as my graphics card blew up just as i was planning to upgrade my setup to using hard tubing, i have decided to swap to air cooling for a few months, till i see how the new 20XX perform and water cooled versions of them out. and was wondering what the best way to store the radiators/pums/cpu cooler for a few months till i go back to water
best way to store radiators
- Thread starter Btone
- Start date
Associate
I wouldn't do anything special - drain them and put them in a cupboard. What are you worried about?
Dried out crap forming in them?
If like me you have a million old G1/4 stops then fill them to the brim with the fluid you drained out and cap them off with stops. When you come to use them you can drain and give them a flush, will make sure they stay clear and nothing dries on which will be very hard to rinse off.
Thats how I would store them, the CPU block you can strip down and clean most likely so not required but the rads i'd certainly store like this to be on the safe side - up to you!
Associate
Fair enough - I suppose it depends what fluid(s) you're running in a loop - I don't use anything that really leaves residue.
Just better to have corrosion inhibitors in that fluid if intending to leave it there for longer time.
https://martinsliquidlab.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/corrosion-explored/comment-page-1/
Associate
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2010
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- 102
I’m assuming the fluid already has them in it, which is why I suggested using the drained fluid not just plain distilled.
I would have to stick a note on them saying "Full" if i didnt drain them, other wise i would forget all about it and get them mounted in the case and right as i was ready to start connecting tubing i would give everything an unwanted wash 
I would have to stick a note on them saying "Full" if i didnt drain them, other wise i would forget all about it and get them mounted in the case and right as i was ready to start connecting tubing i would give everything an unwanted wash
Two cheap fittings and some clear tube would be how I would do it.
I probably also have a T and a valve to make it easy to fill.
Caporegime
Fill them with vodka and bung them up.
Empty them, flush them with deionised (or simple tap water if not actually paranoid), jury rig one end up to a vacuum cleaner and suck air through for half an hour or something (seal around the end with tape to get air fully flowing into the rad through the other open port). All items should be perfectly dry inside after this, if you set it up in a kind of one ended "loop" with tubing. Seal off both ports of each item with masking tape and store wherever you like. Filling with water for storage seems a bit odd to me, though probably would not do any harm if it was the same water as it the loop, i.e. biocide and anti corrosion.
Soldato
Make sure you plug every port. I was a doofus and didn't bother. Residual coolant leaked onto the steel parts of 2 of my rads and bubbled the powder coat / maybe corroded the steel. Lol.