HELP! Look what I've found in my mates waterblock...

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Hi guys!

My mates PC (which I built...) was constantly shutting down when playing Skyrim (he thought it was too many mods) but I had another sneaking suspicion...

Thus, I de-plumbed his rig but look what I've found in his Heatkiller CPU waterblock!!

IMG_0556.jpg


IMG_0557.jpg


OK so a little history real quick. Originally, we used the TFC green coloured premixed coolant on his rig. Now, I ran into some problems with mine filling up with gunk in the waterblocks (similiar to this but PURPLE in colour - my coolant was purple dye at the time). I got the fear for his rig about 8 months ago and told him we needed to replace his coolant after I'd found all this crap in my blocks. I deplumbed and retubed both his rig and mine but this time with Nanoxia Hyperzero with NO dye and coloured tubing.

Obviously this wasn't enough!

My question - is the gunk I've just found in his rig residual green dye from the TFC 8 months ago (which I clearly didn't clean out properly) or is it in fact corrosion/algae of some kind?

Forgive my ignorance I'm clearly not as up to date on this stuff as I should be!

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Tom
 
tbh it just looks like old gunk from the old mixture, make sure to wash out with hot water/Vinegar then rinse through with Purified water/Distilled etc etc :)
 
That looks to be polyurethane and glycol from the TFC mixture. the dye has stained the Suspension in the glycol and caused a build up.

If any Biocide such as copper sulphate based biocide was some how to enter the liquid this will cause this to happen it on takes a small amount for this to happen and the build up with the mix of glycol and plasticiser from the tubing has caused this gunk to happen.

What tubing was you using if you dont mind me asking.
 
Hi guys thanks for your replies...much appreciated!

I have flushed his XSPC RX360 out with white vinegar and boiling water over the last few days. I then rinsed with distilled de-ionised water to finish.

Also, we ordered completely new tubing to re-plumb the system (didn't want to take any chances as when I put in the order I suspected it might be some sort of 'gunk' up causing his system instability with temps real high). The old tubing was XSPC UV Green 1/2 - 3/4. The new is same but Blue.

Lastly, after reading about the Mayhem's coolant I ordered 2L of the Ultra Pure H20 in the hope to avoid this 'gunk' up in the future.

I will clean the CPU block out today using white vinegar and then flushing with distilled water.

Is this all correct?

I have some biocide - do I need to drop some into the loop once it's rebuilt or does this new coolant come completely pre-mixed out of the box?

I haven't seen a silver coil in his loop so I assume we never bought one for him - should I?

Cheers guys

Tom
 
Yeah, just biocides will be enough

Might be better to go for clear tubing and some mayhems premixed fluid as that already has the biocides mixed in.

The mayhems ultra pure is just water, nothing else.
 
Bugger - what do I need to add to the Ultra Pure H20 before its ready to go into the loop then?

Just Biocide? Is this Ultra Pure H20 basically just distilled water then?!!
 
Ultra pure water is the pureest water cooling (water) in the market place(Di is 5 PPM, ultra pure is 0 to 0.5 PPM) for water cooling only. You dont necessary need a biocide but if your loop was like that before i would suggest you put 1 to 2 drops in to start with and then top up 1 drop ever 2 months or so.

The other option is a Coolant / Premix were you just add and go. It still will need changing out ever 12 months or so. If you after a No fuss really good liquid (premium) try the pastel range it will last up to 3 years (we say two on bottle to cover our assess).

Hope this helps

Mick
 
Thanks for the replies guys I found some biocide in my box of watercooling bits and bobs. Already purchased two bottles of the Mayhem Ultra Pure H20 so just used that...

After cleaning most of the gunk out of the CPU waterblock we tested his loop and straight away his temps were 20c off what they had been previously!!!

He's gonna need a replacement CPU block though as the damage caused by this was beyond repair :(

Hey ho!

Thanks again guys - appreciate the quick and insightful responses!
 
Thanks for the pics and good luck!

This just reinforces my fears! I can't cope with this. Will probably grab a H100 instead.
 
Thanks for the pics and good luck!

This just reinforces my fears! I can't cope with this. Will probably grab a H100 instead.

NOONOONONONONONON!!!!

You won't get problems like these if you use mayhems stuff

Also, OP, make sure the new block is a nickel plexi one!!!
 
NOONOONONONONONON!!!!

You won't get problems like these if you use mayhems stuff

Also, OP, make sure the new block is a nickel plexi one!!!

I'm intrigued by watercooling. OK let's say I go with nickel plexi block / mayhems stuff and an RX system (say RX240) ... what sort of maintenance am I looking at? 6month? / 12 month? Surely it won't be a setup once and forget about it like the self contained systems, eg. H100 etc...
 
I'm intrigued by watercooling. OK let's say I go with nickel plexi block / mayhems stuff and an RX system (say RX240) ... what sort of maintenance am I looking at? 6month? / 12 month? Surely it won't be a setup once and forget about it like the self contained systems, eg. H100 etc...

Go with mayhems pastel and clear tubing and you'll be able to see everything

Then once a year you'll need to rinse it out, although pastel lasts 3 years IIRC

So basically, re do your loop once a year and it'l look epic, unlike that H100 BS
 
Go with mayhems pastel and clear tubing and you'll be able to see everything

Then once a year you'll need to rinse it out, although pastel lasts 3 years IIRC

So basically, re do your loop once a year and it'l look epic, unlike that H100 BS

I'm so going to give this a shot. Thanks Cleeecooo! I think I can live with an annual WC MOT, definitely not 6 months :)
 
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