Drying out watercooling loop

Whiff30812 · 13 Sep 2025 at 19:22

Hi all,

So I'm moving country soon and my PC is being shipped via Sea and it will take upto 2 months to arrive at it's destination..

I have to drain the loop as no liquids are allowed and it's probably a good idea anyway..

Now I'm worried about corrosion in the loop after being drained.. Would it be a good idea to use an air duster to try and blow out all the remaining liquid from the rads and blocks?

Cheers!

Whiff30812 · 13 Sep 2025 at 19:52

mattyfez said:
Could you put it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard, and let evaporation do its thing?

Unfortunately I don't have anything like that in my current apartment and annoyingly I'm only going to be able to drain the loop a couple of days prior to moving I'm not sure if that would be sufficient time to be honest..

Ideally I don't really want to be dismantling anything either as time is not on my side

Whiff30812 · 13 Sep 2025 at 22:27

IPA is bad for plexi though no?

Whiff30812 · 14 Sep 2025 at 09:23

Mcnumpty2323 said:
corrosion caused by what?
might be going on a ship but packaged up its not
going to be getting salt water in it/on it
any remaining coolant in there isnt going to cause corrosion
since thats what its normally filled with
air isnt going to do anything to it once coolant is out

Normally air isn't in a loop... 3 months or more with air in a loop with the dregs of coolant can't be a good thing... Oxidation of copper...

Whiff30812 · 14 Sep 2025 at 09:34

Mcnumpty2323 said:
Have left stuff on a shelf with remnants of coolant
In them for a lot longer than that with no issues
Still got 3 old swiftech expandable/refillable aio
Those have been severely abused in similar fashion
For years and still no problems

If really worried
Once it arrives flush it with mayhems blitz
Or a similar loop cleaner
A lot of the loop will be nickel plated not bare copper too

To be fair this is the kind of information I'm happy to see! People who have effectively done what I'm saying with real experience of it.

Thank you!

To be honest the main issue would be screwing up my GPU waterblock as by the looks of it getting one for a 3080 is going to be difficult!