flush rad with tap water then use premixed coolant?

LewisN2 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:07

hello, i am building my first water-cooling loop and i am having trouble finding distilled water, for some reason its especially hard to find in the UK, would it be possible to flush my rads with tap water as i am using EK premixed coolant with anti corrosives in anyway? or do i need to buy some distilled water online just to flush the rads ?

thanks !

Mcnumpty2323 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:12

I flushed mine with the water out of my condenser tumble dryer
Even used that before in my loop when had no coolant lol
You're supposed to use water and a kit to blitz them
But never blitzed mine and had no issues ever
Pharmacy /chemist usually have medical grade purified water in 5l bottles

LewisN2 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:31

Mcnumpty2323 said:
I flushed mine with the water out of my condenser tumble dryer
Even used that before in my loop when had no coolant lol
You're supposed to use water and a kit to blitz them
But never blitzed mine and had no issues ever
Pharmacy /chemist usually have medical grade purified water in 5l bottles

so would tap water be okay for just the flush?

Mcnumpty2323 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:34

LewisN2 said:
so would tap water be okay for just the flush?

Personally I can't see why not
Others might say got to do it by the book

Jokester · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:35

Get some deionised water, if you use tap water, depending on where you are, you would ideally want to go and then flush that out as well.

LewisN2 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:38

Jokester said:
o and then flush that out

i have been reading online that you should not use de-ionised water as the metal fittings can eventually re ironinse it and that it is different to distilled water, surely if i was just using it to flush the rads and then filling up with pre mixed coolant with has all the anti corrosives in it would be okay?

Mcnumpty2323 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:39

Tap water here is loaded with chalk
Flushing a rad with it isn't going to cause
An issue in my opinion
Takes months before I see any chalk
In my kettle
Like I said though some prefer to do it
By the book

andy_mk3 · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:42

I rinsed mine out in tap water. Filled the loop with deionized water to run and leak check. Drained it then filled with coolant. It's been fine for nearly a year now.

Jokester · 2 Apr 2020 at 12:43

LewisN2 said:
i have been reading online that you should not use de-ionised water as the metal fittings can eventually re ironinse it and that it is different to distilled water, surely if i was just using it to flush the rads and then filling up with pre mixed coolant with has all the anti corrosives in it would be okay?

Distilled does the same (it’s been de-ionised by the distillation/condensation process).

It’ll probably be safe enough if you have decent quality anti-corrosives in your pre-mix if you drain most of the liquid out.