aquarium pump

Alives · 02-11-2001, 11:21 PM

I was thinking about getting a T connector and putting it at the top of my loop where the water enters my case. On the top of the T I will attatch an aquarium air pump to create bubbles in my liquid supply...just for looks. Think it'll work?

Freakyfrank · 02-12-2001, 04:25 AM

first.. it will only work if it isnt a closed circuit..

and second.. WHY XTRA AIR??? I'm always pissed when I hear some air guzzling through my pump...

looks are ok .. but if it comprises ur setup.. get rid of it...

Rich W · 02-12-2001, 12:58 PM

I think a T at the top of the system to catch air bubbles is a wonderful idea. I have 2 that do this for me....

But about the air pump, I'm not sure. If the air isn't pumped blow the level of the T (ie, so where it can get into the flow of the system), then it'd be ok, as long as the pump is able to pump air into the T'ed off tube. Rememeber those little hand pumped rocket that you filled half way with water and pumped air into them by hand, and then let go and the compressed air pushed out the water and it flew really high? Well, same principal here.... If you have little air in the tube, then the pressure required to compress that amount of air is going to get really high really fast, as compared to a tube with a lot more air in it allready. So, if this were gonna work, the air pump would have to have a long output tub that reached all the way down the T'ed off tube, almost to the T, and released the air there.. hopefully there wouldn't be a whole lot of wwater above the T... else you'd get some higher pressures...

So, I guess in other words, if you constructed the tube just right with the right amount of water, it would rock.... especially if you had dyes, etc., in there with a black light...

Rich W.

Rich W · 02-12-2001, 01:47 PM

Actually, what would be REALLY awesome is instead of pumping air down in a T configuration like you describe, pump some sort of light oil (a lot of subersible pumps will pump light oils/water/etc) into the water that is less dense than water.. so it floats. If the dye that was in the water couldn't be dissolved in the oil (ie, the dye is not oil soluable), then you could get an AWESOME 'lava lamp' effect. What would be even better is if you could get an oil soluable dye that wouldn't dissolve in the water, that was a different color than the water dye.... now that would be REALLY kick ass. But would be a bit hard to setup and might be a bit challaenging to maintain.

Rich W.

Alives · 02-12-2001, 03:32 PM

Its closed loop, but my resivoir is 5 gallons...with expansion holes for the liquid to expand and contract as temps change...(all external). The oil wouldnt work because it would float to the top of the resivoir but cool idea. I wanna try the air thing...aquarium tubing is 3/16" and my setup is 3/8"...anyone know of a T connector with 2 3/8" and one 3/16"? or better yet a Y? I could probably use a Y at the top because of simple vaccums...it would suck air into it...

Rich W · 02-12-2001, 06:56 PM

I would think you would want a T that had all three sizes the same (like 3/8") and then just stick the 3/16" hose down into the 3/8" tubing so that the bubbles bubble back up the column? (same way for the oil).

Alives · 02-12-2001, 07:45 PM

so youre saying get a 3/16" ID hose with 3/8" OD? i can see that...its gonna be a tough tube to find though

Rich W · 02-12-2001, 10:20 PM

Heh... well.. yeah, I'd stick a 3/16" (output from air pump) hose down into the 3/8" hose.. but I'd make sure there was enough room between the hoses for the air to return back up to the pump... kinda like this:
_______
AIR PUMP____ \
OUTPUT``````\``|
````````````|``|
``````````,,|A`|,,
``````````|`|I`|`|
``````````|.|R`|.|
``````````|`|``|`|
``````````|`|..|`|
``````````|``````|
``````````|``````|
``````````|``````|
``````````|WATER`|
``````````|``````|
----------/``````\------------
```````"T" connector``````````
------------------------------

Where the .'s inside the bigger tube represent the water level, and the ,'s on top of the bigger tube but in the atmosphere only let air out... or you could just have the air return completely enclose the air pump... as long as it is cooled properly. Was thinking my oil thing could work this way.. just have the oil return (the ,'s) rise back into the pump chamber... have those be dyed with blue Dye Lite and the water with green or something

Rich W.

BTW - The `'s are place holders.. the ASCII didn't format right with out them. (Reason for edit).

[This message has been edited by Rich W (edited 02-12-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Rich W (edited 02-12-2001).]

Alives · 02-12-2001, 11:13 PM

Yeah...the only problem now is making sure those air pumps can put enough pressure behind the air they pump. Also...if its too much, I would have to regulate it somehow. a valve I guess, but I dont wanna get into spending $30 on brass T connectors and stuff just for this...and nylon isnt as accessible unless I go through mcmaster (which ive made like 4 separate orders from with $6 sshipping...thats $24 wasted)

02-11-2001, 11:21 PM	#1
Alives Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 228	aquarium pump I was thinking about getting a T connector and putting it at the top of my loop where the water enters my case. On the top of the T I will attatch an aquarium air pump to create bubbles in my liquid supply...just for looks. Think it'll work?

