Closed loop setup losing water

YardPig · 06-18-2001, 02:58 PM

Is it normal for my closed loop setup to lose a small amount of water every week or so? The fill/bleed tube has gone down an inch in the last week and there are no leaks. I do have a bolt in the line and the line is 1/2"ID hose.
Is this just normal evaporation?

Take care

Eldraad · 06-18-2001, 08:51 PM

I wouldn't think it was normal for a closed system. I have been on mine for 1 month and swapped waterblocks for testing today. I had no loss of water in my system. By the way, is yours an inline system or with a tank. Could there be any way that the watervapor is getting past the bolt via the threading or is it tight under pressure?

YardPig · 06-18-2001, 09:33 PM

Mine is an inline setup. Yeah, the bolt is not a real tight fit with the tube. You figure the vapor could be going right past?
Hmmmm, very interesting.

Eldraad · 06-19-2001, 01:52 PM

Well, not knowing if there is a small leak elsewhere (1 drop every few hours?)that is the best guess for me. Try a plastic hose barb that fits tight and "cap" it with a rubber cap like they use on car air lines. The ones I use are Vacuum Caps from the local auto store. The hose barb is for splicing two hose ends together. That was how I was bleeding the air from the tube on an old system. Good luck and see if you still loose water...hope not!

Eldraad · 06-19-2001, 01:58 PM

By the way, I could never see what was wrong with a small tank for the water. It gave a place for the air to go and made it real easy to fill the lines with water/water wetter etc...

My heatercore system (still testing outside the box for best flow etc...) is using a real small tank...a model airplane/car fuel tank. $2 for it at a hobby store clearing old stock and using it changed the air bleed in the inline system from 20 mins to about 2 mins. I will always be fond of the Tank idea I guess...

Joe · 06-19-2001, 03:03 PM

I had that issue to... and I found out there was a very small leak on the pump. All I found was Water wetter residue all over the bottom of the pump as a clear trace that it has leaked off and on a bit.

Closed systems that are sealed should never loose coolant, there may be air bubbles from from air in the water being worked out in the first day or so. But water should never dissapear.

Fist place you should look is at yer pump, second is in yer PC to make sure the block/fittings on the block arent leaking.

If in doubt put in some of the Tracerline Dyelite ( stuff I used in DH3) the REAL stuff, not the knock off dye thats around. ( Check the DH3 article there is a pic of the lil brown bottle of the real deal.. they also sell kits with a UV Flashlight) The tracerline UV Dye is made to leave a residue if it leaks so you can go around with the UV light and see where the leaks may be taking place, or have leaked in the past, all it would take is like a drop or 2 for the entire cooling system. prolly onle 1 drop.

YardPig · 06-19-2001, 03:37 PM

So even if the fill/bleed line was left open, the system would retain the same amount of water??
If thats the case, maybe the water is evaporating around the plug (fits like a dink in a shirt sleeve)

Take care

Joe · 06-19-2001, 04:09 PM

No .. in a SEALED system it wont loose water. any opening... ANY will alow water vapor to escape.

gmat · 06-20-2001, 08:58 AM

In his case i think he collected some bubbles. 3 days after priming my system a few bubbles were still coming out when i put the system upside down and so forth.

Joe · 06-20-2001, 10:06 AM

yeh, in the coolant air is suspended when you fill the sytem. That normaly comes out and collects in a few days as the coolant is heated/cooled.

The pump can also hide a good deal of air as well as the water block.

And lastly if you have any Oxidation going on or Bio's living in your coolant that all can also generate gas pockets in the system. But it wont lower the amount of coolant you have much at all, especially to the point that you would need to re-fill the system.

06-18-2001, 02:58 PM	#1
YardPig Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2001 Location: Earth Posts: 21	Closed loop setup losing water Is it normal for my closed loop setup to lose a small amount of water every week or so? The fill/bleed tube has gone down an inch in the last week and there are no leaks. I do have a bolt in the line and the line is 1/2"ID hose. Is this just normal evaporation? Take care

06-18-2001, 08:51 PM	#2
Eldraad Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 12	I wouldn't think it was normal for a closed system. I have been on mine for 1 month and swapped waterblocks for testing today. I had no loss of water in my system. By the way, is yours an inline system or with a tank. Could there be any way that the watervapor is getting past the bolt via the threading or is it tight under pressure? __________________ If at first you don't succeed get a bigger hammer...then blow the sucker up!

