Designing and Building a Custom Water Cooling Loop with Air: A Comprehensive Guide

Okay guys, so if you've noticed now everything is in all caps, are on the loop, is all put together, and I've unmounted the reservoir for two reasons. First, I don't like to leave a full-time fill port going on here or a tube to the top of the case. What I like to do is remove this from the bracket and bring it outside of the case so it's easier to work with it.

One reason why I've done this is that it allows me to access the reservoir more easily, which is essential for bleeding out air bubbles. When you're building a custom water cooling loop with air, one of the biggest challenges is getting rid of those pesky air pockets that can cause your system to overheat. By mounting the reservoir outside of the case, I can see what's going on inside and make adjustments as needed.

Another reason why I've unmounted the reservoir is that it gives me more flexibility when it comes to bleeding out air. When you're working with a closed system like this, it's essential to be patient and take your time when getting rid of air bubbles. By being able to access the reservoir more easily, I can make sure that my system is properly bled before I start running it.

Now, let's talk about the process of bleeding out air from a custom water cooling loop with air. This is the most crucial part of building a reliable and efficient system. When you're working with air, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you need to be patient - this process can take some time, especially if your system is large or complex.

To start bleeding out air from your loop, you'll need to use a pump and some fluid. The type of fluid you use will depend on the temperature range you're operating in, as well as the materials you're using for your system. In general, it's best to use a high-quality coolant that's specifically designed for water cooling loops.

Once you have your equipment, you can start the process of bleeding out air. This typically involves slowly flipping the power on and off to create pressure and help dislodge any air bubbles that may be trapped in the system. It's essential to listen carefully to the sound of your pump as it operates - if you hear any strange noises or sounds, such as hissing or bubbling, this could indicate that there's still air present in your system.

To speed up the process of bleeding out air, you can try tilting your case gently from side to side. This creates a slight pressure differential that helps to move any air bubbles out of the system and into the reservoir. Be careful not to overdo it - extreme tilting can cause the fluid to splash or spill, which can lead to leaks and other problems.

As you continue to bleed out air from your loop, pay close attention to the water level in your reservoir. If the level drops too low, this could indicate that there's still air present in your system. On the other hand, if the level stays steady or even increases slightly, this is a good sign that the air has been successfully removed.

Now, let's talk about some of the most common mistakes people make when building a custom water cooling loop with air. One of the biggest problems is overfilling the reservoir - this can lead to leaks and other issues down the line. It's essential to be careful and precise when adding fluid to your system, as even small amounts too much can cause problems.

Another mistake that people often make is not taking the time to properly bleed out air from their loop. This can lead to overheating, damage to components, and even safety hazards. By being patient and taking the time to get it right, you can avoid these common pitfalls and build a reliable and efficient system that will serve you well for years to come.

Finally, let's talk about some of the most important things to keep in mind when building a custom water cooling loop with air. First and foremost, it's essential to understand the basics of hydraulics and fluid dynamics. This is because your system relies on a delicate balance of pressure and flow rates to function properly.

Additionally, you'll want to pay close attention to the materials you're using for your system. The type and quality of components can have a significant impact on performance, reliability, and safety. Be sure to choose high-quality components that are specifically designed for water cooling loops, as these will provide the best possible performance and durability.

