1/4" ID pump?

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k1114

2[H]4U
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May 5, 2001
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I've got a used TT Aquarius 2 kit with a dead pump. Radiator and block are in great shape and it seems wasteful just to toss them because the system needs a pump. I was looking at just hitting petsmart and getting a submersible low flow pump and building sort of a resivoir for it, what do you guys think of that idea?

Any suggestions on pumps? Not interested in buying a new kit or other new parts of any kind since this is a super low budget project.
 
DryFire said:
you could always find some barbs to adapt 1/2" or 3/8" pump.
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Well yeah i'm probably going to have to adapt it, but I just need something in the power range for a 1/4" system. It looks like most of the ones available locally are submersible, and i'd have to build some sort of small reservoir for them.
 
k1114 said:
Well yeah i'm probably going to have to adapt it, but I just need something in the power range for a 1/4" system. It looks like most of the ones available locally are submersible, and i'd have to build some sort of small reservoir for them.
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The aqua-computer Aquastream pump can be used with 10mm (1/4 " ) connectors, but it's kind of expensive (~$110). It can be used inline or submerged.
 
at that price i'd get a DDC and put 1/4" barbs on it. It's super high head could easily cope with 1/4" system.
 
If I were to dump $119 into watercooling i'd probably just buy some decent individual parts for my main PC ;)

I just want a cheap low flow (and low cost ) solution, i'll look around a bit more and maybe hit petsmart tomorrow to see some of those units in person.
 
Best bet for a 1/4" system is to pick up one of the Eheim Powerhead Compact 300 pumps, theyre about $13 or so, and the Adaper Kit that lets you use 1/4' line is under $10. :)
 
IceBawx said:
Best bet for a 1/4" system is to pick up one of the Eheim Powerhead Compact 300 pumps, theyre about $13 or so, and the Adaper Kit that lets you use 1/4' line is under $10. :)
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That dosen't look bad at all :) Aside from that option i'm looking at just driving down to Petsmart when they open and grabbing a Danner Mag 2, it has the wrong size barbs but I can just grab adapter peices from home depot, no problem there since both the inlet and outlet are threaded. It's 29.99 (about what an eheim 300 plus the adapter would be with shipping).

Reading reviews on the Mag 2 right now since it would be the most convenient option, although the eheim does look tempting based on brand name and relatively small size. Also the Mag 2 is 250gph pump, making me wonder if that will cause problems with such a restrictive setup.
 
The Mag pump might be a bad idea, seing as its 250gph, or about 1000lph, that seems like a LOT of pressure to be feeding through 10mm line.
 
Well it looks like the pressure is relative to the line and the amount of tubing, and that even the most efficient pumps only put out 30-40% of the rating. I dunno, i'll have to do some research and maybe i'll let the stock decide (the mag2 is backordered online, doubt they will have any in stock).

The only thing I worry about with the powerhead 300 is it wasn't really meant to be run inline, and I can't find any info or reviews on the adapter.

edit: Looks like the maxi jet 400 might also be a candidate, and it is likely available at petco since they stock other maxi jet models. It is inline, small, and the fittings look to be around the same size.
 
Allright i'll look around more online, hit a few local stores with aquarium stuff and no one has anything :(

edit: That and the inline adapter for the powerhead 300 is sold out with no ETA
 
I bought a $20 dollar 120 gph pump from Lowe's to use on my 1/4 inch lines and it works great. Load temps have yet to go over 39C. It requires mounting in the res so I put it in a small plastic container with lid, then hot-glued it tite.
 
k1114 said:
Well it looks like the pressure is relative to the line and the amount of tubing, and that even the most efficient pumps only put out 30-40% of the rating. I dunno, i'll have to do some research and maybe i'll let the stock decide (the mag2 is backordered online, doubt they will have any in stock).

The only thing I worry about with the powerhead 300 is it wasn't really meant to be run inline, and I can't find any info or reviews on the adapter.

edit: Looks like the maxi jet 400 might also be a candidate, and it is likely available at petco since they stock other maxi jet models. It is inline, small, and the fittings look to be around the same size.
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Pressure is created by the pump, flowrate is what is dictated by the passages that the fluid is pushed through. Pressure differences can be measured and change across various lengths of tubing, but tubing alone won't affect pressure.
Anyhow, using small tubing with a "high pressure" pump (aquarium pumps don't create that much pressure) shouldn't be a problem if all joints are sealed properly. It only means that your tubing will cause a lower flowrate in the loop than if you used larger diameter tubing.
 
