To reservoir or not to reservoir? That is the question.

D

Dijonase

Gawd
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
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946
OK, in setting up my water cooling system, what are the pros and cons of incorporating a reservoir? Would you recommend that I include a reservoir? Thanks!
 
Well, reservoirs make your loops MUCH easier to bleed, for when you're getting the air out.
Thats about it though.

I use a T-Line at the moment, and it works just fine for me. Its more just up to personal preference, I suppose. :)
 
Well, I had a T-line, and it works great, how its supposed to. However I fell in love with the Aqua Computers res and just bought one. It should get here in a few days. I assume itll be just as easy as the t-line, except itll be more restrictive on where I can put it in my case (its just displacing my t-line so its not a huge problem)
 
kronchev said:
Well, I had a T-line, and it works great, how its supposed to. However I fell in love with the Aqua Computers res and just bought one. It should get here in a few days. I assume itll be just as easy as the t-line, except itll be more restrictive on where I can put it in my case (its just displacing my t-line so its not a huge problem)
Click to expand...

So is it worth $20 to go for a res? The ease of use is the biggest selling point for me. I'm already looking at getting a MAZE4 from dangerden.com (thanks to some advice from you), so I may just tack on a res at the same time. For my first water setup I say the easier the better.
 
If you have a place to put it, can get it with the same tubing diameter you want, and don't mind spending the money, I would say to just go ahead and get one. It will most likely make your setup faster and easier. :)

I can't say this from first hand experience (and many people will disagree), but I have heard some pretty bad things about bay reservoirs, so you might want to take that into consideration if you plan on getting one. :)
 
Dark Ember said:
If you have a place to put it, can get it with the same tubing diameter you want, and don't mind spending the money, I would say to just go ahead and get one. It will most likely make your setup faster and easier. :)

I can't say this from first hand experience (and many people will disagree), but I have heard some pretty bad things about bay reservoirs, so you might want to take that into consideration if you plan on getting one. :)
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Yeah, I've seen what appears to be a lot of bad blood towards bay reservoirs. I'm looking at this:
http://www.dangerden.com/mall/Misc_Hardware/round.asp

It looks simple and relatively inexpensive. Plus I'm looking at a MAZE4, so I'd save on the shipping.
 
Well from personal experience bay res's always cause bubbles because u can never get all the air out.... however i don't know how much or what res u plan on buying but if u buy a tube res that stands up u can end up w/ bubbles but there is a real easy fix for this.

all u have to do is get a sponge ( not the organic kind) a very loosly packed synthetic kind.... i used the one that came w/ my ehime pump and stuck it in the top of my innovatek Tank-o-matic :D
 
lentic said:
Well from personal experience bay res's always cause bubbles because u can never get all the air out.... however i don't know how much or what res u plan on buying but if u buy a tube res that stands up u can end up w/ bubbles but there is a real easy fix for this.

all u have to do is get a sponge ( not the organic kind) a very loosly packed synthetic kind.... i used the one that came w/ my ehime pump and stuck it in the top of my innovatek Tank-o-matic :D
Click to expand...

Here's the res I'm looking at (linked above):
http://www.dangerden.com/images/reservoir/resnew_large.jpg

I'm not looking to break the bank on the res. It just seems from what I've read that a system with a res is easier to maintain that one without.
 
host thine own images.

that said, a res makes it a lot easier to fill/bleed a loop. another tip: unless your pump is good enough to draw water, put it at the bottom of your case with the res at the top to make sure the pump stays primed. that res looks good, just make sure you leak test for long enough.
 
rogue_jedi said:
host thine own images.

that said, a res makes it a lot easier to fill/bleed a loop. another tip: unless your pump is good enough to draw water, put it at the bottom of your case with the res at the top to make sure the pump stays primed. that res looks good, just make sure you leak test for long enough.
Click to expand...