In conclusion, building a custom water cooling loop with air requires patience, attention to detail, and a solid understanding of the basics. By following the steps outlined above and being mindful of common mistakes, you can build a reliable and efficient system that will serve you well for years to come. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just starting out, this guide should provide you with all the information and advice you need to succeed.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enokay guys so if you've notice now everything is in all the clamps are on the loop is all put together and I've unmounted the reservoir for two reasons I don't like to leave a full-time fill uh Port going on here or a tube to the top of the case but what I like to do is I like to remove this from the bracket and bring it outside of the case so it's easier to work with it's one reason why I have it routed the way I do is because look at all this slack that I've got right here but I also um take off the fill plug on the top which is this guy right here and I take a spare /2 in Barb and just hand tight against the O-ring and then I'll take some spare tube I'll I'll put it on the Barb here zip tie it so we don't get any leaks and what this does is this then allows me to get a fill Port that's at the highest point of the loop cuz the easiest way you're going to bleed is to have the opening to the atmosphere or the opening to the uh outside of the loop being above the highest point of the loop so this is what I'm doing now we're getting ready to do our fill and leak test all right so when you fill this you're going to want to fill slowly because unfortunately my reservoir here only has one fill port on the top instead of two which would have kind of helped as you replace air in this system with coolant the air has to escape and the only way it has to escape is through the same port that you're filling so what's going to happen here is you're going to see a really neat spiral effect you're going to see only a trickle of coolant coming out of here as it's replacing liquid with air so it's an exchange process that's happening here swifttech I doubt you're watching but if you ever are watching add a second port to this that we can loosen up kind of like a bleed port on a car because then the air has a place to go and the coolant can exchange a lot faster it make life a whole lot easier R&D got a little guy here on YouTube telling you how to do your job looks like I looks like someone wiped their butt with it thanks for that all right moment of truth little bits of a time just a little bit cuz you also don't want to get coolant trapped in this tube because you overfilled because guess what you have to detach the tube that's another mess that you'd have to deal with here so what I'm going to do now is I'm only going to fill it enough to get the very bottom plug uh completely filled that way I can make sure that the very first Junction I had right here is not leaking and so far we're good love the color of this cuz they're waiting for it to start leaking yeah oh and there it is where I'm just kidding cuz I don't want to waste any of this I barely got enough to fill this Loop so if you see a leak seriously tell me all right okay so now that we've gone ahead and filled this up you'll notice here that the level pretty much stopped even with this Barb cuz what's happening now is we have air trapped in here and this is the Barb and the tube that leads to the lower radiator so this is not going to be able to rise anymore until two things happen we've got to get the air out of the system and we've got to start filling up this lower radiator so what I'm doing here is I'm just taking one of my 650 W power supplies and I did this guys with a 300 W like $15 unit that came a free one that comes with the case you can do it with that one too plug it into power but you have to make sure that has a switch one of the you know the toggle switches on the back that allow you to turn it on and off and you take a paper clip this is the old Junction uh trick here you take a paper clip cut it bend it in half and you jump her together on the 24 pin connector the green wire there's only one green wire out of all 24 pins there's only one green wire and a black wire there's one on either side doesn't matter which one so you're going to take it you're going to you're going to put it right in the end right there so what happens when you jumper these two is you're actually jumpering what's considered the power switch on the front of your PC to a ground which then will enable the the switch on the back of the power supply here let me show you that this one has a switch right here and on off and allows you to be able to turn the power supply unit on and off with the rear switch okay so now what we're going to do to get some of this air out and get some of that replaced with fluid is we're just going to slowly flip on and off the power supply and fortunately because I have a variable speed pump when we get this more full one of the way ways that we can help move air out of the radiators cuz the upper radiator is where all the water or the air is going to want to go I can turn the speed up and down so and that will help slos some of the fluid to help get the air moving uh tipping and tilting the case is another way to do that um so what we're going to do now is we're just going to flip it on and you can see the water level dropped and came back up but you notice now it's a little bit lower than where it was and I want you guys to hear the sound that this makes as it starts to pull in air with the fluid that sound is bad so once you hear that you want to make sure that you stop using your pump but you saw a lot of bubbles come out of there right now so this is the process that we're just going to keep repeating so we're going to fill it up till it gets to this upper Barb right here in the reservoir cuz that's where the air is going to make its way out and we repeat the process this is very tedious it will take a while must have patience if you use your water cooling loop with air in it you will overheat something we now have cool trapped in here too see that yep one of the things too that would really help is if you guys understand how Hydraulics work um because there's pressure here and this tube was filled you'll notice on that last blip of the power supply as this level went down water was then draw uh fluid was then drawn in because it finally made room for the air to get out as the air goes out and equal amount of fluid goes in it's all about volumetric pressure and the actual volume of the system itself so that's why you have to be very patient and be careful that you don't overfill this like I mentioned earlier because you will have as FPS Russia says very bad day one way to make bleeding a little bit faster and a little bit easier is while the pump is running just slowly tilt your case in each Direction you can see some bubbles just came out right there because as you create an uneven surface and you force the air to move the pump will take over and it will push any bubbles that are in the system out you don't need to do any extreme tilting you know gravity and is a when it comes to air and uh looks like we're doing pretty good I mean the the water level dropped a good I'd say half inch just from those couple of tilts so just keep that process going keep adding fluid as necessary and after a while the bubbles will workself out this is the part where you have to be patient and you can't rush things well there it is that's a fully built custom loop we're bled we're letting it run right now checking for any leaks that we may have you want to let this run I I personally am very gutsy I've never let this thing run for more than a half hour before giving it power letting it boot up some people recommend a 24-hour leak test if you're using the right materials you're using the right kind of clamps and you've got a good seal it's very unlikely that a SE a leak will develop in 24 hours it's my personal opinion you know I'm not saying anybody else is wrong but here it is it's all put together it's very simple on ly in my opinion the most complicated part is bleeding it and that's where a lot of people make their mistakes so if you have any questions about this water cooling Bild and there's more you want to know just put it down in the comments I'll be great to I'll be sure to answer that and I'm sure there's a lot of people who know about water cooling who'd be willing to come in and give advice too so that's been J2 cense custom water cooling build now we're going to throw this thing back together and get to gaming because I am just dying to see how this water cooling does sh\n"