02-12-2001, 04:25 AM	#2
Freakyfrank Cooling Savant Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Eindhoven, Holland Posts: 238	first.. it will only work if it isnt a closed circuit.. and second.. WHY XTRA AIR??? I'm always pissed when I hear some air guzzling through my pump... looks are ok .. but if it comprises ur setup.. get rid of it...

02-12-2001, 12:58 PM	#3
Rich W Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 77	I think a T at the top of the system to catch air bubbles is a wonderful idea. I have 2 that do this for me.... But about the air pump, I'm not sure. If the air isn't pumped blow the level of the T (ie, so where it can get into the flow of the system), then it'd be ok, as long as the pump is able to pump air into the T'ed off tube. Rememeber those little hand pumped rocket that you filled half way with water and pumped air into them by hand, and then let go and the compressed air pushed out the water and it flew really high? Well, same principal here.... If you have little air in the tube, then the pressure required to compress that amount of air is going to get really high really fast, as compared to a tube with a lot more air in it allready. So, if this were gonna work, the air pump would have to have a long output tub that reached all the way down the T'ed off tube, almost to the T, and released the air there.. hopefully there wouldn't be a whole lot of wwater above the T... else you'd get some higher pressures... So, I guess in other words, if you constructed the tube just right with the right amount of water, it would rock.... especially if you had dyes, etc., in there with a black light... Rich W.

02-12-2001, 01:47 PM	#4
Rich W Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 77	Actually, what would be REALLY awesome is instead of pumping air down in a T configuration like you describe, pump some sort of light oil (a lot of subersible pumps will pump light oils/water/etc) into the water that is less dense than water.. so it floats. If the dye that was in the water couldn't be dissolved in the oil (ie, the dye is not oil soluable), then you could get an AWESOME 'lava lamp' effect. What would be even better is if you could get an oil soluable dye that wouldn't dissolve in the water, that was a different color than the water dye.... now that would be REALLY kick ass. But would be a bit hard to setup and might be a bit challaenging to maintain. Rich W.

02-12-2001, 03:32 PM	#5
Alives Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 228	Its closed loop, but my resivoir is 5 gallons...with expansion holes for the liquid to expand and contract as temps change...(all external). The oil wouldnt work because it would float to the top of the resivoir but cool idea. I wanna try the air thing...aquarium tubing is 3/16" and my setup is 3/8"...anyone know of a T connector with 2 3/8" and one 3/16"? or better yet a Y? I could probably use a Y at the top because of simple vaccums...it would suck air into it...

02-12-2001, 06:56 PM	#6
Rich W Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 77	I would think you would want a T that had all three sizes the same (like 3/8") and then just stick the 3/16" hose down into the 3/8" tubing so that the bubbles bubble back up the column? (same way for the oil).

02-12-2001, 07:45 PM	#7
Alives Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 228	so youre saying get a 3/16" ID hose with 3/8" OD? i can see that...its gonna be a tough tube to find though

02-12-2001, 10:20 PM	#8
Rich W Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 77	Heh... well.. yeah, I'd stick a 3/16" (output from air pump) hose down into the 3/8" hose.. but I'd make sure there was enough room between the hoses for the air to return back up to the pump... kinda like this: _______ AIR PUMP____ \ OUTPUT``````\``\| ````````````\|``\| ``````````,,\|A`\|,, ``````````\|`\|I`\|`\| ``````````\|.\|R`\|.\| ``````````\|`\|``\|`\| ``````````\|`\|..\|`\| ``````````\|``````\| ``````````\|``````\| ``````````\|``````\| ``````````\|WATER`\| ``````````\|``````\| ----------/``````\------------ ```````"T" connector`````````` ------------------------------ Where the .'s inside the bigger tube represent the water level, and the ,'s on top of the bigger tube but in the atmosphere only let air out... or you could just have the air return completely enclose the air pump... as long as it is cooled properly. Was thinking my oil thing could work this way.. just have the oil return (the ,'s) rise back into the pump chamber... have those be dyed with blue Dye Lite and the water with green or something Rich W. BTW - The `'s are place holders.. the ASCII didn't format right with out them. (Reason for edit). [This message has been edited by Rich W (edited 02-12-2001).] [This message has been edited by Rich W (edited 02-12-2001).]

02-12-2001, 11:13 PM	#9
Alives Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 228	Yeah...the only problem now is making sure those air pumps can put enough pressure behind the air they pump. Also...if its too much, I would have to regulate it somehow. a valve I guess, but I dont wanna get into spending $30 on brass T connectors and stuff just for this...and nylon isnt as accessible unless I go through mcmaster (which ive made like 4 separate orders from with $6 sshipping...thats $24 wasted)

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