What about using fuelfilters in a waterloop

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game14

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
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I have read in some threats in other forums that people are using waterfilters in their waterloop to keep it clean ,actually those things are quite big and not really cheap . Now i was thinking : what about using fuelfilters , those small inline filters . They are dirt cheap at any place and easy to work with .Small enough to fit anywhere in the case . Many of them even work with different tubing size from 6-10 mm . Would that make any sense or would it add to much restriction to the waterloop ???? :confused:
 
It's not out of the ordinary and I've seen plenty of people incorporate an inline filter into the loop. For the most part though they don't keep it in there for extended periods of time and usually take it out after a week or so just to remove any lingering debris that may be present.
 
mmmm actually thought i would get a little more response , seems that nobody ever used a fuelfilter for watercooling loops . :(
 
Mostly don;t, i don;t know how it could be easy to install the filter and then take it out with out taking every thing apart.
 
Simple - place the fuelfilter inline on the HIGHEST tube in your loop. When time comes to remove it, let some air into the loop (Drain out a l'il bit of water) from the item nearest on the same length of tube that should be below the filter, and this bubble should rise to the same point... keep doing so until a good 2" either side of the filter is all air. Now take out filter, whack in a hose-joiner, clamp either side, fire it up and pour about quarter of a mug of water back into the system to top it up.
 
It's kind of pointless to have a filter in a closed system. Also if you made sure the parts were clean when you put it together, you shouldn't have any issues. I would take care of the cleaning process before running the rig, this way you don't have to worry about removing a filter or even buying one.

But, I don't see what would be wrong with using a fuel filter. The ones that size (for lawnmowers, snowmobiles, etc..) usually contain cotten to act as a filter.
 
annaconda said:
Mostly don;t, i don;t know how it could be easy to install the filter and then take it out with out taking every thing apart.
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clamp the tubing on each side of the filter , put some papertowels under the filter so that the liquid doesnt drop on any parts , replace the fuelfilter and open the tubing again ....ready to go ;)
 
Unless there was something in the loop you needed to filter out, I think its the dumbest thing I ever heard.

Agree with build it clean, its not needed, ever.

And if for the reason above one was needed, people use the large water filters because the meduim is designed to filter water and they are typically fairly large with a lesser impact to flow and I hope they are temporary, for use before the system is disassembled and cleaned properly.

A small fuel filter, while cheap would just kill your flow, even the larger ones would significantly affect it.

I just see this as a very poor excuse to try to avoid taking apart and cleaning a contaminated loop.

as far as:
keep it clean
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Thats the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time. (Besides installing Vista before SP1 on a production machine).
 
Bill's right... It'd RUIN your flow while failing to really clear out all the tiny particulates that would be in the loop.

If anything, you'd need a sand filter... Which would also take all the dyes or additives you've added...
 
You may want to reconsider the way you address peoples' ideas here. If you don't know why, refer to the rules.

BillParrish said:
Unless there was something in the loop you needed to filter out, I think its the dumbest thing I ever heard.

........

Thats the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time. (Besides installing Vista before SP1 on a production machine).
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Fuel filters are also meant to be exposed to fuel, and not water. It's possible that there are metal parts in there that could rust or otherwise corrode, negating any benefit and probably worsening your problem.
 
...and as for BillParrish .... have a look at this page http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=54331
...if u would have read that article u would know that it is nothing new to use a filter for a certain time in a waterloop ......(the weird thing is it was u who posted me that link :rolleyes: ) ...anyways , now my idea was, instead of spending more then $ 30 on a waterfilter that i will not use for a long time afterwards , why not use a cheap $ 3 fuelfilter ??? doesnt sound dump to me :D
 
FlatLine84 said:
It's kind of pointless to have a filter in a closed system. Also if you made sure the parts were clean when you put it together, you shouldn't have any issues. I would take care of the cleaning process before running the rig, this way you don't have to worry about removing a filter or even buying one..
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I disagree completely. Even cleaning a system as clean as possible with vinegar, there 's till a possibility of of contamination in the system occurring because of algae growth or the white crud that many people seem to get on their tube walls.

Here's my system and here's what I did. Been running for two weeks now and NO crud in the loop at all.

Chenbro Gaming Bomb II
Gigabyte P965-DS3| BIOS F10
Conroe E6600 / L630B014 @ 410 x 9
24C Ambient /40C Idle / 60C Under Orthos
2 x 512MB OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum
EVGA 7900GT KO 256MB
24C Ambient / 36C Idle / 40C Under Rthdrbl
Seagate 320GB SATA II
Silver Stone SST-ST60F
Dell 2405FPW
Cathar Storm G4
Swiftech MCW30 Northbridge Block
EK FC-78 VGA Waterblock
EK-RES250 Reservoir
Petra's DDCT-01 / Laing DDC
Swiftech MCR-320 Radiator
5 micron inline water filter

 
BillParrish said:
........Thats the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time..........
Click to expand...

