Tiny bubbles...they don't make me happy and don't make me feel fine. Help!

s.stormont · 06-27-2003, 08:04 AM

I put together the parts in the system and am experiencing a nasty foaming problem that I need some help with. The hardware:

Eheim 1048
D-Tek Heater Core
Danger Den Clear Reservoir
Swiftech MCW5000-P
3/8" Clear Flex on 1/2" fittings
Distilled water
Water Wetter
Flow: Pump -> Block -> Radiator -> Reservoir -> Pump

System holds about 1/2 quart of water, so 1.5 caps of Water Wetter was added as per the directions on the bottle.

When the pump is on, the tubes are totally white and there is an awful lot of turbulence in the reservoir. See picture below:

When you turn the system off, there is a foam left in the tubes and in the reservoir. See pictures below:

Too much Water Wetter? Too much flow in the system which is causing the foam to be created? Should the reservoir be totally filled to the top? Since it isn't toally full, is the water coming into the reservoir (that seems to form a vorex because of the pressure) pulling air into the mix? Lengths of hoses are as follows:

Reservoir to Pump = 4"
Pump to CPU Block = 11"
CPU Block to Heater Core = 9"
Heater Core to Reservoir = 11"

Thanks for any help.
Steve

msv · 06-27-2003, 08:46 AM

Expierencing similar troubles.
Don´t have a res, but air creeps into my system and causes foam in the tubing. Think the fenomenon is called "osmos".
The "white tubes" indicates that You´ve got air in the tubing, there would be some "burping" sounds from the system as well. The vortex You mention sounds a bit alarming. Try filling the res, maybe not absolutely full.
regards
Mikael S.
going on vacation for 4 weeks now, damn, I deserve it!

s.stormont · 06-27-2003, 08:49 AM

The water shoots into the res and is pushed up the wall because of the force. After reading more, it seems like it is then grabbing air and pulling it down. I'm going to try filling it and will also try to switch my flow from "Pump -> Block -> Rad -> Res -> Pump" to "Pump -> Rad -> Block -> Res - > Pump"

Boli · 06-27-2003, 10:06 AM

Looks like the time I had too much water wetter in the system. also check that you arn't causing any of these. (my res inlet had a 1" drop before it hit the water surface causing problems). You ONLY need a capful of water wetter for the system.

s.stormont · 06-27-2003, 11:05 AM

In going by the ratio on the Water Wetter bottle (3-4 caps for every quart of water), I split it and add 1.5 caps since I just have 1/2 quart in the system.

The Danger Den Reservoir has both the inlet and outtake on the bottom of the reservoir at the same height. Pic below:

I'm going to flush the whole system, change the flow to the one i mentioned earlier, and only add 1 capful of WW.

redleader · 06-27-2003, 05:46 PM

Too much WW. Go easy on that stuff! Too much and it will gunk _everything_ up. I've had some nasty luck with it in the past because I used too much and the synthetic oil in it starts to come out of solution.

I'd take out half your coolant, fill the system to the very top and see if the foam returns. I bet it doesn't.

Khledar · 06-27-2003, 06:18 PM

Keep in mind the directions on the WW bottle are not for watercooling, I believe best WC ratio is in the range of 1:10 WW:Water.

Also, more water mano, look how low your res is! If you leave only 1mm air in res, and the entire system is water, you can't get as much air as you have.

I have a similar problem but mine is easily fixable and not s drastic and I'm certain its not WW related. When I'm filling/bleeding my system. I put as much water as I can in through my res I digress: which is the size of 3 floppy drives (looks/fits nice in the front og my Lian-Li) When I was putting the barbs on the back of the res I put one near the top and the other near the bottom so to get them further apart and one of them further from the air. I then turn the pump on, and it carries a whole bunch of air out, "atomizing" it into tiny bubbles. If I leave the pump on and just add enough water for the system to be full, the bubbles really don't go away - the pump just keeps circulating them. What I do is I turn the pump down to 5v(or 7 depends if I feel like moving 2 wires or 1)[It's one of those Johnson pumps: http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...&threadid=6650] Squeezing the tubing will slow it down enough aswell, then the bubbles move but dont go fast enough to get sucked back in. Another method is just turn on for a few seconds 10-20 maybe. Then off again, repeat. But if its still going fast enough to suck the air in, I doubt that will help.

s.stormont · 06-27-2003, 08:59 PM

I added more water to dilute the solution and to fill the res and the foam is gone! I'm still going to drain it and flush it to try and get some of the extra residue out. Also, I noticed some small paticles that I assume came from the heater core that I'm hoping I can get out. It sounds like some may have gotten into the pump, because it sounds a bit louder than it did yesterday.

Thanks for the help!

Cyco-Dude · 06-28-2003, 01:19 AM

like metal flakes? my rad did that after a while. no amount of flushing got rid of them all (maybe it was corroding??)

anyhow, the residue is NORMAL. water wetter (and similar products such as hy-per lube and purple ice) leave a white film on everything. this is to protect against corrosion.

s.stormont · 06-29-2003, 07:00 AM

It's a grey powder that has collected on the bottom of some of the tubes. I'll take a picture and post it. I'm going to cut new lengths of tube and start again with clean ones.

