Today I finally got around to replacing the awful ribbed black hose with some nice, soft PVC hose. I got a metre of 1" ID and 1m of 1/14" hose from Seapets, here:
http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-de...tegory/894.html
By the way, it took them about 3 weeks to sort my order out and ship me the correct stuff - these people are not recommended. I'm sure there are other retailers out there who sell the same stuff..
Anyway, I did this because I found that after I had let the system dry out (I had to move it) the black hose wouldn't seal again. It was also a nightmare to work with, and to stop it leaking in the first place...
With this new PVC tubing, however, I got a perfect seal first time! You just cannot do that with the ribbed hose..
Here are some pictures because I think it now looks pretty damn snazzy, too:
Even though this clear hose is a bit more expensive, I have to recommend it over the ribbed stuff. The only problem I have found with it is it is quite prone to kinking, but as long as you don't try and bend it 90 degrees it should be fine...
The kinking is the reason I've used so little of the 1 1/4" hose, it really is just best to use it as a connecting piece and not a long piece of hose because it really does like to kink. The 1/8" walls just aren't thick enough to give it enough structure.
Happy water cooling
Oh, and I found out what the block is by the way - an overclockedpc.co.uk (no longer exists) Atlantis block. Seems it's pretty decent when paired with a strong pump
