09:48 PM

Quick question, first time water cooling and when did you setup your loop?

If you just setup your loop in the past 3-5 days, then this would be normal. There are trapped air bubbles usually inside the CPU water block and/or radiator. Tilt your case at an angle and you'll hear the air bubbles being moved throughout the loop. They will get trapped in the reservoir slowly, and over a period they will disappear. This is VERY common/normal on newly built loops, even on older setups if the case hasn't been tilted.

Baulten · 09-30-2009, 09:53 PM

No, it's been running about two weeks. I shut it off, the bubbles disappear. I turn it on, more build up as it runs. I guess it's possible that there was an air pocket trapped... I'll give it a few good tilts and see if it stops. The res was perfectly clear for the past week after all the air initially got bled out. The fact that more bubbles appear the longer I have it running makes me think it's pulling air in somewhere.

pika198 · 09-30-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baulten

No, it's been running about two weeks. I shut it off, the bubbles disappear. I turn it on, more build up as it runs. I guess it's possible that there was an air pocket trapped... I'll give it a few good tilts and see if it stops. The res was perfectly clear for the past week after all the air initially got bled out. The fact that more bubbles appear the longer I have it running makes me think it's pulling air in somewhere.

Perhaps, but if a trapped air bubble finally came loose, then it will throw your whole entire "still" res off. After the a couple of tilts and using it for another 8 hours or so, you should be good to go. Doesn't hurt to put napkins around the loop just in case til the air is settled

MaByBoI · 10-01-2009, 04:41 AM

put down some napkins or paper towel, give the case a shake in order to get some bubbles loosened up, and then try again. should be normal.

zeropluszero · 10-01-2009, 05:35 AM

this seems like the thread to ask this question, while were on the subject of bleeding.
my setup has been going for about 3 weeks now, with cycles of off and on, and i'm quite sure the air has been removed from the loop, however my res still goes up and down when i turn the computer on again. is this normal or is there a pressure problem or something?

Sadasius · 10-01-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baulten

I was playing some Mass Effect earlier, left, and reentered the room, only to notice my reservoir is filled with bubbles! Every fitting is tight, res is tight. I'm assuming this means there is a leak somewhere between the reservoir and pump, because that's the only place the pressure is negative, so a leak would pull air in?

I'm going to leaktest tomorrow, but if I could narrow it down a bit that'd be nice. Luckily I caught it before anything was damaged or leaked on.

It's not a leak. Just has air trapped in the loop somewhere. Probably in the rad especially if it's horizontal. Make sure the res is filled and everything is sealed and turn the case around (with it off of course) and get the air to move to the res if possible. Turn it back, plug it in for a minute or two to get the bubbles working loose and do it agian a couple time. After a day or two if it still has bubbles just do it again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeropluszero

this seems like the thread to ask this question, while were on the subject of bleeding.
my setup has been going for about 3 weeks now, with cycles of off and on, and i'm quite sure the air has been removed from the loop, however my res still goes up and down when i turn the computer on again. is this normal or is there a pressure problem or something?

Yeah that's normal. Mine does that all the time as does everyone else's.

BrokenArrow · 10-01-2009, 06:28 AM

I also find it helpful to unscrew the top fitting slightly to let the pressurized air escape out the top.

millertime359 · 10-01-2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeropluszero

this seems like the thread to ask this question, while were on the subject of bleeding.
my setup has been going for about 3 weeks now, with cycles of off and on, and i'm quite sure the air has been removed from the loop, however my res still goes up and down when i turn the computer on again. is this normal or is there a pressure problem or something?

My Swiftech res did the same thing.

Baulten · 10-01-2009, 06:46 AM

Well, I'll drag it out here after chem lab and tilting the case back and forth a few times, then let it run for a bit and see if the bubbles disappear.

Asylum1 · 10-01-2009, 07:21 AM

Yea i would say it was just air trapped in the loop.
If you had a leak it would just drip some where not suck in air bubbles.

Caoder · 10-01-2009, 07:51 AM

well one time i had a leak and it drew in bubbles as the flow went but it was very obvious where it was drawing in air ( loose fitting)

pika198 · 10-01-2009, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeropluszero

this seems like the thread to ask this question, while were on the subject of bleeding.
my setup has been going for about 3 weeks now, with cycles of off and on, and i'm quite sure the air has been removed from the loop, however my res still goes up and down when i turn the computer on again. is this normal or is there a pressure problem or something?

Yup, this is normal. You see a lot of it with the Swiftech and EK res. If you use an XSPC pump/res top, you'll still get a little decrease when it is one, but it is much less noticeably.

doox00 · 10-01-2009, 09:51 AM

make sure res is filled all the way, I just went through the same thing, loop was up for 9ish months and started getting bubbles, tightened the fittings, no change. topped off the res (took very little to top it off) and bubbles went away after a minute.

Baulten · 10-01-2009, 03:17 PM

Okay, I feel like a bit of a moron now. It was indeed a bit of air trapped in the waterblock; I gave things a good tilt in all directions, booted up, seems clean now. CPU temps dropped by 5C, so... woot.