Although I'm sure plenty of stupid people have heard that, plenty of others such as the wright brothers, dr goddard, Fred Smith, etc, have heard it as well. Maybe think a little [H]arder next time before posting that about someone's idea.

to the OP- i have had the same thoughts, especially since I'm not a high flow fanatic. As a matter of fact, I've bought a couple of those clear plastic ones a few months ago to try out, life has just been kicking my ass on time though, so I haven't tried them yet.
 
I have been running Koolance liquid in my cooling system for over 3 yrs and have exactly no shit in it. You can buy it fairly cheap and there are other brands as well to choose from. No filter needed.

I wouldn't put a filter in my cooling system. That's my opinion. For one, its not needed, two it will reduce flow for no benefit at all, and lastly who knows how the system will react to having that in it chemicaly. Just cause one guy did it and he had no problems, are you going to find the exact same filter he did or are you gonna get unlucky and get one that has steel in it that reacts with your brass or however that works.

Oh, and hang in there Bill, somebody had to say it, and it might as well been you.
 
qdemn7 said:
I disagree completely. Even cleaning a system as clean as possible with vinegar, there 's till a possibility of of contamination in the system occurring because of algae growth or the white crud that many people seem to get on their tube walls.

Here's my system and here's what I did. Been running for two weeks now and NO crud in the loop at all.

Chenbro Gaming Bomb II
Gigabyte P965-DS3| BIOS F10
Conroe E6600 / L630B014 @ 410 x 9
24C Ambient /40C Idle / 60C Under Orthos
2 x 512MB OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum
EVGA 7900GT KO 256MB
24C Ambient / 36C Idle / 40C Under Rthdrbl
Seagate 320GB SATA II
Silver Stone SST-ST60F
Dell 2405FPW
Cathar Storm G4
Swiftech MCW30 Northbridge Block
EK FC-78 VGA Waterblock
EK-RES250 Reservoir
Petra's DDCT-01 / Laing DDC
Swiftech MCR-320 Radiator
5 micron inline water filter

Click to expand...


sweet setup, and that filter is cool, i really like the clear tube so you can see inside it. Did it come that way, or did you mod it? and just what man/part# plus where did you get it?:D
 
topcat989 said:
sweet setup, and that filter is cool, i really like the clear tube so you can see inside it. Did it come that way, or did you mod it? and just what man/part# plus where did you get it?:D
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Thanks, glad you like it. The filter is a standard whole house in-line water filter Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV.. I got it at Lowes Hardware locally. It was about $38 with tax. The thing is huge it holds over a liter of of fluid. (I've got about 2 1/2 liters in my entire loop.) There are cheaper units out there, but the thing I like about this one is that it has a bypass knob on top. You turn it 180 degrees, and it bypasses the filter allowing for quick filter change or just bypassing the filter completely. It uses standard 10 inch filters.
 
When an opinion is asked for and I decide to give mine, you get it without a bunch of BS, I said I thought the "idea" was dumb and I still think it is. Feel free to ignore me, my employer did it for 20 years, I am used to it.

That said, if the poster took it as I was attacking him personally, I apologize, it was not intended that way. I am normally a very blunt person and sometimes say things with a total lack of grace, however it is always honest and not intended to be mean, I was raised by wild animals.
 
topcat989 said:
Although I'm sure plenty of stupid people have heard that, plenty of others such as the wright brothers, dr goddard, Fred Smith, etc, have heard it as well. Maybe think a little [H]arder next time before posting that about someone's idea.

to the OP- i have had the same thoughts, especially since I'm not a high flow fanatic. As a matter of fact, I've bought a couple of those clear plastic ones a few months ago to try out, life has just been kicking my ass on time though, so I haven't tried them yet.
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good to know that someone else had that idea before :D , to bad u didnt try it out yet , i guess im going to autozone today and have a closer look at those filters , if they are really metal free , might take one apart .
 
Its actually that white crud that makes me think , i have seen in many posts that people get it in their loops even after cleaning them as good as possible . And in watercooling guides like xtremesystem forum or tomshardware they recommend using a filter for one or two days after the setup to clear the rest of debris that might be hidden somewhere , and those people sure do know what they are talking about , even if a certain person calls them dumb . Like i posted before i dont want to spend over $ 30 for a filter that i might not use for a long time afterwards , by the way qdemn7 setup really looks nice , but my desk is already really filled up ... no room for such a huge filter :( . So i think of using a cheap fuelfilter in my loop for one or two days after the setup during leaktesting would do just fine to make sure every hidden crap is really out off the system .I thought to hook it up at the outlet of my rad and after the time just take it out and connect the tubing directly to the rad and dump the filter . If nesessary i could repeat that whenever with a new filter without mayor disassembling of the loop . Question is if it would add too much restriction so that it could fry my pump ???
 
