swiftech mcp350 problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter needlove
  • Start date Start date
N

needlove

Occasionally, very sporadically, I have to nudge my cooling pump to start by
tapping it. (90% of the time it starts on its own). Meaning; if I do a total
shutdown I have to look in BIOS first on startup to check the pump RPM (CPU
fan RPM) and if RPM is zero then I remove a front plate and tap the pump
with a screwdriver. If I don't do this, things can get bad very fast though
I have other safeguards in place. I have disassembled and inspected the pump
but am unable to locate the source of the malfunction with the Swiftech MCP
350. I have seen it mentioned before so the problem is not unique. Mine is
about two years old. I have cleaned and inspected it to the best of my
ability but the unreliableness continues. In my opinion a critical CPU
cooling component should not be sold without warnings about it's weaknesses.
I will probably buy a backup pump since this particular PC is committed.

After cleaning, starting became more reliable. leading me to assume that a
dirty ceramic bearing in the mcp350 requires too much start voltage that may
not be available from a regular computer power supply. It may require 13?
volts to start though it runs at 12 VDC?
 
needlove said:
Occasionally, very sporadically, I have to nudge my cooling pump to start by
tapping it. (90% of the time it starts on its own). Meaning; if I do a total
shutdown I have to look in BIOS first on startup to check the pump RPM (CPU
fan RPM) and if RPM is zero then I remove a front plate and tap the pump
with a screwdriver. If I don't do this, things can get bad very fast though
I have other safeguards in place. I have disassembled and inspected the pump
but am unable to locate the source of the malfunction with the Swiftech MCP
350. I have seen it mentioned before so the problem is not unique. Mine is
about two years old. I have cleaned and inspected it to the best of my
ability but the unreliableness continues. In my opinion a critical CPU
cooling component should not be sold without warnings about it's weaknesses.
I will probably buy a backup pump since this particular PC is committed.

After cleaning, starting became more reliable. leading me to assume that a
dirty ceramic bearing in the mcp350 requires too much start voltage that may
not be available from a regular computer power supply. It may require 13?
volts to start though it runs at 12 VDC?
Click to expand...

The pump is a brushless DC design, and tapping it to start it, implies
the motor design is deficient. Talk to the guys who designed it. As
near as I can tell, this is the source.

http://www.lainginc.com/technical.htm (contains email addresses)
http://www.lainginc.com/DDC-1.htm
http://www.lainginc.com

A brushless DC motor is commutated electronically, so there are no brushes
to get dirty. A BLDC is supposed to have good starting torque, so a little
dirt should not stop it either. Which suggests to me, the initial conditions
for rotation are faulty (not guaranteed to start). There is a note that
mentions mixtures of >20% glycol, so if your water is adulterated, you
might want to check their technical notes.

http://www.lainginc.com/pdf/DDC1 and 2_LTI_US letter.pdf

Paul
 
needlove said:
Occasionally, very sporadically, I have to nudge my cooling pump to start by
tapping it. (90% of the time it starts on its own). Meaning; if I do a total
shutdown I have to look in BIOS first on startup to check the pump RPM (CPU
fan RPM) and if RPM is zero then I remove a front plate and tap the pump
with a screwdriver. If I don't do this, things can get bad very fast though
I have other safeguards in place. I have disassembled and inspected the pump
but am unable to locate the source of the malfunction with the Swiftech MCP
350. I have seen it mentioned before so the problem is not unique. Mine is
about two years old. I have cleaned and inspected it to the best of my
ability but the unreliableness continues. In my opinion a critical CPU
cooling component should not be sold without warnings about it's weaknesses.
I will probably buy a backup pump since this particular PC is committed.

After cleaning, starting became more reliable. leading me to assume that a
dirty ceramic bearing in the mcp350 requires too much start voltage that may
not be available from a regular computer power supply. It may require 13?
volts to start though it runs at 12 VDC?
Click to expand...

I didn't even think of looking over here. There is a thread devoted
to that pump. There is even a claim that fakes exist.

"Laing DDC (Swiftech MCP350/355) Names & Info"
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=118650

Paul
 
Back
Top