Curious to know how many people on this board who have electronic flow meters installed so they can get accurate numbers out of their loop. Would like to have a discussion about the difference between what is stated in flow and what you actually get.
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Flow meters used?
- Thread starter Top Nurse
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madmat
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For now, no. The ones that aren't outrageously expensive are restrictive and the ones that aren't restrictive are too expensive.
When I mentioned flow meters before, Marci said that they cut flow by a large amount (I believe 33% was mentioned) unless you go for expensive ones. Also that DDC pumps have an output that can be used to find out what the flow rate is.
Anyone know if this output is as good as a flow rate meter?
Anyone know if this output is as good as a flow rate meter?
Erasmus354
[H]F Junkie
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That output simply tells you RPM's, which could be extrapolated to flow if you knew some other pieces of data.
I agree that cheap flow meters kill flow (U-turn style AquaComputer flow meters), and the ones that don't have accuracy issues / cost too much (Swissflow infrared flow meters). I feel a flow meter is a silly thing to add restriction to your loop for, so if I did use one I would use the swissflow.
I really like my flow meter as it allows me to see what happens when I make changes. From the information I gather I can then make reasonable deductions on what will happen in my loop when I make other changes such as flow + or -, blocks, and tubing.
I don't use the AC design because it just is garbage unless you drill out the holes. I am currently using an AC prototype *cough* innovatek *cough* flow meter. I know it's still restrictive, but it effectively doubles my flow over the AC flow meter.
It also lets you do fun things as seen below in doing power measurements:
I don't use the AC design because it just is garbage unless you drill out the holes. I am currently using an AC prototype *cough* innovatek *cough* flow meter. I know it's still restrictive, but it effectively doubles my flow over the AC flow meter.
It also lets you do fun things as seen below in doing power measurements:
I have a Swissflow SF 800. It is a straight-thru design with 3/8 BSP inlet/outlet connections. Obviously, the internal components add some restriction. How much? I don't know, but I doubt it has a significant effect on flow rates.
Why do I have one?
- If my pump dies (flow goes to 0), the conversion software will shut down my computer instantly.
- The cost for me was right: free.
- Because I could.
Why do I have one?
- If my pump dies (flow goes to 0), the conversion software will shut down my computer instantly.
- The cost for me was right: free.
- Because I could.
Looks like you are using the DDC pump now? I never saw anything over 80 l/pr with my Aquastream.
Bio-Hazard
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I see zero reason to stick one in a loop myself............. If the pump fails, temps go up, if the temps go up to high, computer shuts down, basicly pretty simple really without the need for extra junk in the loop............
If the pump fails, temps go up, if the temps go up to high, computer shuts down, basicly pretty simple really without the need for extra junk in the loop............I see zero reason to stick one in a loop myself.............
Actually I would say your block will get so hot the tubing will melt causing a major leak before the computer shuts down. Given how soft tygon is, it will melt quick.
Bio-Hazard
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Not in the world I live in, maybe in never never land. And on top of that, I don't use Tygon tubing either, I see no reason for over paying for tubing either..........
I'm using an Aquastream pump now.
You need to spill the beans on the pumps Top Nurse. Make a thread about it and share all your knowledge about DDC, AquaSteam, "overclocking" the AquaStream, and the effect on temps etc you came out with.
What is the impulses per liter factor?
6000 pulses per liter. I use a fan divider of 4 to keep impulses under 10k into CrystalControl2 (so that I can properly monitor for alarms). I then divide by 1500 to display L/M.
I see zero reason to stick one in a loop myself.............
My motherboard doesn't have such an option. So you are willing to fry your CPU to keep from spending a few bucks?
OK, I don't know alot about the Aquaero SW. ILO the Flow input, can you hook it up to a fan input and change the fan divider? That is, does the Aquaero have a fan divider option? Most fans have a fan divider of 2: 2 pulses = 1 revolution. A *few* have other dividers. Check your SW. Hopefully, there is an option for this.
How you convert "fan" impluses to L/M may be a problem, also. How adaptive is the Aquaero to customization (sp!)?
Time for a new MB!
It's only a couple of years old (A8N-SLI Deluxe).
I just checked on the Aquasuite and it has the capability to use 1-50 pulses per revolution on the fan headers.
Cool, there you go. If you get a Swissflow, make sure you fill as much of your loop manually as you can and start your pump REAL slow. The sensors do NOT like high velocity air going thru them.
This is the voice of experience, as I ruined one that way. I did not understand why they sent me 2 originally, but I understood after that.
Delicate little buggers!
BillParrish
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Edit; <eats words> in reference to below, WOW that board does not have any type of simple CPU overheat shutdown, so I am wrong. Apparently its all in the cool and quiet software (an alarm anyway) and I believe heavy OCers do not run that, as I said I jumped over the newer AMD chips. So again, I am wrong in regards to your board but I still suspect that there is a much better way to monitor issues with CPU overheating than a flow meter, my pump RPM monitor is plugged into my CPU fan header (not needed since I WC) and the fan fail alarm in bios is set so that if my pump ever stops while the computer is on, it screams (beeps) bloody murder.