I think it's a trade off of increased purity (and less buildup over time) vs. loss of flow from the restriction of the filter. Experience shows that the more effective a filter is, the more restrictive it is to flow.
Perhaps the best compromise would be to use one for a few weeks after installing new fluid and then remove or bypass it.
 
If you decide to add a filter one of those small plastic units used on lawnmowers etc would be the perfect choice. Above all else avoid any filter with a paper or metallic element. The paper will swell on contact with water and pretty much stop your flow. Why introduce another piece of metal into the system, which is why you want to avoid a metallic element.

I agree on the Koolance comments, I simply don’t have any buildup of any sort after over 2 years and the coolant is still crystal clear.

To add a thought, IF I were to add a filter to my system I would put it on a secondary loop. As such if it clogged it would have no effect on cooling performance.
 
game14 said:
Iby the way qdemn7 setup really looks nice , but my desk is already really filled up ... no room for such a huge filter :( . So i think of using a cheap fuelfilter in my loop for one or two days after the setup during leak testing would do just fine to make sure every hidden crap is really out off the system .I thought to hook it up at the outlet of my rad and after the time just take it out and connect the tubing directly to the rad and dump the filter . If nesessary i could repeat that whenever with a new filter without mayor disassembling of the loop . Question is if it would add too much restriction so that it could fry my pump ???
Click to expand...
If you really want to go with a larger filter but have no room, or simply want to temporarily install any size filter, then get some quality Quick Disconnects. Install them so you have a male / female on one side of the filter and a female / male on the other. Makes it simple to install and remove the filter. I considered this before buying the rack I have. I suggest the Colder NSH. You will need FOUR pieces in total. Two coupling bodies and two coupling inserts. Either get

2 each of NSHD22008 & NSHD17008 - 1/2" for filtting over or 7 /16"ID or 1/2" ID tubing

2 each of NSHD22012 & NSHD22012 - 3/4" for fitting over 1/2" ID tubing. Might could fit 7/16 " with some real work by softening tubing in boiling water and QUICKLY forcing it on. This size would make for a less restrictive loop.
 
BillR said:
If you decide to add a filter one of those small plastic units used on lawnmowers etc would be the perfect choice. Above all else avoid any filter with a paper or metallic element. The paper will swell on contact with water and pretty much stop your flow.
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thx man , didnt think of that . The paper is fuelresistant but no idea if its also wateresistant . :eek:
Where u get those lawnmower filters from ??? home depot ???
 
Kinda a neat idea, id like to see someone add one to their loop.
 
Why are you guys getting "stuff" in your loops to begin with? I just don't understand how you need to filter a liquid that is pure to begin with. Are you guys dipping water for your loops out of the toilet and then adding some anti freeze because sounds like the right thing to do? Buy some actual coolant. It will work better, it is better for your pumps if they rely on the coolant to provide lubrication, and you won't get this buildup. I have 3yr old coolant right here as proof. No buildup on the lines or on the water blocks. My blocks have clear covers so I can see in them.

Now, if you are wanting to put these filters in your loops for the sole reason of the fact that you can't think of any thing else to do with your time and you think it looks cool just because some non-techy person will actually ask you why you have a huge ass filter sitting on the second shelf under your PC, so be it. Filter away. You should also add some water wheels as well. Maybe one of those flow indicators that have LED lights in them that spin around. You never know! Your water may stop flowing the right direction!
 
Met-AL said:
Why are you guys getting "stuff" in your loops to begin with? I just don't understand how you need to filter a liquid that is pure to begin with. Are you guys dipping water for your loops out of the toilet and then adding some anti freeze because sounds like the right thing to do? Buy some actual coolant. It will work better, it is better for your pumps if they rely on the coolant to provide lubrication, and you won't get this buildup. I have 3yr old coolant right here as proof. No buildup on the lines or on the water blocks. My blocks have clear covers so I can see in them.

