Inspecting And Maintaining Liquid Cooling Seals

Hydraulic systems such as computer liquid cooling kits rely on a consistent, constant supply of cool liquid to move water away from hot components. When the seals begin to give way from wear and tear or incorrect installation, your system may suffer from damaging leaks or overheating. To understand the problem and maintain a more efficient computer cooling system, consider a few inspection and maintenance points.

How Does Liquid Cooling Work?

Computers operate at high temperatures because of some of the components, namely the processor. In order to reduce the temperature, devices called heat sinks are often installed to pull heat away from the components. The heat is then transferred away as air flows through the fins, usually with the aid of a fan.

Liquid cooling performs the same task by using moving water. A metal plate is attached to the high temperature component, which may or may not include the heat sink. Tubes are inserted through the plate, which are used to pump cool liquid to keep the plate's temperature down.

The water movement is achieved through use of precision hydraulic pumps and a series of seals. These seals are opened and closed as necessary to keep the liquid temperature down. Since the water warms up as it passes by high temperature components, a constant stream of the same liquid can result in warmer liquid and less efficient cooling.

Seal Failure Can Ruin Efficiency

As mentioned earlier, the cooling system opens and closes the tubes as necessary to maintain low temperatures. If the seals are broken, you may have to deal with more than warmer liquids; the liquid can leak or even spray out across the inside of the computer.

Liquid coolant can last a long time before it needs to be changed unless the tubing was installed incorrectly. If any dust or debris was introduced to the tubing, the debris can act as an anchor for the liquid. A clog can begin to build up, which can become caught against the hydraulic seals and lead to weaker liquid flow or a tubing burst.

Make sure to inspect the cooling systems on at least a weekly basis. Observe the tubing and look for any bulges that could betray a clog. If you hear any hissing or notice an excessive amount of bubbles near the seal and joint areas, replace the seals as soon as possible.

Get in contact with a hydraulic seal professional to keep a regular supply chain of all the hydraulic system parts you need.

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