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Unread 07-15-2003, 12:17 PM   #16
Brians256
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Klamath Falls, OR
Posts: 1,439
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Turbokeu has some of the best looking airtrap/reservoirs I've ever seen, but I disagree with his design.

I have an airtrap that looks very similar but I have the inlet going into the main res chamber instead of at the top. My bubbles clear out in less than five minutes if I have enough liquid in the system.

The reason that I disagree with Turbokeu is that I believe that the key to removing air is to reduce velocity by increasing the cross-section of the flow. Having a wide body airtrap allows the water to slow down without presenting too much flow impedance. Right-angle bends are murder on your available head pressure. From what I've read and seen, a single right-angle bend is the same as having (I'm trying to remember the exact figure, so forgive me if I'm totally off) an extra 6 or 12 feet of tubing.



This is what I have right now (although the electronics are updated quite a bit):
.

So, I when I want to fill the system, I lift the res up like this:

and then pour.

I don't think it is the ideal setup though. My ideal setup would be to have a purely horizontal flow through the airtrap, like setting a 2-liter pepsi bottle on its side, running water horizontally through it, and then tapping the top to add water and remove air. It takes up a lot of space that way though.

I do have to agree with V12|V12 though: it is a pain to have to keep refilling the system to avoid creating the bubbles. I never took the time to properly seal the top of my airtrap (it needs a gasket) so I lose quite a bit due to evaporation: I end up putting about 1/2 cup of coolant in there every six months. And when it's low on coolant, the high velocity input into the res splashes, swirls around and sucks the bubbles right on into the system. It's annoying.
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