Buying used WC parts advice

Goose

Goose

Goose

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I'm toying with the idea of replacing my Noctua cooler with my first ever custom loop (just the CPU for now) and since i'm not a rich man I thought buying used parts might be good idea.

Since i'm completely new to custom loops I was wondering if there was anything I should look out for when buying used parts. I'm specifically about pumps and fittings since they're likely to be the most obvious point of failure from long term use.

Any general advice for a first time water cooler would also be appreciated :)

Thanks
 
If you're wanting to save a bit on fittings but still have something that looks nice like you said you could either buy used or you can have a look at Barrow fittings. Barrow is the OEM for Bitspower, same awesome quality while being about half the price.

You'll want 3/8 - 1/2" fittings minimum as this is the smallest diameter Primochill Advanced LRT tubing comes in. Other tubing, aside from Mayhems and the XSPC stuff is garbage.
 
Are smaller fittings significantly cheaper? Presumably the larger the diameter of the tubing the more flow you get but means you need larger fittings.
 
Depends, if they're a fairly uncommon size like 8/10mm you'll probably find a good deal on them somewhere. The problem is the choice of tubing for that diameter is limited and likely to be pretty cheap and nasty. Over time the plasticiser/s used in the tubing can begin to break down and leech into your loop. You then potentially have the problem where you need to strip everything down, open up all your blocks to scrub them clean to remove the build up of gunk.

I would probably decide on which tubing you want to use first then buy fittings to match. Diameter isn't important, it doesn't effect cooling performance.

Again I would only buy Primochill Advanced LRT, Mayhems or the XSPC stuff. I bought some 8/10mm Bitspower fittings a few years back and some tubing to match. Within a few weeks the tube turned a cloudy green colour :( I have since replaced all of those fittings with 3/8 - 1/2" ones. While I thought I was saving myself money at the time, the mistake ended up costing me £100 or there about.
 
Try not to buy a used pump, ive had 3 now and theyve all been very noisy compared to the new ones ive bought new, i might just have been unlucky but i guess some people dont treat their pumps great, maybe running them dry. I had a pump from new that lasted me 10 years and was quiet until the day it died so i dont know how people are making their pumps get noisy but they do :)
 
Hi,

I think buying used fittings should not be a problem but maybe try to avoid buying used rotary fittings as there was a couple of batches of fittings that had issues. I also agree with BluD that a used pump may not be the best idea.

Not trying the sales pitch but OcUK have a lot of massively reduced items in the clearance section here. We even have full kits with everything for a CPU loop.

That a side you just need to be be careful that you match the right stuff and check how long they have been used for and what fluid was used before buying used fittings.
 
Thanks a lot guys, i think i'll let go of the idea of buying used. Will probably have to save a bit more cash but i suppose it'll be worth it.
 
Goose said:
Thanks a lot guys, i think i'll let go of the idea of buying used. Will probably have to save a bit more cash but i suppose it'll be worth it.
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It will probably save you money in the long run. Also trust me when I say the main benefit of buying new water cooling is warranty if something fails. You will not get that with a used part.
 
I bought 2 used radiators and a used GPU block because they're static items. The GPU block had some red dye through it so the copper will need the old ketchup treatment, and the rads will have the distilled vinegar mix through them for a while. I got a B-grade pump that was apparently new, but was open box to check it worked (no idea), but other than that I'd buy new.

You won't save much on used fittings, and who knows what abuse rotaries have had. Also buy a new pump - you wouldn't buy a cheap or used PSU as that's the lifeblood of your system, so why buy a used pump, which is the heart of your loop? Some things aren't worth the risk methinks.
 
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