You do not have your MB in your sig and I am not looking through the 900 page posts you tend to generate but just how obsolete is that MB? Even my old socket A Abit NF7-s ,which is at least 5 years old, has "CPU Shutdown Temperature" option/feature under the "PC Health Status" menu in the bios. see above I was wrong the A8N-SLI Deluxe does not have simple CPU temp monitoring and shutdown.
But you cant burn up any Intel CPU since the P4 regardless of board settings. Biohazard cant burn up his C2D no mater what he does or does not do.
oops it got posted while I was posting: A8N-SLI Deluxe
I'm using the latest BIOS version 16 and there just isn't such a thing there. Maybe if I turned on the Cool n' Quiet feature it might show up, but I have no need for it as I have no fans connected to my MB. I even have the fan warnings turned off as well because of what I said previously.
However, my Aquaero (and other controllers as well) can be easily set to turn off the computer way before they have such a gross failure as an over heated CPU. I can set my temp sensors or flow meter to create a rule that shuts down the system and is configurable to whatever I choose.
So why didn't you want to go near this thread? I figured with some of your other comments recently that you might have some good things to say here regarding what really goes on in a loop.
However, my Aquaero (and other controllers as well) can be easily set to turn off the computer way before they have such a gross failure as an over heated CPU. I can set my temp sensors or flow meter to create a rule that shuts down the system and is configurable to whatever I choose.
So why didn't you want to go near this thread? I figured with some of your other comments recently that you might have some good things to say here regarding what really goes on in a loop.
Arcygenical
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Nope. never.
Added restriction, another point of failure, expensive, and I simply don't care about my flow rates.
If my pump dies, I've got HW and SW shut down controls for over-heating.
If it cools well... and I can't hear it... I'm happy.
Added restriction, another point of failure, expensive, and I simply don't care about my flow rates
.If my pump dies, I've got HW and SW shut down controls for over-heating.
If it cools well... and I can't hear it... I'm happy.
BillParrish
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I corrected my earlier post, I was wrong as wrong can be about your MB, I am still in shock and awe that it doesn't have it.
Well to be frank, apparently a lot here seem to get overly involved, I almost did, over some of the finer points raised. LOL I think I am mainly annoyed the Space Shuttle coverage is so boring ATM.
Actually I would be very interested in someone breaking the loop and timing the filling of a 2 liter bottle to check/calibrate the accuracy of some of these meters. This would involve a lot of work and trouble to be done well. Multiple runs, changing flow restriction (take a block out of the loop , add something restrictive to the loop) to get at least 3 different data points on the restriction axis.
If I could be convinced the things were decently accurate, I might consider one for fun. The monitoring software certainly looks cool enough.
The Swissflow meters are factory calibrated, so any calibration would have to be in SW. It would be neat to check calibration against a known meter, but the equipment/time/etc. to perform such a task would be slightly overwhelming, if done properly.
I work in the pharameutical industry, so SW adustments are a no-no. Calibration of such devices requires very expensive test equipment, which is what I mean by "if done properly".
Quite frankly, I'm not too concerned if they are bit off. If my flow-rate display screen started to show a change in flow, it would be time to start checking my loop, tho.
Fun: for me, it was a can I do this? Does it add a "coolness" to my setup? And for me, the cost was nil, so it was a no-brainer.
What I'm really amazed about is that people on this forum are always pulling out various charts and graphs made in sterile laboratory conditions and then fussing and fawning over the results in trying to apply them to a real cooling loop. When they have a chance to observe what is really going on in an actual loop (like they're own) they say they're not interested.
If more people had ways to check water and other temps as well as flow they might be really surprised at what is really going on.
If more people had ways to check water and other temps as well as flow they might be really surprised at what is really going on.
This is FWIW:
My original internal setup with 1 rad, CPU and GPU block gave me a flow rate of 4.6 L/M.
My first and second external water box setups (added a 2nd radiator) gave me a flow rate of 4.0 L/M.
With my current (3rd version) external water box, my flow rate is 3.9 L/M. The pump is a Swiftech MCP-655.
It was interesting to see how the changes effected flow rates.
My original internal setup with 1 rad, CPU and GPU block gave me a flow rate of 4.6 L/M.
My first and second external water box setups (added a 2nd radiator) gave me a flow rate of 4.0 L/M.
With my current (3rd version) external water box, my flow rate is 3.9 L/M. The pump is a Swiftech MCP-655.
It was interesting to see how the changes effected flow rates.
I am working with my friend to create an adaptor that will allow Aquaero to work with Swissflow... basically it is just a simple a signal divider
It should be ready by the end of this month....will let you guy know!