Now, if you are wanting to put these filters in your loops for the sole reason of the fact that you can't think of any thing else to do with your time and you think it looks cool just because some non-techy person will actually ask you why you have a huge ass filter sitting on the second shelf under your PC, so be it. Filter away. You should also add some water wheels as well. Maybe one of those flow indicators that have LED lights in them that spin around. You never know! Your water may stop flowing the right direction!
Click to expand...

have a look at this link and scroll down to the part "filtration" http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=54331
 
Met-AL said:
Why are you guys getting "stuff" in your loops to begin with? I just don't understand how you need to filter a liquid that is pure to begin with. Are you guys dipping water for your loops out of the toilet and then adding some anti freeze because sounds like the right thing to do? Buy some actual coolant. It will work better, it is better for your pumps if they rely on the coolant to provide lubrication, and you won't get this buildup. I have 3yr old coolant right here as proof. No buildup on the lines or on the water blocks. My blocks have clear covers so I can see in them.

Now, if you are wanting to put these filters in your loops for the sole reason of the fact that you can't think of any thing else to do with your time and you think it looks cool just because some non-techy person will actually ask you why you have a huge ass filter sitting on the second shelf under your PC, so be it. Filter away. You should also add some water wheels as well. Maybe one of those flow indicators that have LED lights in them that spin around. You never know! Your water may stop flowing the right direction!
Click to expand...
Last time I checked you weren't the guardian of my time, effort, energies or resources. So whatver I deicde to do is my decision alone, unless you are going to start paying me for my time. As to WHY is used the "huge-ass filter" read my post see my post above and my earlier thread White Crud in Your Loop? Here's Why...
 
Let me suggest a really good way to make a inline filter you can easily perform maintenance on without having to disconnect anything or drain your loop.. when you want to change the filter, just close off the valves and perform your maintenance even while the pc is running.. mspaint drawings ftw!

filter.jpg
 
Let me suggest a really good way to make a inline filter you can easily perform maintenance on without having to disconnect anything or drain your loop.. when you want to change the filter, just close off the valves and perform your maintenance even while the pc is running.. mspaint drawings ftw!
interesting ...that would it make easier to drain my loop too if i place the valves at the bottom of my case ....that actually gives me another idea ... why not build my own filter out of a piece of pipe ....gonna think about that and post later . ;)
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I guess Met-AL got something wrong ....this threat is not about "huge ass filter" , its about small WATER filter , there is no need to connect my waterloop to my ass and filter it ...wouldnt be good for the temp either i guess :rolleyes:
 
game14 said:
I guess Met-AL got something wrong ....this threat is not about "huge ass filter" , its about small WATER filter , there is no need to connect my waterloop to my ass and filter it ...wouldnt be good for the temp either i guess :rolleyes:
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Reminds me of that OLD Red Foxx Album (Vinyl) "You Gotta Wash Your Ass" :D
 
qdemn7 said:
I disagree completely. Even cleaning a system as clean as possible with vinegar, there 's till a possibility of of contamination in the system occurring because of algae growth or the white crud that many people seem to get on their tube walls.

Here's my system and here's what I did. Been running for two weeks now and NO crud in the loop at all.

Chenbro Gaming Bomb II
Gigabyte P965-DS3| BIOS F10
Conroe E6600 / L630B014 @ 410 x 9
24C Ambient /40C Idle / 60C Under Orthos
2 x 512MB OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum
EVGA 7900GT KO 256MB
24C Ambient / 36C Idle / 40C Under Rthdrbl
Seagate 320GB SATA II
Silver Stone SST-ST60F
Dell 2405FPW
Cathar Storm G4
Swiftech MCW30 Northbridge Block
EK FC-78 VGA Waterblock
EK-RES250 Reservoir
Petra's DDCT-01 / Laing DDC
Swiftech MCR-320 Radiator
5 micron inline water filter

Click to expand...



Couldn't you just have used the waterfilter as a reservoir too? I mean it's big enough?
 
Ockie said:
Couldn't you just have used the waterfilter as a reservoir too? I mean it's big enough?
Click to expand...
I could but it makes it too hard to bleed the system. I looked at the inside of the filter housing and saw it would trap air bubbles at the top. The system is still slowly bleeding down. Besides, trial and error is part of the learning process.
 
I'm in the camp that I don't think there is a need for a waterfilter PROVIDED you start with clean parts and "clean water" and no mixing of metals. For exa,ple. I have had the same coolant running through for about 5 and a half years. No buildup or particulates noted. My secret?

All I can say is that my system is " all copper (copper block, copper radiator). I used distelled water (more for the fact that it should be resonable clean of microorganisms...tap water although chlorinated is "living") and I added a few capfuls of water wetter (a water surfactant designed for radiators). The radiator was a "junkyard find" cleaned with hot water/toilet bowl cleaner and rinsed clean

The system is close loop, there are two tubes about a foot long that connect the pc to my watercooling box, these tubes are exposed to normal daylight. Like I said, so far the water still has that red hue to it, no buildup or partoculate matter... take it for what its worth...

-mike
 
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