I completely agree with everything he said (including the image hosting!!). Danger Den's round reservoirs are well constructed from what I hear, and will suit your needs nicely. They just aint all purty like some of the other ones out there. :p
 
rogue_jedi said:
host thine own images.

that said, a res makes it a lot easier to fill/bleed a loop. another tip: unless your pump is good enough to draw water, put it at the bottom of your case with the res at the top to make sure the pump stays primed. that res looks good, just make sure you leak test for long enough.
Click to expand...

Sorry about the image hosting. Chalk that up to pure laziness on my part.

I'll be getting a used Ehiem 1048 whenever my PayPal payment clears :)

I'm not sure how that pump rates, but from what I've seen it seems to be pretty good. How would you recommend setting it up?
 
As far as setup, just make sure your res is above your pump and the last thing before the pump intake. (And that the pump has water in it when you crank it up for the first time ;) )
 
I really like my DangerDen bay res, I got one of the dual floppy ones and it bleeds very well. There are bubbles on the top, but since the inlets/outlets are on the bottom it stays well bled.
 
one advantage/disadvantage is that it attempts to reach equalibrium with the surrounding temperature. To this degree, that there is very little air flow and thus very little heat exchange, the water temperature won't be effected much. Usually the water coming out of the water block is mildly hot and the case temp is below that. Thus res provides an area for the water to cool down before being pumped to the radiator for the final cooling before entering the water block again.
 
acascianelli said:
get the res, easy to fill, easy to bleed.
Click to expand...

Which res would you recommend? I've seen bad things about the bay res, but Deadlierchair seems to give it a hearty recommendation. The dual bay res does seem like it would bleed well, what with the size of it and the inlets/outlets at the bottom. Plus it looks like it would be easier to mount in my open bays than the cylindrical res.
 
I'm not exactly sure what people mean by "hearing bad things about a bay res." Does it mean they leak? They don't bleed well? That's the thing that confuses me. Overall, when designed well and leak tested it seems like they're just any other reservoir, except it slides into a bay.

I did make one mistake that you might like to know about. With my DD res I got the res itself, the attachments, and some little rubber O-rings. I installed the attachments and screwed them in as tight as possible over the O-rings. The problem is that that is not how they work. You want to tighten them a fair amount until the O-ring is firm but beyond that it pushes the O-ring out of the way and voids the seal.

I love my dual floppy, if it needs to be filled I just pull it out a bit and pour more water in. The dual 5.25" take up a lot of room but I guess you can choose according to your space requirements.
 
Deadlierchair said:
I'm not exactly sure what people mean by "hearing bad things about a bay res." Does it mean they leak? They don't bleed well? That's the thing that confuses me. Overall, when designed well and leak tested it seems like they're just any other reservoir, except it slides into a bay.

I did make one mistake that you might like to know about. With my DD res I got the res itself, the attachments, and some little rubber O-rings. I installed the attachments and screwed them in as tight as possible over the O-rings. The problem is that that is not how they work. You want to tighten them a fair amount until the O-ring is firm but beyond that it pushes the O-ring out of the way and voids the seal.

I love my dual floppy, if it needs to be filled I just pull it out a bit and pour more water in. The dual 5.25" take up a lot of room but I guess you can choose according to your space requirements.
Click to expand...

I believe the common complaint about a bay res is that they don't bleed well. From looking at the double bay res it seems like it gets around it through a combination of the height of it and the location of the inlet/outlet. I need to head to the house now and make sure that I have a couple of open bays. I have no floppy so I believe that I have the room. ;)
 
wonder why there are only 5 1/2" rez's you would think that a 3" one would be more of a useful thing as no one uses a floppy anymore
 
Morphes said:
wonder why there are only 5 1/2" rez's you would think that a 3" one would be more of a useful thing as no one uses a floppy anymore
Click to expand...

they exist. i just saw some at dtek the other day.
 
i think deadlierchair is talking about a floppy bayres (unless he means some other "double floppy" :eek: )

:p

but the cylindrical one looks cooler, imnsho.
 
rogue_jedi said:
i think deadlierchair is talking about a floppy bayres (unless he means some other "double floppy" :eek: )
Click to expand...

:D :D Oh, yes, maybe I should have been more specific. There are dual floppy bay reservoirs and dual 5.25" bay reservoirs, along with singular 5.25" bay reservoirs. (no 3.5" single though I think, too small.)
 
