Water Cooling Inquiries (Dye and Hard Tubing and Pump)
Water Cooling Inquiries (Dye and Hard Tubing and Pump)
Hi guys, this is my first post as I noticed you guys were a great community of PC builders and modders. So I am hitting up my second build, and it is my first water cooling build. I will be using the In Win 909 case.
Parts List:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TzZPxY
Ignore the storage, wireless adapter, and power supply, those are for my uncle. This brings me to my questions.
1. Pump.
Will be using EK-XRES D5 pump (https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xres-100-re...-incl-pump) with a regular or verticle fan mound depending on where you guys think I should mount it. I'm thinking mount 1, as I think it would allow more natural air flow from bottom of case, and the mount is cheaper. But dont forget I have a long GPU so I dont know if it will fit
đ
.Help me decide.
https://gyazo.com/0874189052013bf56b2937f45823b5d1
2. Dye.
For now I will definitely be running distilled water and Mayhem's kill coil, but in the future i would like to run Mayhem's ice white combined with a mix of some UV dyes. I would like to know how this would affect tubing and stuff, because I know it stains, but then why is everyone using it if it stains? I just want that UV stuff in tubing but no staining to parts
.
3. Tubing.
First time water cooler here. Really want to run acrylic, because I have UV in my case, and the crystal look to it. I have a couple of kits in mind to buy for bending, but first I want to address should I even be doing hard tubing. Also please tell me if I need any angled fittings to make the build easier to route the tubing in.
So here's the pipe I have in mind.
https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-hd-tube-12-...00mm-2-pcs
And the fittings.
https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-hdc-fitting...green-5439
Please correct me in these choices if I am wrong.
Here is the bending kit I am probably going to get.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...lsrc=aw.ds
I see its not for acrylic though. So if that doesn't work, this one will do.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/monsoon-h...-16mm.html
This heat gun.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/monsoon-h...n-kit.html
Stupid question but do I need gloves and sandpaper? If I need the sandpaper can I use some I already have?
Thank you guys so much if anyone answers, I hope you guys really are a cool nice community. If so I have found a new home!
-hunt
Hi, just wrapped up my first water cooling project a few months back and the details are still clear in my mind! By the way, I also used acrylic tubing (I was planning PETG but ended up with the wrong material). Here are my thoughts:
1. Mounting it on the fan slot above mount 1 could make the lower part of your build look bare, but you should still maintain airflow and GPU clearance.
2. The XSPC ECX white worked well for me. It stains the tubing, but since itâs not transparent, I wonât be able to see the stain once itâs filled, haha.
3. I accidentally bought acrylic tubing, but overall it turned out okay. The material is shiny and manageableâjust need to heat it longer. Itâs easy to deburr and you can use a Dremel without it turning yellow.
At first, I tried tight bends instead of angled fittings to avoid corners, but the issue was that the silicon insert and tubing from different brands didnât match perfectly (the insert is slightly smaller than the tube diameter). As I bent, the tubing near the bend got compressed, changing its shape from a circle to an oval. This made it hard to fit the compression rings through the bends. So I switched to angled fittings.
I didnât use a bending kit; I did it by hand. Handling the bends with mandrels would look better. The key part is the silicon insert. The first bending kit you mentioned should work with acrylic, though the pipe cutter might not be idealâacrylic breaks easily, so I ended up using a Dremel instead (with metal cutting wheels). A heck saw could also work, but handle it gently to avoid shattering.
I donât think sandpaper is necessary if you use the deburring tool in your first kit. Wear gloves if neededâdepending on how hot the tool gets.
Also, I did all the bends on the stove in the kitchen, but thatâs not recommended because my dinner that night tasted like burned plastic lol~~
Hope this helps! Good luck with your build!!
Jiahong
Jiahong shared his recent experience with his first water cooling setup. He mentioned using acrylic tubing by accident and noted some observations. He discussed possible mounting options, the appearance of the white XSPC ECX color, the challenges with deburring, and the importance of the silicon insert. He also shared tips on bending techniques, recommended tools, and precautions like using gloves and avoiding certain environments. He ended with a friendly encouragement and a question about compatibility with his pump and resin.
Jiahong shared his recent experience with a water cooling setup he completed a few months ago. He recalls the details carefully and offers his thoughts on several aspects. He mentions considering mounting the system on the fan slot above mount 1, noting it might leave the lower part of the build looking bare but still allowing airflow and GPU clearance. He also talks about using XSPC ECX white, which suits him despite staining the tubing and not being fully transparent once filled. He describes accidentally acquiring acrylic tubing and finds it worked wellâshiny and manageable with a bit of heat. He advises against tight bends due to mismatched brands and silicon insert issues, recommending angled fittings instead. He shares that he used a bending kit by hand, avoiding the need for a bending kit, and emphasizes the importance of the silicon insert. He also discusses the necessity of sandpaper in the first kit and suggests using gloves for safety. Lastly, he mentions testing bends on a stove, which he strongly advises against due to unpleasant results. He seeks advice on whether his resin and pump will fit properly and explores options like using EK kits or adjusting mounting positions.
I'm wondering if you should install the pump/res in a vertical or horizontal orientation. I'm a bit confused because my res is 250mm and I think I can fit it on the mount I was shown, which is vertical. This would also make it easier to add a drain. Thanks for your help.
You're asking about installing the pump/res vertically or horizontally. I'm a bit puzzled because my res is 250mm, but after some research I think I can fit it on the mount I was showing and install it vertically. This would also let me add a drain. Thanks for your helpâI'll definitely buy the monsoon kit and also add the heat gun, then include the EK kit for the inserts. I'm planning to get a drain valve too. Thanks for the information you provided.
I'm also unsure about these fittings from EK... They claim compression, but they seem to be one-piece. I really prefer the extra security of a two-piece setup, but I'm not sure if that works with hard tubing. If it's just pushing the tube in, could you confirm? Also, would it be safer to use these instead of EK?
Links:
- Bitspower: [link]
- EK: [link]
One more thing regarding tubingâhow much should I recommend to cover any mistakes?
hunt
Hey there, man you're welcome. For the pump I'll check where it fits once I have it, and I'm using 6m of tubing. I think I'll go with EK fittings or tubing. Thanks a lot bro!
Thanks for the assistance. I'll check the fit once I have the pump, and I'm using 6 meters of tubing. Probably sticking with EK fittings or tubing. Thanks a lot!