Steve

06-27-2003, 08:04 AM	#1
s.stormont Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15	Tiny bubbles...they don't make me happy and don't make me feel fine. Help! I put together the parts in the system and am experiencing a nasty foaming problem that I need some help with. The hardware: Eheim 1048 D-Tek Heater Core Danger Den Clear Reservoir Swiftech MCW5000-P 3/8" Clear Flex on 1/2" fittings Distilled water Water Wetter Flow: Pump -> Block -> Radiator -> Reservoir -> Pump System holds about 1/2 quart of water, so 1.5 caps of Water Wetter was added as per the directions on the bottle. When the pump is on, the tubes are totally white and there is an awful lot of turbulence in the reservoir. See picture below: When you turn the system off, there is a foam left in the tubes and in the reservoir. See pictures below: Too much Water Wetter? Too much flow in the system which is causing the foam to be created? Should the reservoir be totally filled to the top? Since it isn't toally full, is the water coming into the reservoir (that seems to form a vorex because of the pressure) pulling air into the mix? Lengths of hoses are as follows: Reservoir to Pump = 4" Pump to CPU Block = 11" CPU Block to Heater Core = 9" Heater Core to Reservoir = 11" Thanks for any help. Steve Last edited by s.stormont; 06-27-2003 at 03:47 PM.

06-27-2003, 08:46 AM	#2
msv Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 336	Expierencing similar troubles. Don´t have a res, but air creeps into my system and causes foam in the tubing. Think the fenomenon is called "osmos". The "white tubes" indicates that You´ve got air in the tubing, there would be some "burping" sounds from the system as well. The vortex You mention sounds a bit alarming. Try filling the res, maybe not absolutely full. regards Mikael S. going on vacation for 4 weeks now, damn, I deserve it! __________________ The only constant factor in all Your failures is You. Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnen mihi habis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

06-27-2003, 06:18 PM	#7
Khledar Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Vancouver BC Posts: 234	Keep in mind the directions on the WW bottle are not for watercooling, I believe best WC ratio is in the range of 1:10 WW:Water. Also, more water mano, look how low your res is! If you leave only 1mm air in res, and the entire system is water, you can't get as much air as you have. I have a similar problem but mine is easily fixable and not s drastic and I'm certain its not WW related. When I'm filling/bleeding my system. I put as much water as I can in through my res I digress: which is the size of 3 floppy drives (looks/fits nice in the front og my Lian-Li) When I was putting the barbs on the back of the res I put one near the top and the other near the bottom so to get them further apart and one of them further from the air. I then turn the pump on, and it carries a whole bunch of air out, "atomizing" it into tiny bubbles. If I leave the pump on and just add enough water for the system to be full, the bubbles really don't go away - the pump just keeps circulating them. What I do is I turn the pump down to 5v(or 7 depends if I feel like moving 2 wires or 1)[It's one of those Johnson pumps: http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...&threadid=6650] Squeezing the tubing will slow it down enough aswell, then the bubbles move but dont go fast enough to get sucked back in. Another method is just turn on for a few seconds 10-20 maybe. Then off again, repeat. But if its still going fast enough to suck the air in, I doubt that will help. __________________ "mooooo" said the cow. ERTW - UBC P4 2.4B @3.01Ghz 167FSB :: Abit IC7 :: 2x256MB HyperX PC3700 :: ASUS 9600XT :: WD Raptor 2x36GB RAID0

06-27-2003, 08:49 AM	#3
s.stormont Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15	The water shoots into the res and is pushed up the wall because of the force. After reading more, it seems like it is then grabbing air and pulling it down. I'm going to try filling it and will also try to switch my flow from "Pump -> Block -> Rad -> Res -> Pump" to "Pump -> Rad -> Block -> Res - > Pump"

06-27-2003, 10:06 AM	#4
Boli Cooling Savant Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackburn / Dundee Posts: 451	Looks like the time I had too much water wetter in the system. also check that you arn't causing any of these. (my res inlet had a 1" drop before it hit the water surface causing problems). You ONLY need a capful of water wetter for the system.

06-27-2003, 11:05 AM	#5
s.stormont Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15	In going by the ratio on the Water Wetter bottle (3-4 caps for every quart of water), I split it and add 1.5 caps since I just have 1/2 quart in the system. The Danger Den Reservoir has both the inlet and outtake on the bottom of the reservoir at the same height. Pic below: I'm going to flush the whole system, change the flow to the one i mentioned earlier, and only add 1 capful of WW.

06-27-2003, 05:46 PM	#6
redleader Thermophile Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The deserts of Tucson, Az Posts: 1,264	Too much WW. Go easy on that stuff! Too much and it will gunk _everything_ up. I've had some nasty luck with it in the past because I used too much and the synthetic oil in it starts to come out of solution. I'd take out half your coolant, fill the system to the very top and see if the foam returns. I bet it doesn't.

06-27-2003, 08:59 PM	#8
s.stormont Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15	I added more water to dilute the solution and to fill the res and the foam is gone! I'm still going to drain it and flush it to try and get some of the extra residue out. Also, I noticed some small paticles that I assume came from the heater core that I'm hoping I can get out. It sounds like some may have gotten into the pump, because it sounds a bit louder than it did yesterday. Thanks for the help!

06-28-2003, 01:19 AM	#9
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	like metal flakes? my rad did that after a while. no amount of flushing got rid of them all (maybe it was corroding??) anyhow, the residue is NORMAL. water wetter (and similar products such as hy-per lube and purple ice) leave a white film on everything. this is to protect against corrosion.

06-29-2003, 07:00 AM	#10
s.stormont Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15	It's a grey powder that has collected on the bottom of some of the tubes. I'll take a picture and post it. I'm going to cut new lengths of tube and start again with clean ones. Steve

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