Well, I went ahead and got the dual bay res from dangerden. Thanks to all for the feedback. :D
 
So, which one did you end up getting exactly and how's it working out for you? I'm also trying to determine what to get for a res.
 
This is my res, it's made by Aqua Computer. It's easy to fill and bleed with it. The only gripe is that I have it in an Aqua bay (a dual 5.25 drive bay holder) and I need to turn the computer with the bays facing up to fill it. Aquatube

I tend to like reservoirs more than fill lines. I also have an Innovatek Tank O Matic that plugs onto my Eheim 1046 (in Aqua Computer Aquastream flavor). It's rather nice looking when you're using UV dye too.
 
Is it just me, or are german companies taking over the US W/C market? :D

Personally, I'd definetely use a res, I've got one that attatches directly to my trusty old eheim, dubbed 'aquainlet', made by aqua-computer.
 
Little Grabbi said:
Is it just me, or are german companies taking over the US W/C market? :D

Personally, I'd definetely use a res, I've got one that attatches directly to my trusty old eheim, dubbed 'aquainlet', made by aqua-computer.
Click to expand...

Not really :( , the American market (as examplified by Pro Cooling) has been mostly high flow and fat tubing, but German style low flow has been catching on (I love it). Most Americans seem to dislike the small diameter tubing that goes with the low flow parts, but 'we' do seem to be catching on, especially now that SNT Systems is around. It's much easier to buy from them and not need to pay insanely high shipping from elsewhere. I got all my current water cooling stuff from SNT, and I'm selling off my American high flow stuff to a chap in England. ;)

I almost bought your ressy, but I couldn't resist the tube, you love the tube (even though the 5 hex screws are a pain to work with).
 
i'm interested in getting started in watercooling... would it make sense to attach your res to the top of the case, drill a hole through the case, and have the res stick out the top?
 
MrWoot said:
i'm interested in getting started in watercooling... would it make sense to attach your res to the top of the case, drill a hole through the case, and have the res stick out the top?
Click to expand...

That's my plan. I've got one of these on the way. Aqua Computers also has the AquaTube that looks very cool mounted on the top. I've read that they're a little restrictive though, not to mention a little pricey.
 
They are pricey in the US because of the weak dollar, but in the EU... <3 Aqua Computer!

What I like about the aquatube is simply the look of it, when equipped with a LED and one of thee no-window-fog nozzles. Very nice.

And yes, a res on top is quite useful actually, but in case of a pressure-equalized system, have the res feed to the pump, not the other way around, or you'll lose a lot of flow.
 
I just bought an Angel Eye fill/bleed res.

http://www.gruntville.com/reviews/wc/angeleyes_res/

And so far I love it! It mounts right up to the 80mm casefan holes on the top of my case, so I don't have to give up much space since that's empty space there anyways. It's not a very big res, but even if it were a double drive bay res - it wouldn't affect temperature much. It also bleeds bubbles VERY quickly. Under a minute here.
 
Pecos said:
That's my plan. I've got one of these on the way. Aqua Computers also has the AquaTube that looks very cool mounted on the top. I've read that they're a little restrictive though, not to mention a little pricey.
Click to expand...

They aren't restrictive if you're using a 1/4" low flow system. That's what they're designed for anyway. Most Americans use 1/2" high flow systems, so if you're integrating it into that, it will be very restrictive. You could always take an Aquatube to a machine shop and have them re-bore the 1/4" holes to fit 1/2" NPT. You'll need to have that part anodized as well, cause the bare aluminum would casue corrosion with all the other copper pieces in the system. If you don't mind the restrcition, SNT Systems sells barbs that let you use 3/8" tubing with the Aquatube, as well as 1/2" barbs, but I don't think those one will fit because they thread into 1/4" BSPT, and the tube uses 1/8" instead.

Also peek at the Criticool Waterplant (www.criticool.com). It's a 4" or 6" acrylic tube you can use horizontally or vertically. That would look pretty good at the top of the case as well. It was my favortie ressy when I had a 1/2" system. This ressy is just like the Angel Eye above, but the threads are on the top and bottom instead of the sides.
 
