Watercooling with indoor faucet/plumbing

[waterboyserver]

I am considering converting an unused faucet with a G 1/4 thread to run a waterloop in and out of my computer to cool 5 7970's and cpu. Has anyone ever tried such a project or seen it been done?

Perceived benefits:
-cooler water (especially winter) or room temp water
-lower component temperatures -->  lower power consumption, allows good overclocking
-no reservoir, pump, and radiator needed (less tubing)
-much less noise relative to fan and fan+radiator
-I don't pay for water, its in the rent
-Water not continuously circulating in loop, possibly less bacterial growth
-less heat radiated into room

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Any other risks outweight the benefits? (This is of course clean water, not toilet water  )

[OgNasty]

That would be a pretty extreme waste of water. 

[crazyates]

I am considering converting an unused faucet with a G 1/4 thread to run a waterloop in and out of my computer to cool 5 7970's and cpu. Has anyone ever tried such a project or seen it been done?

Perceived benefits:
-cooler water (especially winter) or room temp water
-lower component temperatures -->  lower power consumption, allows good overclocking
-no reservoir, pump, and radiator needed (less tubing)
-much less noise relative to fan and fan+radiator
-I don't pay for water, its in the rent
-Water not continuously circulating in loop, possibly less bacterial growth
-less heat radiated into room

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Any other risks outweight the benefits? (This is of course clean water, not toilet water  )

Someone's paying for the water. If you were on a house with a well/private septic, then maybe...

[waterboyserver]

That would be a pretty extreme waste of water. 

The faucet would not be open by much, certainly no where near its fullest, there is no need since the thread would bottleneck fluid flow. Part of the water I use is from a well (remaining = public), both would be lead back into public water supply. The concept is not use water in "pretty extreme" magnitude of say a golf course, waterpark, or lawn/garden maintenance. But rather just enough to keep the temperature at a decent limit (~40 to 60 C per device).

[Lethos]

It could be done, but someone will be monitoring the usage and could actually mistake the usage for a leak, since it would be a constant flow.

Then you'll be having to explain the excessive usage even if it is included in the rent. Trust me, it would only be temporary, but you'd have to find another method or a new place.

[cmg5461]

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Also, tap water is disgusting.  Your water blocks will look like mossy sea rocks after 3 months.

[waterboyserver]

It could be done, but someone will be monitoring the usage and could actually mistake the usage for a leak, since it would be a constant flow.

Then you'll be having to explain the excessive usage even if it is included in the rent. Trust me, it would only be temporary, but you'd have to find another method or a new place.

Well, then it seems it would work, but not for long, and it would probably not be a good idea. Unless the water would come from a large enough reservoir/tank/well, but even that would not be feasible.

[waterboyserver]

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Also, tap water is disgusting.  Your water blocks will look like mossy sea rocks after 3 months.

I thought tap water was not that bad. Although I only thought of this idea, and won't do it. Wouldn't placing a couple of silver spirals inside the tubing counter that?

[cmg5461]

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Also, tap water is disgusting.  Your water blocks will look like mossy sea rocks after 3 months.

I thought tap water was not that bad. Although I only thought of this idea, and won't do it. Wouldn't placing a couple of silver spirals inside the tubing counter that?

Silver maintains a basic pH.  New water is incoming and not recirculated.  Look up heat exchangers.  It's basically a radiator which transfers heat from the internal loop to an external loop.  Or heats the internal loop, depending on your use.

But this is long term stuff.  I think condensation is your biggest threat.  It only takes one drop to destroy a system.

[gyverlb]

I don't know if it's the same where you live, but using tap water in a cooling system is illegal in my country.

The water distribution services and the sewers aren't designed for such usage. If you could do it, anybody would be able to create home built air-conditioning devices that would empty the water tables and put large amounts of hot water in the sewers (you don't want that unless you like large scale health/pests problems).

[1l1l11ll1l]

I don't know if it's the same where you live, but using tap water in a cooling system is illegal in my country.

The water distribution services and the sewers aren't designed for such usage. If you could do it, anybody would be able to create home built air-conditioning devices that would empty the water tables and put large amounts of hot water in the sewers (you don't want that unless you like large scale health/pests problems).

We do have home cooling systems that use the tap water in the west desert areas of the US, it's the evaporative coolers (Swamp coolers) on the top of houses.

[waterboyserver]

I don't know if it's the same where you live, but using tap water in a cooling system is illegal in my country.

The water distribution services and the sewers aren't designed for such usage. If you could do it, anybody would be able to create home built air-conditioning devices that would empty the water tables and put large amounts of hot water in the sewers (you don't want that unless you like large scale health/pests problems).

