Hi everyone Im putting the finishing touches in the design for my custom pc case (ill be uplaod designes soon). Im going to be using an aluminium radiator. This is where the problem starts. Iv been reading that using distilled water will react with block making the water turn black, and also cocking up the rad, and any blocks in the system. Have a question to anyone with an aluminium rad, will there be a major issue using water? If so is there an addaitive i could possiblily use or an oil with a simular thermal conductance and visocity? Thanks Dave
You can use some anticorrosive fluid which can be mixed with distilled water. Some users prefer to mix distilled water with antifreeze which also contain enhanced corrosion inhibitor as most cars have aluminium radiators for air conditioning. What's more important whatever you use will lose its anticorrosive ability in time, so it is necessary to check it more often than a regular LC with copper blocks.
I have a similar question, seemed pointless making another thread. I have a thermochill PA series 360 rad and EK Nickel water blocks for my CPU and eventually my graphics card. I know Nickel has quite a hight resistance to corrosion but will the rad cause any reaction or increased risk?? My plan was just to use distilled water and some form of anticorrosive like bartiszon suggested. Can anyone give an example of an anti corrosive or any alternative solutions?? Many Thanks
Distilled water with a silver kill coil and you should be good to go. Most pre-mix solutions should have corrosion inhibitors in them. But I reckon distilled water with a kill coil and anti-corrosion agent thrown in will serve you fine.
In the olden days the drink of choice was distilled water with Zerex Racing Coolant additive. Many watercooling shops sell it in 4oz. bottles. The additive was meant to prevent algae and bacterial growth (a risk with warm water) and to reduce corrosion. The real deal is Fluorinert: a perfluorcarbon that is totally inert. I use it in my system. It does not cause corrosion; it does not conduct electricity. It could leak all over your system and it will harmlessly evaporate without leaving a single trace. It is fill-and-forget. The problem is: it is hard to obtain (in the UK: Acota industries; in the US: TMC Industries) and expensive: £70,-- a pint. As such, nowadays there are a lot of low-vicosity (i.e. runny) oil-based ready-made coolants that do the trick, like Feser One. You can even get them in the colour of your choice. They prevent corrosion but are not 100% non-conductive. It can leak over your motherboard but you don't want it getting into your PSU. It also is a bugger to clean off. Keep in mind that the scary stories about mixing metals and the battery effect only applies if those different metals are electrically connected (e.g. both touch the metal of the case).
I was looking into an anti corrosion additives to add to my distilled water, i see lots of people recommending PT Nuke. I have seen two versions of this branded product; firstly PT PHN Nuke Concentrated Biocide and PT Nuke Concentrated Biocide. What is the difference between the two and which one should be purchased to prevent corrosion?? Or is there any other additive you can recommend?
THIS, THIS, A THOUSAND TIMES THIS. Gunk, corrosion, decolouring - all are the result of people that put dyes, mixers, antifreeze, and biocides into their loops seemingly at random. Don't mess about with additives. Dionised water (much, much cheaper than the pricey distilled stuff - can be bought from Tesco etc) and a silver kill-coil (jewellers', £10 or thereabouts) will serve you well and is guaranteed not to gunk or corrode, except galvanically and that's your own stupid fault for mixing aluminium with other metals. Sniipe_Dogg, a member of this forum, had a rather horrible log on another forum detailing the disastrous results of mixing additives, including PT_Nuke. If you want a biocide, use silver. It's effective, it's cheap, it's reusable, and no-one has ever reported problems with it.
Moreover if you put in an anti-corrosive it makes the water pretty much too poisonous for organic life. The less you mess about with your water, the better.
I'd highly recommend Feser One too. In tests it's also been shown to reduce temps by a few degrees over water, comes ready made to just pour in your loop, and looks awesome in one of the UV colours if you use UV cathodes inside your PC.
Trouble is, it can clog up your loop with gunk like a biatch. I had some in a loop for all of a week, and they dye sort of clumped together and got stuck in my CPU block.
I've never had that problem myself and my CPU & GPU temps are still as low 9 months on as when I first made the loop with fresh clean parts. I've just drained the loop last weekend to make way for my new GPU with waterblock which should be coming this week and there was no gunk.
I was using feser one black in my loop for the better part of two years. took that loop appart about 3 weeks ago, and there was no gunk anywhere other than a fine film covering the inside of the pipes. I took it appart after my CPU waterblock sprung a slow leak... the first i knew about it was the computer refusing to boot. I took off the side and my graphics card was absolutely covered in coolant. Got a cloth, wiped it down and put some tissue to catch the slow drips from the CPU block and it booted fine. Feser one obviously isnt 100% non-conductive, although I assume it only started conducting once it had gained a few ions... Anyhows - i'd use it again
