Topping up w/c pc

[skattrd]

I watercooled my pc about 4 months ago and today I was planning on adding a couple of bits, a n/b waterblock and a bayres.
My current setup has an all in one sealed pump/res box which is a pain to fill, but I haven't touched it since I installed it. Its a rather basic but efficent setup atm:
Pump/res -> rad -> CPU Block -> Pump/res

So the questions are:
1) Do I reallly need a sperate res as the main reason I was going to add one was to aid re-filling or topping it up, which i haven't done in about 4 months.

2) Should I have been topping it more frequently, if so how often?
edit: When do you know its time to top up the water level?

[Shogun]

You should only really top it up when you notice the water level dropping, I normally flush mine completely through about every 2 months.
A seperate res would help with refilling but i never used one. I just used a Y section of tubing as high in the case as you can.

[Lee H]

I just open the cap on my hydrocooler and if it looks slightly low I top it up How often should I change the water as I've had it for like 4 months without a change now?

[Shogun]

What kinda mix are you using? And what are the blocks and the rad made out of?

[skattrd]

The blocks are copper (ocpc atlantis cpu block and aqua-computer n/b block) the rad is a BIX - dunno what that is and I use a 3:1 mix of de-ionised water/anti-freeze.

[mr_anderson187]

maybe get a new pump a nice little 2nd hand ehiem one, and then put a bayres one in if you like

[SilentDeath]

Dont get a bay res! get a proper res!

Put the res as high as you can. Have the pump directly below the res outlet so the pump is always primed.

I wouldnt bother using antifreeze. I find de-ionised water is fine on its own, even with alu.
If theres no wet copper physically touching wet alu, you wont have corrosion problems with de-ionised water.

To keep algy away, I use a biocide, dunno which one, but we use it at work for the big water chillers (which the water only gets changed once every few years!)

Water needs changing as soon as any algy is noticed. If you let it grow, its a pita to clean out the tubing and res later. Apart from that, just top it up to keep the water at the same level

Which pump are you using?

[skattrd]

Which pump are you using?

Tbh I'm not 100% sure, afaik its a maxijet 1200, but as its in a sealed metal box its hard to check

[GAteKeeper]

While I Dont totally agree with SD what he says is ok.

A 5:1 mix of de-ionised water and anti-freeze will work very well as an anti-alge.

I had a mixed system (Alu block and copper/bonze rad) and it does corrode with just de-ionised water in it, this is because the case acts as the grounding loop for the electrolisis.

I now have a 100% copper system and i havent changed the water yet - only been running for ~3months. but I do top it up/check the level once a month. If you are using a mix then you only need to top it up wiht de-ionised water not the full mix.

GAteKeeper