06-19-2001, 01:52 PM	#4
Eldraad Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 12	Well, not knowing if there is a small leak elsewhere (1 drop every few hours?)that is the best guess for me. Try a plastic hose barb that fits tight and "cap" it with a rubber cap like they use on car air lines. The ones I use are Vacuum Caps from the local auto store. The hose barb is for splicing two hose ends together. That was how I was bleeding the air from the tube on an old system. Good luck and see if you still loose water...hope not! __________________ If at first you don't succeed get a bigger hammer...then blow the sucker up!

06-19-2001, 01:58 PM	#5
Eldraad Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 12	By the way, I could never see what was wrong with a small tank for the water. It gave a place for the air to go and made it real easy to fill the lines with water/water wetter etc... My heatercore system (still testing outside the box for best flow etc...) is using a real small tank...a model airplane/car fuel tank. $2 for it at a hobby store clearing old stock and using it changed the air bleed in the inline system from 20 mins to about 2 mins. I will always be fond of the Tank idea I guess... __________________ If at first you don't succeed get a bigger hammer...then blow the sucker up!

06-19-2001, 03:03 PM	#6
Joe The Pro/Life Support System Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 4,041	I had that issue to... and I found out there was a very small leak on the pump. All I found was Water wetter residue all over the bottom of the pump as a clear trace that it has leaked off and on a bit. Closed systems that are sealed should never loose coolant, there may be air bubbles from from air in the water being worked out in the first day or so. But water should never dissapear. Fist place you should look is at yer pump, second is in yer PC to make sure the block/fittings on the block arent leaking. If in doubt put in some of the Tracerline Dyelite ( stuff I used in DH3) the REAL stuff, not the knock off dye thats around. ( Check the DH3 article there is a pic of the lil brown bottle of the real deal.. they also sell kits with a UV Flashlight) The tracerline UV Dye is made to leave a residue if it leaks so you can go around with the UV light and see where the leaks may be taking place, or have leaked in the past, all it would take is like a drop or 2 for the entire cooling system. prolly onle 1 drop. __________________ Joe - I only take this hat off for one thing... ProCooling archive curator and dusty skeleton.

06-18-2001, 09:33 PM	#3
YardPig Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2001 Location: Earth Posts: 21	Mine is an inline setup. Yeah, the bolt is not a real tight fit with the tube. You figure the vapor could be going right past? Hmmmm, very interesting.

06-19-2001, 03:37 PM	#7
YardPig Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2001 Location: Earth Posts: 21	So even if the fill/bleed line was left open, the system would retain the same amount of water?? If thats the case, maybe the water is evaporating around the plug (fits like a dink in a shirt sleeve) Take care

06-19-2001, 04:09 PM	#8
Joe The Pro/Life Support System Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 4,041	No .. in a SEALED system it wont loose water. any opening... ANY will alow water vapor to escape. __________________ Joe - I only take this hat off for one thing... ProCooling archive curator and dusty skeleton.

06-20-2001, 08:58 AM	#9
gmat Thermophile Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: France Posts: 1,221	In his case i think he collected some bubbles. 3 days after priming my system a few bubbles were still coming out when i put the system upside down and so forth.

06-20-2001, 10:06 AM	#10
Joe The Pro/Life Support System Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 4,041	yeh, in the coolant air is suspended when you fill the sytem. That normaly comes out and collects in a few days as the coolant is heated/cooled. The pump can also hide a good deal of air as well as the water block. And lastly if you have any Oxidation going on or Bio's living in your coolant that all can also generate gas pockets in the system. But it wont lower the amount of coolant you have much at all, especially to the point that you would need to re-fill the system. __________________ Joe - I only take this hat off for one thing... ProCooling archive curator and dusty skeleton.

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