New to watercooling - ordered parts. Am I missing anything else?

Chapeau said:
Air bubbles - Just have to run it for a couple of days. Big bubbles will go soon, micro bubbles take a while. Up to 3 days or so for those to disappear depending on your pump power.
- Run the system whilst holding the case. Tip it from side to side to let trapped bubbles release. Remember they like to gather at high points. Make sure you don't tip so far that the pump sucks in air in the reservoir.
- Varying the pump speed from low to high also helps.

If you think that's tight.... check this out
Click to expand...

Wow, that is super clean! As for my pump speed, I've got it plugged into the CH6's water pump pins near the bottom right of the motherboard. I think it's set on Auto, would like to see if I can adjust accordingly software-wise, but I think I'd have to go into the BIOS for that. I haven't bothered installing too much bloat from Asus on my setup.
 
Okay so it sounds like you are/were suffering from "noobie anxiety" and were just a bit unsure of what you were doing. Been there, done that! :D If you gave the hose a good tug after tightening the compression ring and it didn't pop off then I think you will be just fine. As I said above, as long as you have the proper combination of hose and fittings and get the tubing installed correctly, everything should work out. This might help:

06.jpg


For regular barbed fittings (left image) the tubing should go all the way down to the third flare out and your hose clamp should go on the flat area between the second and third flare out. For compression fittings the hose should go all the way down to the compression (or locking as it is called here) ring threads. As it is tightened, the compression ring will compress the tubing around the upper tapered portion for a tight seal and lock the hose in place.

I'm pretty sure the Tygon I have in my system right now is the 3603 series, 3/8 x 1/2. It's pretty old by now (probably over 5 years old) and it is still just as flexible as the day I put it in. It has discolored somewhat due to cigarette smoke but is still relatively clear. I like the Tygon tubing but when I install my 1080 GTX Strix this weekend I'll be pulling it all out and putting in new Primoflex Advance LRT. Mainly because I have a mix of the clear Tygon and silver PVC tubing. It's all coming out and going red.
 
Ahh, this does help! The compression fittings... the hose should not go on top of the threads, but should be pressed up on top of the threads, right? That's what I did, I didn't try and stretch the ends of the hose to catch a thread or two, just kept it against it while tightening the ring. Unless maybe I was supposed to..? I also filed a question on PPCs regarding the query about the tubing and fittings, if there was a caveat or perhaps a known issue. I guess I should have wondered why I came across 2 entries of the same tubing, but priced differently from each other per foot (by about 20 cents or so, apparently).
 
OH, yes- I was wondering about frequency for changing out the distilled water + pt nuke solution that I'm using. Is there a default time range? I know with the AIO coolers I've had before, I have never ever touched/refilled/drained (not sure if it's possible or meant to be) in the years that I've been using them. Watching that jayztwocents video for Terry Crews' machine, I recall him saying something about 2 years before he had to flush the system and change out the coolant.
 
Yes, pressed up to the top of the threads. You would have a really hard time getting things together if you managed to get the tubing over the threads. It also helps to have a nice square cut on your tubing so that it seats flush at the bottom of the fitting. I've never had a problem with slightly wonky cuts though.

Not sure what you saw on the different priced tubing. There should be two types for a given series and size - thick wall (eg E-1000 1/2" x 3/4" [1/8" wall thickness]) and thin wall (eg: E-1000 1/2" x 5/8" [1/16" wall thickness]). But the price difference is much more than 20 cents ($4.25 vs $2.99).

Some folks will tell you to change your fluid every six months, others may say every couple of years. Personally I don't worry about it too much. Seems like I change something often enough that the fluid gets changed frequently enough. If you think your loop will be static for a long period of time then I would just keep an eye on it. It will be easy if you stick with the distilled water + biocide. If you see any cloudiness in the fluid and/or tubing it's time to drain and flush. If you are like a lot of the [H]orde here and change stuff out frequently then you will probably want to do a drain and flush anytime you break the loop open. Also keep in mind that the tubing is not 100% impermeable - IOW there will be evaporation losses over time. You'll probably need to add a few milliliters of fluid every few months or so to maintain the same level in the reserviour.
 
I managed to inquire about the Tygon tubing I ordered from PPCs - they basically said that they do not recommend compression fittings for those silicon-based hoses, and to use hose clamps instead. Guess that kind of clarifies my question regarding the tubing I've got. No worries though, I do have some advanced lrt tubing coming in today (along with appropriate sized compression fittings!) so I'll definitely re-do the whole thing tonight!

Thanks very much for the tips on the maintenance for the loop, I'll keep it in mind and try and keep things simple with just distilled water + biocide.

As for the pricing on the tubing, I was referencing these in particular (with the latter being what I had ordered originally):

http://www.performance-pcs.com/tygon-e-3603-1-2-id-3-4-od-clear-tubing.html

http://www.performance-pcs.com/tygon-e-1000-1-2-id-3-4-od-plasticizer-free-tubing-clear.html
 
Not entirely sure I agree with their response. If they don't recommend compression fittings with that type of tubing I would think they would state such on the product page. If you search for Tygon on their site you'll find many listings for compression fittings. Each states compatibility with Tygon tubing. I've used compression fittings with the 3603 series for years and never had a problem. Oh well, you have something different coming in so I wouldn't worry about it any more.

My 1080 GTX Strix came in today along with the water block, back plate, fittings, tubing, fluid, etc. Looks like I'll be ripping my stuff apart tomorrow. Then this weekend I think I go get that Samsung UN40MU6300 40" UHD TV for a monitor.

The tubings are different prices due to being different formulations. Not sure which is better for PC water cooling purposes. As I said I have used the 3/8x1/2 3603 for a long time and not had trouble. This will be my first time using the Primochill Advance LRT though. Hope it goes well!
 