Pooky said:
They aren't restrictive if you're using a 1/4" low flow system. That's what they're designed for anyway. Most Americans use 1/2" high flow systems, so if you're integrating it into that, it will be very restrictive. You could always take an Aquatube to a machine shop and have them re-bore the 1/4" holes to fit 1/2" NPT. You'll need to have that part anodized as well, cause the bare aluminum would casue corrosion with all the other copper pieces in the system. If you don't mind the restrcition, SNT Systems sells barbs that let you use 3/8" tubing with the Aquatube, as well as 1/2" barbs, but I don't think those one will fit because they thread into 1/4" BSPT, and the tube uses 1/8" instead.

Also peek at the Criticool Waterplant (www.criticool.com). It's a 4" or 6" acrylic tube you can use horizontally or vertically. That would look pretty good at the top of the case as well. It was my favortie ressy when I had a 1/2" system. This ressy is just like the Angel Eye above, but the threads are on the top and bottom instead of the sides.
Click to expand...


Damn! Shoulda got that waterplant!
 
anr11 said:
So, which one did you end up getting exactly and how's it working out for you? I'm also trying to determine what to get for a res.
Click to expand...

I ended up getting the third one down, the dual bay res:
http://www.dangerden.com/mall/Misc_Hardware/ddbay.asp

Then I cracked my pump and only just paid for a new one, so I have no idea when I'll actually get everything set up. I'll post back here to let you know how it is, but by that time you'll probably have already gotten one. It looks to be a good res if you have room for it, but I won't know for sure for probably another week or so. Damn my clumsiness. :mad:
 
No, it will still be a while before I get one. I will be stateside in August and plan on putting together a water cooling system while I am there and bringing it back with me. Sorry to hear about your pump by the way. That sucks.
 
Little Grabbi said:
Is it just me, or are german companies taking over the US W/C market?...
Click to expand...

LOL mostly just for those interested in silent PCs and quiet computing, IME most people interested in high overclocks are still using high flow, big rad...
 
firtol88 said:
LOL mostly just for those interested in silent PCs and quiet computing, IME most people interested in high overclocks are still using high flow, big rad...
Click to expand...

I overclock and use little ID low flow. My friend has a big OC and uses little ID with low flow. They are just different styles, it's engineering versus brute force.
:)
 
Pooky said:
I overclock and use little ID low flow. My friend has a big OC and uses little ID with low flow. They are just different styles, it's engineering versus brute force.
:)
Click to expand...

Euro marketing is very good... ;)
 
Pooky said:
I overclock and use little ID low flow. My friend has a big OC and uses little ID with low flow. They are just different styles, it's engineering versus brute force.
:)
Click to expand...

oh god

there is no "special engineering" with german blocks. AT ALL. weve talked about this on procooling, you know, the forum that actual block designers visit. german systems perform less, case closed. theyre NOT naturally quieter, theyre naturally better looking and more expensive. the only advantage over the american system is looks. THAT IS IT. I could build a just as quiet if not QUIETER system for half the price of a german system that performs better, but the tradeoff is it doesnt look *as good*
 
kronchev said:
oh god

there is no "special engineering" with german blocks. AT ALL. weve talked about this on procooling, you know, the forum that actual block designers visit. german systems perform less, case closed. theyre NOT naturally quieter, theyre naturally better looking and more expensive. the only advantage over the american system is looks. THAT IS IT. I could build a just as quiet if not QUIETER system for half the price of a german system that performs better, but the tradeoff is it doesnt look *as good*
Click to expand...

And? I didn't say it was quiet nor did I say it looked better, I merely said we both use it and it works. I didn't say it will beat every thing out there either. Looks are subjective. I have a 1/2" system as well, and I happen to like all sorts of waterblocks (I have an original Whitewater) and am looking into buying a Maze2 for an older system. I don't care to berate others for not seeing eye to eye, so I don't bother with most of you Pro Cooling folks.
 
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