Please assist me in my first WC installation?

[Matrices]

Hello all,

I have read extensively on watercooling and purchased at least most of the requisites, but I am a novice at this, have no hands-on experience or instruction or manuals, and would greatly appreciate your help.

Now the setup I bought was from a trader at an online forum like this, so it's a mix of stuff and without manuals, but cheaper than just buying a kit from any one manufacturer. It can be seen here:

I don't want to put this in my system right now as I've order a bunch of better hardware that's incoming, but I definitely want to know how to connect this all, to leakproof test it, and the method of installing it in my case.

First thing is, there are some small hose pieces here, they're all 1/2 ID 3/4 OD I believe, and some big hose pieces. Hose pieces cannot be connected to each other, right? It seems like they won't fit together. So I'm assuming the end of each hose has to connect to a component. I have a bag full of metal clamps for the latter purpose.

Second thing is, how do I attach the radiator to the shroud? It's a JR-120 but I don't see any mounting holes at the edges. I've got four long threaded rods which obviously connect the fan, radiator, and shroud together, as well as nuts to fasten them, but I'm not sure how to do it. Should I use washers as well?

Third, I don't see any switch to turn my Eheim 1250 on and off. Where is it? And as shown in the picture there are 3 plastic round things that were in the box with it - what to do with those?

Fourth, I have both a floppy bay res and what I think is called a "T-line", a plastic T-shaped thing with a long tube entering the middle of it. There's no way I'm going with the res. due to HDD/space considerations. How do I go about bleeding the system of bubbles with this T-line, how do I cap it, and what does it mean to "bleed" the setup?

Lastly, after leak-proof testing and draining the water out of the setup (again is there a method to this?), what's the best way to put it in a case? Just disconnect the waterblock, install it in the motherboard, and leave everything else connected to the tubes, put it in the case, and reconnect tubes to the waterblock, and fill?

Your help is much appreciated, thanks.

 

[kronchev]

hm

First thing is, there are some small hose pieces here, they're all 1/2 ID 3/4 OD I believe, and some big hose pieces. Hose pieces cannot be connected to each other, right? It seems like they won't fit together. So I'm assuming the end of each hose has to connect to a component. I have a bag full of metal clamps for the latter purpose.

you got that right. you just slide tubing over the barbs and clamp it on tight.

Second thing is, how do I attach the radiator to the shroud? It's a JR-120 but I don't see any mounting holes at the edges. I've got four long threaded rods which obviously connect the fan, radiator, and shroud together, as well as nuts to fasten them, but I'm not sure how to do it. Should I use washers as well?

slide the bolts through the holes in the radiator. as in between the fins.

Third, I don't see any switch to turn my Eheim 1250 on and off. Where is it? And as shown in the picture there are 3 plastic round things that were in the box with it - what to do with those?

there is no switch. when its plugged in, its on. when its not plugged in, its off. thats how nearly all pumps are. the 3 round things are basically hose clamps, depending on how thick your tubing is, you may or may not be able to use them. i personally didnt use them on my hydor because they were too small for my tubing,

Fourth, I have both a floppy bay res and what I think is called a "T-line", a plastic T-shaped thing with a long tube entering the middle of it. There's no way I'm going with the res. due to HDD/space considerations. How do I go about bleeding the system of bubbles with this T-line, how do I cap it, and what does it mean to "bleed" the setup?

you put the t-line right before the pump, you dump water into the top to fill it. you cap it with whatever fits: i use a carved cork, ive seen pen caps being used. bleeding just means to let it run until the bubbles come out. with a t-line it took me about 12 hours of solid running to get em all out

Lastly, after leak-proof testing and draining the water out of the setup (again is there a method to this?), what's the best way to put it in a case? Just disconnect the waterblock, install it in the motherboard, and leave everything else connected to the tubes, put it in the case, and reconnect tubes to the waterblock, and fill?

you got it. draining is something you have to practice and decide on, what i do is pull my pump out of my case, put it in a big bowel, and pop off one of the tubes. it drains through the pump and through the disconnected tube. to get water in the radiator out (mines mounted horizontal, if yours is vertical you can just slide it out if you dont tip it) as well as the block, i blow into one end of the tubing, and the water rushes out the other side. sure, i get water wetter poisioning (not fun) but it works. the alternative is to tip the case around and the water will eventually dump out of whatever youre trying to empty


you only need to leak test for a few hours, outside the case. that session is for making sure the parts themselves dont leak. when you install it in the case, thats when you put all the connections as solid as possible, and let it run 24 hours (the system, NOT THE COMPUTER). thats to make sure you clamped everything in place fine. dont turn the computer on in case you didnt clamp something right and it drips

 

[Matrices]

Thanks Kronchev, but let me see if I can understand this more cogently:

1. I test the setup outside the system for a few hours. At this point do I care if there are bubbles or not? Do you only cap the T-line once all the bubbles are out? If so, does this mean you should run the setup inside the case with everything mounted and all computer parts taken out, to get rid of the bubbles, then cap the T-line, and then put the components in? Isn't it going to be hard to attach the waterblock to the motherboard with all the tubes connected to it?

2. To drain the setup I should pull out the hose connected to the pump you say, but which one? Won't that leave the pump without water to suck on and therefore damage it as it tries to pump out only air?

3. What do I use for anti-bacteria, algae, and corrosion? Antifreeze? And in what ratio with the water? Does the water need to be distilled or deonized, and do those words mean the same thing?

4. Should I use any washers in between the nuts when attaching the radiator to the fan? If I used rubber grommets, would that decrease fan-radiator vibration?

Thanks again.

 

[kronchev]

Thanks Kronchev, but let me see if I can understand this more cogently:

1. I test the setup outside the system for a few hours. At this point do I care if there are bubbles or not? Do you only cap the T-line once all the bubbles are out? If so, does this mean you should run the setup inside the case with everything mounted and all computer parts taken out, to get rid of the bubbles, then cap the T-line, and then put the components in? Isn't it going to be hard to attach the waterblock to the motherboard with all the tubes connected to it?

2. To drain the setup I should pull out the hose connected to the pump you say, but which one? Won't that leave the pump without water to suck on and therefore damage it as it tries to pump out only air?

3. What do I use for anti-bacteria, algae, and corrosion? Antifreeze? And in what ratio with the water? Does the water need to be distilled or deonized, and do those words mean the same thing?

4. Should I use any washers in between the nuts when attaching the radiator to the fan? If I used rubber grommets, would that decrease fan-radiator vibration?

Thanks again.

1) nope, bubbles dont matter then. you can cap a t-line even while bleeding because bubbles dont leave a system, they just displace water. when they move up the t-line, water will be taking their place in the system. you only need to cap it later on to try to stave off evaporation

2) i always do the input to the pump because its horizontal, and the output from the pump is vertical. just easier for me

3) get a bottle of water wetter at any auto store (be careful thats the stuff i keep poisioning myself with), use about 1/20 ratio (you can guestimate, a w/c set up holes about 600 mL of water, or 1 1/4 pints). just dont drink the stuff and youll be fine. be warned though it also smells like crap, but after you get it in the system, and seal the bottle up, itll go away in a day or two. when filling youll want to buy a dedicated funnel for the t-line

4) it would indeed, thats a good idea