I'd definitely have preferred the product page to mention whether or not compression fittings worked well- but I ended up inquiring about the types of tubing for the compression fittings I ordered, and it seems that they recommended PVC soft tubing. Not quite sure what that Primechill Advance LRT is made of, but will find out tonight myself! Though, this particular variant of the tubing I ordered was for the 3/8x5/8 scale (ordered the appropriate fittings for this size also). I just really hope I can get a nice snug fit that I wouldn't have to worry over, and this gives me a chance to better position the water pump! I think.

Guess I'll find out tonight if it's going to be a long night, or if I'll be sweating profusely again. :)
 
Just poking around a bit with the Primoflex, It's not nearly as soft and flexible as the Tygon 3603 I've been using. You'll probably need a nice hot cup of water to soften the ends up enough to get it on the fittings. Especially since you went with the thick wall variety. Good luck!
 
RedWagnum said:
Just poking around a bit with the Primoflex, It's not nearly as soft and flexible as the Tygon 3603 I've been using. You'll probably need a nice hot cup of water to soften the ends up enough to get it on the fittings. Especially since you went with the thick wall variety. Good luck!
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Wow, you weren't kidding - hot water was definitely needed to work with this PrimoChill Advanced LRT tubing. I just spent 4 hours measuring and getting things sorted out. When you guys mentioned how difficult it was to get on the barbs, this definitely fits the bill unlike that silicon Tygon stuff I was using earlier. I'm got all settled, ended up swapping out the HW 280 radiator I had with a slim HW 280 radiator for better fitment (I guess this case doesn't do well with 60mm thick radiators, probably 45mm at best for the top, I think). Flushed out everything, ran it off a separate PSU for awhile, flushed out again and then added a couple drops of biocide and distilled water. I had paper towels all over again to check for leaks - no leaks, but there is one caveat that I'm not quite certain about. The fitment was pretty tight, and I tried my best to get the compression ring tightened. In one of the pics below, you'll see how it looks askew from the reservoir to the pump- it's just the angle, but you'll see some threads still visible- I think I'd need a strap wrench or something to try and tighten it even further- would that be advised? I can't possibly tighten it any more with my fingers- the skin on my fingertips are pretty cut up at this stage of me twisting repeatedly on the ring. I'm not leaking thus far, been watching it over the past 4 hours (which, I guess isn't really much of a good sample timeframe?). Other than that, everything's working pretty good so far.

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20170504_224755.jpg
 
Nice job!
The quality tubing does take a bit of effort but definitely worth it, given the cost of components inside.
I'm a fan of thinner radiators as it's hard to drive enough air through them at low fan speed. I guess if you don't mind the noise thicker is good, but for most 45mm is great.

- There is no need to tighten down too hard on the compression ring. Hand tight is plenty.
- You can get them tighter by using some non slip rubber mat to grip the fitting. Something like this:
non-slip-matss.jpg


Available from your local hardware store. Some kitchen or homewares place will have similar small sheets meant to protect the finish under plant pots on shelving and entertainment units.
- Why no more than hand tight? Just wait till you want to unscrew the fitting and you'll know why!! LoL...
 
Chapeau said:
Nice job!
The quality tubing does take a bit of effort but definitely worth it, given the cost of components inside.
I'm a fan of thinner radiators as it's hard to drive enough air through them at low fan speed. I guess if you don't mind the noise thicker is good, but for most 45mm is great.

- There is no need to tighten down too hard on the compression ring. Hand tight is plenty.
- You can get them tighter by using some non slip rubber mat to grip the fitting. Something like this:
non-slip-matss.jpg


Available from your local hardware store. Some kitchen or homewares place will have similar small sheets meant to protect the finish under plant pots on shelving and entertainment units.
- Why no more than hand tight? Just wait till you want to unscrew the fitting and you'll know why!! LoL...
Click to expand...

I'll look into getting one of those non slip mats to try and use to tighten more so- though, it seems pretty locked on when my fingertips were still somewhat fresh. The exposed threads just had me a bit curious / worried, just getting the compression ring up to the end of the hose for each of the fittings was a challenge!

It seems the 280mm radiator I'm using is just 30mm in thickness, I'll probably check out some threads on radiators for certain- though it seems one of the Phantek 140mm fans has this super annoying 'rattle' from the fan itself that I've discovered when running a benchmark or two. :( Hopefully I can make the swap out without having to un-do anything I've already done thus far. (It'd be the fan closest to the fittings on the radiator).
 
I guess it is the third picture you are talking about? Looks okay to me. As long as it is not cross-threaded and not leaking, it's good. That is just another challenge of using thick wall tubing. Because the wall is twice as thick it is much harder to get it on the barbs and harder to get the compression rings on.

Chapeau said:
- Why no more than hand tight? Just wait till you want to unscrew the fitting and you'll know why!! LoL...
Click to expand...
:LOL: No kidding! If you turned it until your fingers hurt and it is not leaking, you've got it right. Don't worry about getting the non-slip mat. One tip I've got especially when working with the case in an upright position is to do the "upside down" end before doing the right side up one. Theory being, especially in that instance with your res, with the bottom end still disconnected the top end will be much easier to install. Then since the connection on the pump is in a more "normal" position, it should be a little easier. In any case, if I have trouble making a connection fit, I'll usually leave it and try the other end. Sometimes that will make the first end easier too.

Looks like you have a pretty good handle on things now. Your current rig is looking great! Be aware though that custom water cooling can be like cocaine -- the more you do it, the more you want it and the more money you spend! :D Can't wait to see what your next rig looks like!
 
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