The pump continues to malfunction within the tailored water cooling system.
The pump continues to malfunction within the tailored water cooling system.
Sorry to necro this thread, but I'm not sure if the OP ever figured this out. What is the ID of your hose? I'm curious if a restriction at the outlet versus the inlet—since the inlet connects directly from the Res and is full width—might lead the impeller in the pump to "bounce" in the coolant, making contact with the ceramic center occasionally.
Just an idea. The company I work for liquid cools video projectors and uses a DDC variant in many smaller models. It's not identical, but the principle is similar. I haven't seen anything fail like you describe in almost ten years.
I've personally seen poorly maintained units with the pump cavitating frequently and some that ran dry, but these issues never caused damage to the pump itself. At home, I use D5's and they work well. I also use a glycol-based coolant (like in our projectors), which might act as a lubricant even when the pump is almost dry.
Sorry to interrupt this discussion, but I’m not sure if the original poster had already solved this problem.
What is the ID of your hose?
I’m curious if a restriction between the outlet and the inlet—since the inlet connects directly from the Res and is wide—could lead the impeller in the pump to "bounce" on the coolant, making contact with the ceramic center occasionally.
(Just a thought)
The company I work for liquid cools video projectors and uses a DDC variant in many smaller models. It’s not identical, but the concept is similar and I haven’t seen any failures like you describe in nearly ten years.
I’ve personally observed poorly maintained units where the pump would cavitate frequently and some that ran dry, though these issues never led to pump damage that would halt operation.
At home, I use D5’s and they perform well. I also use a glycol-based coolant (as in our projectors), which might provide extra lubrication even if the pump is nearly dry.
Glycol (alcohol) can cause problems if you have blocks with acetal or acrylic—it weakens them and can lead to cracking at stress points. Be careful.
Sorry to interrupt this discussion, but I’m not sure if the original poster had already solved this issue.
Could you provide the ID of your hose? I’m curious if a limitation between the outlet and inlet—since the inlet connects directly from the reservoir and is wide—might lead the impeller in the pump to move around inside the coolant. This could cause it to touch the ceramic center of the pump occasionally.
I’m not clear on what you mean by hose ID. Restrictions around the pump might stem from poor design on Alphacool’s side, which I doubt given that many others use the same model without issues. I’ve since switched to a different pump (Aquacomputer D5), and it has been operating smoothly so far.
Those pumps based on Liang D5 are extremely durable. You must operate them without water for several months. Even a small air bubble inside will be noticeable, though they are typically cleaned within minutes at most. These pumps were originally used in science laboratories, so the computer isn’t particularly important for them. The main limitation is ensuring the impeller isn’t facing downward when mounting it with the bay reservoir. Before the liquid heats up enough to harm the pump, your CPU would be extremely hot.
If the second impeller is damaged, it likely indicates a bearing issue (the tiny ceramic ball under the impeller), and a full replacement would probably be necessary. You can reach out directly to Alphacool for assistance. Your pump remains under warranty.
It’s possible that some acid in the non-standard coolant could erode the plastic, which might also affect other components in the system.