Brown sand/sludge in loop

Associate
Joined
23 Oct 2006
Posts
559
Hello

Can anybody help diagnose this brown sludge/sand looking substance I found when dismantling my loop?

I have been running Mayhems H20 along with various EK/XSPC and Alphacool products/fittings. I have an EK, Mayhems and Black Ice radiator.

Since my clear tubing is also now tinted brown, I assume this substance is the cause?

If it helps I ran the Mayhems cleaning kit through my loop before this sludge started to appear, so I was surprised to see it materialism. Is one of my radiators falling apart or is this what corrosion looks like?

FgO0gAM
https://imgur.com/a/FgO0gAM
FgO0gAM


Thanks
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
5 Feb 2009
Posts
15,910
Location
N. Ireland
Hello

Can anybody help diagnose this brown sludge/sand looking substance I found when dismantling my loop?

I have been running Mayhems H20 along with various EK/XSPC and Alphacool products/fittings. I have an EK, Mayhems and Black Ice radiator.

Since my clear tubing is also now tinted brown, I assume this substance is the cause?

If it helps I ran the Mayhems cleaning kit through my loop before this sludge started to appear, so I was surprised to see it materialism. Is one of my radiators falling apart or is this what corrosion looks like?

file:///D:/Downloads%202/IMG_20181105_194658.jpg
your image isn't showing anything. upload it to an image hosting site like imgur and post the BB code link
https://imgur.com/

p.s. brown sandy sludge does sound like oxidation of some sort
 
Associate
OP
Joined
23 Oct 2006
Posts
559
I added the Mayhems biocide when I initially put the loop together and then again after a few months. The brown staining happened fairly quickly as the loop hasn't been in use all that long.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 May 2009
Posts
22,100
Best case: Algae, Plasticizer.
Worst case: Corrosion.

Mayhems H2O is basically just high quality water, you have to add things like corrosion inhibitor and biocide (or use it to dilute concentrated coolant).
 
Associate
OP
Joined
23 Oct 2006
Posts
559
I used Mayhems Biocide in accordance with the instructions provided, i.e. once every 2-3 months if I remember correctly.

I was just surprised by the rate at which everything turned brown. I should have mentioned that the EK monoblock I had in my loop also had some strange brown staining despite being new. When I contacted EK they told me that it was just some manufacturing residue/oil and 'wouldn't affect performance'.

It definitely seems to have affected the aesthetics though. I couldn't stand looking at a loop which looked like it was circulating fresh urine so I dismantled the whole thing. I'd rather not have to do the same thing again, so am just weighing up changing all the main components versus giving them a clean.
 
Associate
Joined
19 Jul 2011
Posts
1,899
Location
Reading
Thats flux, you need to strip and clean . Get the mayhems blitz cleaning kit and part 1 the rads , strip and clean all your blocks and part 2 the whole system.
 
Back
Top Bottom