URGENT - Got my WC loop running; but why are my temperatures so high?!!!!

[d3fu5i0n]

Okay, I got my WC loop running.

...However, my temperatures are reported to range from the 65-80-ish mark - and it's the late evening [twenty-past 10P.M.] (as of writing).

Why are they so high?

I have no leaks whatsoever.

These are idle temperatures too!


Alphacool front-bay res [single 5.25].
It is used with two Laing [Alphacool modded] DC-LT pumps. They're also making grinding noises - I changed the 'O-rings' to those newer ones that I got bundled with the delivery.

Phobya UC-1 LT block.

NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper Radiator 240mm rad., with two 120mm fans. [push only].


PLEASE help as soon as possible!

 

[Phynaz]

Air in your loop? Your pumps shouldn't be making grinding noise.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

Air in your loop? Your pumps shouldn't be making grinding noise.

I'll get the air out eventually - looks like condensation at the top of the res. as well.

Anyhow, my main concern is the temperature. Between 70-85C at idle?! What the heck.

[I don't think I put on enough thermal compound, but that's still not a reason for 70-85C idle.].

 

[Kenmitch]

Is your CPU block mounted correctly? The design looks like you'd get a massive air bubble if mounted upside down or sideways.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

Is your CPU block mounted correctly? The design looks like you'd get a massive air bubble if mounted upside down or sideways.

Well, I took off the block and there was only a little thermal compound/paste. I put on my Dark Rock Advanced C1 for now, but I am still getting a lot higher temps. than I used to. That Phobya compound isn't doing well.
I'll borrow some Noctua compound I used for my step-brothers' computers.

I'll try to remount it tomorrow - it's a pig to mount.
I haven't found much on the internet, can someone tell me what order the different parts should be going in?

I thought it was dark metal plate [not sure of the proper names], plastic one, then on the other side of the board, another plastic one [there are 8 of them in total], the spring, the nut and then that top that does look like a "top-hat"! lol.

This is really baffling me. I don't have much of the pre-mix coolant left either - so I don't want to take it apart [the block is just resting on my graphics card for now] [it was a 1-Litre bottle, I'd say there's 1/4 left at the most].

 

[dma0991]

I don't think it is possible that TIM alone is at fault. Pump grinding can mean that there is still a lot of air bubbles in the pump, it should only be silent and vibrating. I'm guessing that you got the flow mixed up and got the inlet and outlet of the CPU block wrong. There is a jet plate in the block and it should only flow as per instructions given.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

I don't think it is possible that TIM alone is at fault. Pump grinding can mean that there is still a lot of air bubbles in the pump, it should only be silent and vibrating. I'm guessing that you got the flow mixed up and got the inlet and outlet of the CPU block wrong. There is a jet plate in the block and it should only flow as per instructions given.

I couldn't have got it mixed up.
#1) People on forums have shown the res/pump direction - Inlet/Outlet.
#2) The Phobya block has Inlet and Outlet symbols.

 

[bleucharm28]

a picture or 2 be really nice. show us flow direction, other stuff.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

a picture or 2 be really nice. show us flow direction, other stuff.

The guy from the retailer [12 years of WCing experience] said I put the block on incorrectly and it likely was barely touching.

Also, the grinding/rumbling sound - he said there's a new part for that, that he'll send [for free, of course].

I'm a bit annoyed that I need to immediately drain my system and disassemble a lot of it and that res. to put the new part on and re-fill it, just after it's arrived.

Not sure I can drain and store the coolant properly though.

 

[dma0991]

There could be a possibility that it did not make proper contact but if you've mounted air coolers before, this wouldn't be that different. Not sure how a new part would stop the grinding since it is usually caused by air bubbles in the loop unless you've run the pump dry for too long and the impeller is damaged.