The big problem I have with a submerisble pump is that I have no easy way to access the system, since this is a HTPC that sits on an entertainment center. This is what i'm working with:

(stock exterior)
bx1560.jpg


(loaded with parts)
htpc-overview-top.jpg


(extra drive bays removed for watercooling room)
CIMG0017.JPG


So i've got a decent amount of space, but only about 4" vertically. Here is a mockup with the old parts (including dead pump :mad: )
CIMG0018.JPG


Maybe that might clear things up a bit, although I dunno if they needed clarification. The problem with a reservoir with submersible pump is both space and practicality, since I would have to have a way to fill it. I could leave one of the drive bays off in the front since its covered by the doors and just somehow mount a fill tube, but other than that I dunno :( It would be nice because I can just check the level when I open the door.

Also, should I go ahead and grab koolance blocks for the northbridge and video card? They are the only other 1/4" in/out blocks I know of any they are available locally for $19 each. Sort of a serious investment for a project like this, but I might as well get it done right the first time.

I REALLY like that inline adpater for the eheim, just need to find it somewhere... The original pump was with the kit was ~30gph, so I imagine that the 80gph or whatever of the small eheim should do ok with an added block for the video card (and maybe northbridge) since everything in the system is designed for low flow.
 
zer0signal667 said:
Pressure is created by the pump, flowrate is what is dictated by the passages that the fluid is pushed through. Pressure differences can be measured and change across various lengths of tubing, but tubing alone won't affect pressure.
Anyhow, using small tubing with a "high pressure" pump (aquarium pumps don't create that much pressure) shouldn't be a problem if all joints are sealed properly. It only means that your tubing will cause a lower flowrate in the loop than if you used larger diameter tubing.
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Thanks for the clarification :) Thats what I was thinking, the tubing can hold the pressure but the pump isn't going to be as efficient due to the restriction. I'm ok with that really, this isn't a performance setup ;)

Now with my main rig i'm dreaming of 3/4" ID :eek: :cool:
 
k1114 said:
The big problem I have with a submerisble pump is that I have no easy way to access the system, since this is a HTPC that sits on an entertainment center.
Click to expand...
The setup I have with my pump in the res is only 4inch by 4inch by 2inch. If I include the reducers for the pump sticking out the top of my res it's still less than 3 inches high. And since it's a sealed system theres no need to refill the res.
If you setup something similar it should easily fit in your drive bay area. Plus the pump and all reducers/barbs still came to only $25. :D
 
plywood99 said:
The setup I have with my pump in the res is only 4inch by 4inch by 2inch. If I include the reducers for the pump sticking out the top of my res it's still less than 3 inches high. And since it's a sealed system theres no need to refill the res.
If you setup something similar it should easily fit in your drive bay area. Plus the pump and all reducers/barbs still came to only $25. :D
Click to expand...

Any chance of pics? I'd love to see how yours is setup! (and steal your idea :p)

I still think that little eheim with adapter would be perfection, but from reading around it seems people have been waiting on small backordered parts from sntsystems for several months, and I can't find another supplier :( I'm all for hitting home depot and setting something up, and maybe switching to a more elegant solution in a few weeks or months as needed.
 
Ok it looks like home depot has a cheap 60gph submersible beckett that is rather tiny, and it accepts 1/4" and 1/2" out of the box according to the datasheet. I already have a container in mind for the reservoir (its a small square watertight container with a big round lid) and all i've got to sort out are the barbs for in/out (easy) and waterproofing the wires coming from the pump as they exit the container (not so easy)

The other thing in my mind is securing that the pump runs when the system runs, and I have zero slots for a pci solution to this. I assume there is a way to wire it into the power supply somewhere after the switch. I'm going to do some reading and hopefully hit home depot in a few hours when it opens :)
 
Don't put too much pump on that small tubing or you'll risk burning it out or at least running pretty hot.
 
I give up. I went and got the small $20 60gph pump from home depot, all the fittings, the sealant, etc, and I couldn't find a good sized reservoir. And I got damn creative, I browsed the asiles of grocery stores, went to hobby lobby, looked around pet stores, and I ran into a 250gph inline pump for $35 and decided to grab that, but realized that i'm going to cause a small explosion and spend a fortune in adapter fittings anyway.

So I took it all back and i'll wait for a small, cheap, and effective inline solution.
 
While you were at Home Depot, you should've grabbed an electrical junction box. The plastic ones make for a great reservoir. And you can use the conduit adapter and cables glands for all your in and out needs.
 
Here is my res/pump:
DSCF0094.JPG

Nice, small, cheap, and relatively quiet. :)

P.S. Let me know if you can see the pic, first time trying....
 
zer0signal667 said:
the pic shows... what do you have in that water? looks like iced tea :p
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Just a little Long-Island ice tea... hiccup... :p
Seriously, it's is a mix of water, water wetter and R.V. antifreeze. Not the prettiest stuff in the world, but seems to do the job...
 
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