We do have home cooling systems that use the tap water in the west desert areas of the US, it's the evaporative coolers (Swamp coolers) on the top of houses.

I once heard about those, do you happen to know how much water typical swamp coolers might use up per hour or day?

[1l1l11ll1l]

I don't know if it's the same where you live, but using tap water in a cooling system is illegal in my country.

The water distribution services and the sewers aren't designed for such usage. If you could do it, anybody would be able to create home built air-conditioning devices that would empty the water tables and put large amounts of hot water in the sewers (you don't want that unless you like large scale health/pests problems).

We do have home cooling systems that use the tap water in the west desert areas of the US, it's the evaporative coolers (Swamp coolers) on the top of houses.

I once heard about those, do you happen to know how much water typical swamp coolers might use up per hour or day?

cals.arizona.edu/pubs/consumer/az9145.pdf

[seriouscoin]

I am considering converting an unused faucet with a G 1/4 thread to run a waterloop in and out of my computer to cool 5 7970's and cpu. Has anyone ever tried such a project or seen it been done?

Perceived benefits:
-cooler water (especially winter) or room temp water
-lower component temperatures -->  lower power consumption, allows good overclocking
-no reservoir, pump, and radiator needed (less tubing)
-much less noise relative to fan and fan+radiator
-I don't pay for water, its in the rent
-Water not continuously circulating in loop, possibly less bacterial growth
-less heat radiated into room

Perceived risks:
-water might leak
-water pressure might change
-water shortages  
-possible condensation of water on tubing/blocks from environment and faucet temps
-Hard or soft water (controllable) - build of gunk in waterloop and clogging
-possible galvanic corrosion? piping uses copper, water blocks are copper

Any other risks outweight the benefits? (This is of course clean water, not toilet water  )

What an dumb idea,

You can handle that heat with a radiator, cost about $100 at local shop.

Why would you waste water for such stupid crap like this?

[1l1l11ll1l]

I just pump glacial runoff to a heat exchanger so as to not infest my closed loop. Works like a charm. Although.... the coast seems to be receding lately...

[multi#lord]

It actually does sound somewhat like an interesting idea worth exploring at first, though not for the long term. If you use a well or septic tank for the water it would be a fanless system, except the water having passed through the loop the first time should not return to septic tank. Either it goes down the drain or back to nature. The idea of multiple heat exchangers would keep the computer loop cool.  As for wasting water, you probably won't use close as much as a sprinkler system or two to three cycles on a washing machine if flow is managed. A bit unorthodox of a method, but I guess as you said, its just a concept.

[bulanula]

It actually does sound somewhat like an interesting idea worth exploring at first, though not for the long term. If you use a well or septic tank for the water it would be a fanless system, except the water having passed through the loop the first time should not return to septic tank. Either it goes down the drain or back to nature. The idea of multiple heat exchangers would keep the computer loop cool.  As for wasting water, you probably won't use close as much as a sprinkler system or two to three cycles on a washing machine if flow is managed. A bit unorthodox of a method, but I guess as you said, its just a concept.

LOL the well has an electric pump. Someone is paying for that constant electricity usage for it to pump water ...

Stupid idea in summary. Use radiator !

[seriouscoin]

It actually does sound somewhat like an interesting idea worth exploring at first, though not for the long term. If you use a well or septic tank for the water it would be a fanless system, except the water having passed through the loop the first time should not return to septic tank. Either it goes down the drain or back to nature. The idea of multiple heat exchangers would keep the computer loop cool. As for wasting water, you probably won't use close as much as a sprinkler system or two to three cycles on a washing machine if flow is managed. A bit unorthodox of a method, but I guess as you said, its just a concept.

Please use your brain b4 making a dumb observation like that.

Do you know what the avg flow rate of a normal watercooled pc is? Either GPM or LPH, pick one then do some grade 1 math while in front of your bathroom mirror. Take pic of your dumbfound face and post here.

[AzN1337c0d3r]

Please use your brain b4 making a dumb observation like that.

...

pick one then do some grade 1 math while in front of your bathroom mirror. Take pic of your dumbfound face and post here.

Although what he posted might not seem feasible, there's no need to troll like that.

According to the article 1l1l11ll1l posted, an average home uses about 2.17 GPH (19000 gallons per year) with an evaporative cooler.

[||bit]

-I don't pay for water, its in the rent

If you started doing this, it wouldn't take long before you were. Once the first water bill came in, the landlord will have a good cause/case to raise your rent.
Put yourself in the landlords shoes.