It is a bit low to allow for air bubbles currently, still letting them work out of the system. It has gotten a lot quieter but there is still a few air bubbles left to work out. Once the pump is back to running silent like before I will top it off.
Between the leak test and final mount i drained the loop. I ran just distilled water at the time to help flush things out a bit and make sure everything was clean.
After cleaning the rads with "Blitz Kit", I connect them to the faucet and run water thr them for about 10 minutes. Next goes a quich flush with DW for about 1 - 2 hours, followed by a 2nd filling of DW which I run cupla days to a week before final flush and full with coolant of choice.
Couple of tips going forward:
I found that the DW and / or coolant will continue to "off gas" for some time.
NOTE: Any liquid exposed to air will absorb air and this knowledge is very IMPORTANT. When this happens pH drops... significantly. Never leave Distilled Water exposed to air or you will find that in absorbing CO2 from the air, it's pH drops when carbonic acid is formed ... significantly ... down to 5.8 or so. It only takes about 2 hours.
When using a vertical reservoir, I found the best way to address this is to allow the reservoir to fill to 85-90% and use a fill tube on the reservoir fill line that exits below water. Any free flowing bubbles will be caught here. You will still see some bubbles get caught at the highest point. Again, this is were rad top ports come in handy. Taking the top port cap off, connected the 12" vertical rigid acrylic tube, topped with the valve and funnel allows this air to escape and be replaced with coolant... unattended I used to check for air accumulation every 3 months .... now 6. Recommend draining the system and replacing the coolant every 18 - 24 months.
1. Shut system down, fill with water ... some add a bit of vinegar (this assumes you did a true chemical flush (Blitz Kit) of system at build time. Run for 2 hours or whatever is convenient. This step is going to be more important if using dyed coolant (especially if changing colors) ... no sense wasting DW which ya have to buy to make sure ya refill is tained with old color.
2. Shut down and drain again, fill with Distilled water, run for an hour and drain
3. Shut down and drain again ... run for a week, bleeding if you hear noises
4. Replace coolant.
Sounds like work, but the drain, fill / bleed and reservoir bleed ports, just takes a few minutes.
Also easy to do with OLC type AIOS like the Swiftech. If your rad has a side port, also works too. Use a horizontal piped rigid acrylic extension on the reservor port with valve and cap. When you want to bleed or fill.
1. Make sure valve is closed. Build a horizontal rigid acrylic tube extension long enough to exit thru a 5-1/4 bay or take off front panel if none exists. At the end of the tube, add an elbow fitting, another vertical extension extending to a point higher than any point on the loop.
2. Tilt the box back on a desk / table supporting the top back of the case on a couple of books so that a) the rad fill port is the highest point and b) you can leave all rear wires connected.
3. Let it run until no noise or bubbles in reservoir, topping off with added coolant as necessary. If you don't have a reservoir (with air space on top) or a horizontal one, have to take a spec more care here.
4. To make sure loop is full, you will not be able to avoid leaving some coolant in the acrylic tube downstram of the valve. This is no big concern. Close the valve and tip the box upright again. Your excess coolant will be in the tube but it cant leak out cause the vertical section is still higher then any point in the system. Grab a bowl or container then rotate the elbow with one hand while holding the bowl on the other. Leave the vertical tube pointing down over the bowl and maybe stick a book under the rear of the case. Once satisfied, remove the acrylic tubing parts and put the cap back on donstreeam of the valve,
