Cooling Flow Switch...

You may know about the usefulness of flow switches to monitor flow and pump failure in your WC system, as mentioned in a recent Bit-Tech article :here:. Well, I found this:

http://www.gentech-international.co.uk/images/whatnew/10dec2002.jpg

It is a small flow switch (3" long), with 3/8" BSP thread (for you US folk, it also comes in 3/8" NPT), that can be mounted in any position, has low pressure drop, low flow trigger, and costs only £8,-- a piece (not shown on the picture, two wires come out of the bulge behind the arrow --that's how it wires up).

Sounds ideal, what? The catch however (and there had to be one) is that the company,
Gentech International only accepts order quantities of 50 or more. I can only go up to 10. So, any other people interested?

Removed img link - Haddy

 

Nexxo, count me in ('though I only need one).

Olly

 

whats the pressure drop?

 

Can't remember of the top of my head, but wasn't much. I'll look it up. In any case, that may be academic, because I have looked around some more and found this:

http://www.gentech-international.co.uk/images/whatnew/FMS-01.jpg

A Doppler Ultrasound flow sensor. Again with 3/8" thread connections, it measures flow via ultrasound waves (and turns this into electrical pulses, the frequency of which is proportional to the speed of the flow)). This means the sensors are actually outside the tube and do not come into contact with the coolant. There is no flow obstruction, and hence no pressure drop. There may be a minimum order of 25 on these, but I have to enquire into the price. Won't be eight quid, I wager...

Removed image link - Haddy

 

AHEM!

 

OK, I stand corrected... Pug actually found it after I told him about the flow switch (by the same company) and he told me... I have since started chasing up the company for some specs and price on this item.

 

what's the inner diameter of the unit. They look quite restrictive from the pictures.

Is that a 3/8" OD thread, if so, you're looking at something like 6-7mm ID throughout.

8-ball

 

Inner diameter throughout is 10mm. The ultrasound sensor is just a tube with two minor bends in it (45 degrees). There are no other restrictions. Pressure drop is about 0.2 bar = 2.9 psi per 10 l/min, the flow switch above is less restrictive at 0.17 bar.

Still the ultrasound unit is £155,--. Ouch!

 

Finally managed to convince Gentech to sell me a small number of the flow switches. Got ten coming my way (smallest number they would sell)! I will only need one (maybe two), but two others are spoken for and the remaining six are up for sale (although Pug has First Refusal). A tenner each. Pics/findings to follow...

 

Nexxo, I'm still interested in one!

 

Nexxo, is that a waterblock in your sig?

 

Nexxo - Let me know when you get them as I'd like one if you've got any that are unaccounted for.

Cheers

 

@ Carbon: yup, that's a waterblock: it's Paul Vodrazka's home-made baby. A user on ProCooling.com has compared to his D-Tek Spiral and apparently Paul's block outperforms it. I've got two for my dually. I put it up in my sign as at the time Paul was selling them and I felt it could use a bit of "plugging". Unfortunately Paul has stopped making them now as he's too busy with other things...

 

any rough idea how much shipping to belgium would cost?

I'm interested

 

damn, that block looks good. I'm looking into watercooling at the mo for my pc, summers here and my dont really like the heat

 

This is funny because I was just looking where to buy one of these. And I got a question, where do you mount this, like after the pump, before the pump, after the radiator.....??

 

Re: Re: Flow Switch...

If all its doing is monitoring that there is flow period it wont matter....If its giving a read out of the actually flow rate then put it at the slowest point in the system, normally right before the pump *Dont know if it has this capability, I just skimed this thread*

 

Mine, all mine!!! Muhahahahaha!!!





But seriously... what it does is measure flow/no flow, but not quantities/rates. So it's an on-off thing. For quantities you need the Doppler ultrasound sensor further up this thread, but it costs £151,-- (although you can order just the one)!

The switch can be put wherever you want. For convenience reasons, I'm screwing it into the inlet of the Aquatube reservoir, which was drilled and tapped to 3/8" BSP...





The other end just needs a female thread barb or something, to attach to the hose. Is simple.

@ Relic: I have no idea. These things aren't big or heavy (7.5cm long, 2.4cm largest diameter, 24 grammes, for the obsessives amongst us) so it can't be much...

 

I'll take one of them m8, mail me payment details.. nochex ok ?

mawhyte(AT)blueyonder.co.uk


cheers