You can drain and store what's left of the coolant and if there isn't enough, dilute it with distilled water. It will be lighter in color but it'll work just fine. I personally prefer a silver coil + distilled water + colored tubing method rather than to use coolant + clear tubing, distilled water is cheap and doesn't come with all the issues that some coolants do.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

There could be a possibility that it did not make proper contact but if you've mounted air coolers before, this wouldn't be that different. Not sure how a new part would stop the grinding since it is usually caused by air bubbles in the loop unless you've run the pump dry for too long and the impeller is damaged.

You can drain and store what's left of the coolant and if there isn't enough, dilute it with distilled water. It will be lighter in color but it'll work just fine. I personally prefer a silver coil + distilled water + colored tubing method rather than to use coolant + clear tubing, distilled water is cheap and doesn't come with all the issues that some coolants do.

Okay, temps. sorted [I did something really stupid] mostly...
However, the noise isn't.
A re-designed back for the reservoir should be arriving in about one week - well, that's what the retailer told me!

 

[Kenmitch]

So what did you do wrong the first time?

 

[d3fu5i0n]

So what did you do wrong the first time?

Let's say I found another plastic, protective layer for the waterblock when I took it off. ...In other words, I forgot to take it off in the first place, as I was so keen to keep it protected.

Anyhow, the temps still aren't what they should be, I can't get the air out. It sits in the top of the res. but won't come out.
Perhaps the res. I got wasn't a perfectly great one, as the placement of the fill-port [the top] isn't exactly good for filling 100%, nor getting air-bubbles out.

 

[dma0991]

Let's say I found another plastic, protective layer for the waterblock when I took it off. ...In other words, I forgot to take it off in the first place, as I was so keen to keep it protected.

Anyhow, the temps still aren't what they should be, I can't get the air out. It sits in the top of the res. but won't come out.
Perhaps the res. I got wasn't a perfectly great one, as the placement of the fill-port [the top] isn't exactly good for filling 100%, nor getting air-bubbles out.

I never made that newbie mistake of not removing clear plastic film. :biggrin:

Air in the reservoir won't do much to impede the temps of your loop, it will just cause a very annoying gushing sound but not affect anything else. As long as there are no air bubbles in the tubes, it should be fine. I'm using a bay reservoir and I don't really like it, filling is a PITA and I would have to tilt it at an angle to get the air bubbles out from a small chamber at the outlet of the reservoir. Yours don't look too easy to work with either.

I suggest dismantling and reassemble every part if the temps doesn't improve. If you rushed the first time, take more time to do it again slowly.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

I never made that newbie mistake of not removing clear plastic film. :biggrin:

Air in the reservoir won't do much to impede the temps of your loop, it will just cause a very annoying gushing sound but not affect anything else. As long as there are no air bubbles in the tubes, it should be fine. I'm using a bay reservoir and I don't really like it, filling is a PITA and I would have to tilt it at an angle to get the air bubbles out from a small chamber at the outlet of the reservoir. Yours don't look too easy to work with either.

I suggest dismantling and reassemble every part if the temps doesn't improve. If you rushed the first time, take more time to do it again slowly.

I'm not a newbie... I just made a silly mistake! . I more-or-less had a geeky hysteria moment for a long while.

Anyhow, I'll be re-doing most of it when that new back for the res. comes.
I don't have any gushing sounds - DC-LT pumps - just whines with one (quite quiet though...) and the other is still grinding like mad [not connected at the moment].

However, there are bubbles in the tubing that goes from the outlet on the block to the rad. It's interesting that the pressure wants to go upwards [hot air rises though, I suppose...] and I left far too much tubing on that part - maybe 2x as much as necessary; so not only does it kink a little, but the angles in it rely on me temporarily shaping it upwards so the air goes up and then twisting it sideways and in other directions to get it to carry on flowing to the rad. In my opinion, that shows that it's stopping a lot of the hot air from flowing round.

Anyhow, as long as that new back stops the noises, I stop most of those bubbles by cutting the tubing back to new sizes and that I can get the temperatures down by another 10-15C, I'll be rather happy!