Cooling a PC with a Fire Truck: Extreme Water Cooling Experiment

The Fire Truck Water Cooling Concept

• 🚒 A fire truck pumper was acquired with the intention of using its powerful pump to cool a PC.
• 💡 The core idea is to test if a fire truck's high-pressure water output (up to 200+ PSI) can outperform standard PC water cooling pumps (rated for ~8 PSI).
• 📊 A standard D5 pump moves 6.6 GPM at 5.5 PSI and 0.03 horsepower, while the fire truck pump can move 1,250 GPM with significantly more horsepower.

Adapting Fire Hose to PC Hardware

• 🛠️ Adapters were used to connect a fire hose to PC water cooling fittings, with a specific mention of a G82 BAT to 1/4in NPT adapter.
• ⚠️ Safety precautions were taken, including using a GFCI plug due to the risk of getting electronics wet and cautioning against sudden valve closures that can cause pressure spikes.
• 🌡️ An unexpected observation was that the water being pumped became noticeably warm.

Testing PC #1: Initial Pressure Tests

• 📈 The initial tests involved gradually increasing the pressure, starting around 70 PSI and moving up to 150 PSI.
• 💧 At 150 PSI, the PC tubing showed signs of engorgement, but the fittings and radiator appeared to hold.
• 🚀 The system was pushed further, reaching 200 PSI, at which point one of the old bits power compression fittings partially failed.

Testing PC #2: "Big Bertha" and Modern Fittings

• 💥 A second, more robust PC setup named "Big Bertha" was prepared, featuring pressure-rated hose, server barbs, and worm drive hose clamps.
• 🧊 This system aimed to test newer, potentially more aesthetic but less rugged fittings against extreme pressure.
• 📉 Temperatures were drastically reduced, with the GPU reaching 26°C at 150 PSI, demonstrating the effectiveness of high flow.

Catastrophic Failure and Conclusion

• 💥 At approximately 250 PSI (estimated, as the gauge maxed at 200 PSI), the GPU block (an EK block) failed catastrophically, leading to a leak and the computer shutting down.
• 💡 The experiment concluded that while modern PC water cooling components are not designed for such extreme pressures, some parts like metal CPU blocks and thicker acrylic flow meters held up remarkably well.
• ✅ The core takeaway is that material choice and design are critical when pushing the limits of PC cooling, and fire truck water pressure is far beyond what standard components can handle.