|
|
 |
|
Product:
|
Innovatek innovaSET1 Water Cooling Kit |
|
Price:
|
$325 (CAN) / $204 (U.S)
|
|
Supplied By:
|
Xoxide Modifications
|
|
Author:
|
BigDaddy
|
|
Date:
|
November 18th, 2002
|
|
Rating:
|
|
|
Click image for larger view
|
Click image for larger view
|
|
The kit ships with an Eheim 1046 AC pump. Innovatek ships the pump with all of its included hardware, although the inlet
housing and the PVC fittings are not required. Included with the kit are two brass compression nut fittings for the
inlet and outlet of the pump. There are two main reasons these pumps are so popular with water cooling kits. The first
is that they operate in complete silence. The only noise I could hear from the pump was the vibration the pump made
along the bottom of my case. With some closed-cell foam underneath the unit to absorb the vibration, I couldn’t even
tell if the pump was running when the system was operational. The second reason is that Eheim pumps generate little to
no heat. With the pump running inline for over 24 hours, the housing was still cool to the touch. Since the unit is also
submersible, both inline and reservoir-based systems will enjoy lower coolant temps or case temps with this pump
installed. The pump has a removable mounting bracket, so users wishing to permanently secure the pump to the chassis
can do so easily.
|
|
Click image for larger view
|
Innovatek pump filter
|
|
Two other important features of the pump are listed on a specification sticker on the pump itself. The unit pumps out
5 litres of coolant per minute, which translates into 79 gallons per hour. Some users might feel that this is too low
for decent flow rates. However, centrifugal pumps are not 100% efficient, and any additional power turns into thermal
energy, which is transferred into either the coolant or the ambient air. That being said bigger is not always better
with water cooling pumps. The results demonstrate that 79 gallons per hour is certainly adequate flow for the kit. The
second specification is the pumps head pressure. Head pressure is an often overlooked spec. It is just as or more
important than flow ratings. The head pressure is measured at 1.2 meters. Again, depending on the other components in a
water cooling system, the efficiency of the system will be determined by how well each component is partnered up with
the remaining components.
The pump also includes a foam filter. The manufacturer recommends cutting off a section of the filter for use inside
the reservoir, to help remove air bubbles or contaminants from the system. I found that using the filter really sped
up the amount of time it took for air bubbles to dissipate from the system.
|
|
Click image for larger view
|
Click image for larger view
|
|
The Innovatek kit is an interesting product that incorporates useful features of both reservoir-based and inline-based
systems. Inline systems keep coolant temps lower than reservoir based systems, but bleeding air out of the system is
tedious. Reservoir based systems are easy to prime, but with the pump inside the reservoir, pump heat is transferred
into the coolant. The Innovatek kit uses a small aluminium reservoir that couples directly to the inlet of the pump. An
O-ring sits between the pump and reservoir ensuring a watertight fit. A compression nut fitting at the top of the
reservoir introduces water into the pump inlet, and air rises to the top of the reservoir between the reservoir inlet
and the fill cap. Of course, when priming the system, make sure the pump/reservoir assembly is the highest component in
the kit. Priming the kit with the reservoir is extremely simple. Just remove the fill cap, pour in some coolant, and
power the pump. Once the coolant is sucked into the system, power the pump down, and repeat the procedure until the kit
is completely primed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
