Mayhems XT1 Clear - Cloudy Water

Dirk Diggler · 10 Oct 2016 at 19:38

I built the loop 6 weeks ago (see link in signature), ran it for 3 weeks and then had to leave it off for 3 weeks as I was at work. I've just got home and noticed a fair sized bubble in the motherboard mono block. I turned the pump speed up full to try and disperse the bubble and shift it into the res... And it seems like the XT1 has clogged or thickened because my water has went from clear to cloudy, very cloudy, especially in the res.

Is this normal after a loop has been dormant for a couple of weeks?
Will it clear?
Should I drain and get rid of this fluid ie is it now contaminated?

:confused:

whiterabbit · 10 Oct 2016 at 19:48

I have the same tubing and had a similar problem with a previous build. Can you post a picture and I'll make a recommendation. I was/am using EK clear coolant which is made by mayhems.

Dirk Diggler · 10 Oct 2016 at 20:03

I'll get a picture later, how did you solve it?

whiterabbit · 10 Oct 2016 at 20:52

I ended up flushing my system. My final conclusion was that I did not flush the radiators properly to begin with.

Here is a link to my thread.

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18746881

Dirk Diggler · 10 Oct 2016 at 21:53

It's quite difficult to get a decent picture. It's really the res that I see it in the worst as the tubes look almost normal, but I think that's because the res is thicker so more water to see through.

I'll grab some deionised water and give it a good flush, but I think I'll steer clear of the additive and just get a kill coil.

Diagro · 10 Oct 2016 at 22:15

I use blue primochill coolant. Never clouded

Dirk Diggler · 10 Oct 2016 at 22:50

There's definitely particles in there, kinda white looking.

Can I flush with gallons of normal tap water if I remove it all and replace with Ultra Pure, or do I need to use de-ionised for the flush?

deFiniLoGy · 10 Oct 2016 at 23:55

String said:
There's definitely particles in there, kinda white looking.

Can I flush with gallons of normal tap water if I remove it all and replace with Ultra Pure, or do I need to use de-ionised for the flush?

Few pass with tap, then one/two pass with DI and then ur coolant.

or replace tap with Blitz.

I would replace your tubing as well tbh.

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 06:54

I really don't want to replace tubing as it's Hardline and took days to bend/install. I don't want to put any more chemicals in either as it's definitely the XT1 that's clogging and clotting so don't want to risk any more of that.

I've got a 250ml reservoir and it's tubed to the pump, then after the pump I've got a drain port. Would it be an effective flush if I opened the drain, let the res drop to maybe 1/4 or 1/8 full, top back up with clean water, then run for a minute to mix... And just keep repeating until clear?

I've never had to flush a finished closed loop before.

Here's the system (pics taken before problems started) :

whiterabbit · 11 Oct 2016 at 07:46

String said:
I really don't want to replace tubing as it's Hardline and took days to bend/install. I don't want to put any more chemicals in either as it's definitely the XT1 that's clogging and clotting so don't want to risk any more of that.

I've got a 250ml reservoir and it's tubed to the pump, then after the pump I've got a drain port. Would it be an effective flush if I opened the drain, let the res drop to maybe 1/4 or 1/8 full, top back up with clean water, then run for a minute to mix... And just keep repeating until clear?

I've never had to flush a finished closed loop before.

Here's the system (pics taken before problems started) :

I would be surprised if it was the coolant. Are you sure you flushed the radiators properly? It might be flux.

I followed a three step procedure to get my coolant crystal clear.

1) flush loop with Mayhems Blitz Part 2
2) connect to house tap and flush in both directions. I placed a 5 micron house filter between the tap and computer
3) drain and fill with coolant

whiterabbit · 11 Oct 2016 at 07:48

deFiniLoGy said:
Few pass with tap, then one/two pass with DI and then ur coolant.

or replace tap with Blitz.

I would replace your tubing as well tbh.

You should tap flush after Blitz. Although this isn't in the instructions it is shown on the official mayhems video for the procedure and worked well for me.

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 08:00

I just switched on PC to record a video of all the gunk swirling around the res, but it's really starting to dissolve and go clear. I think I've only really noticed it because the system was off for so long.

I flushed the radiators the way I normally would with tap water and "The Dance", so I don't see how it could be flux. Would flux from a radiator dissolve like that?

The system is almost clear again, now. :confused:

Glanza · 11 Oct 2016 at 08:23

Depending on the make of your radiators some need serious flushing to get everything out.

It looks clear as it'll have moved into something you can't see like the inside of your radiators.

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 09:55

I've removed the reservior, and created an inlet/outlet with the tube stumps. i'm going to fill a 5 litre tub with tap water, and let the pump suck it through the inlet - through the sytem - and then catch it all in the outlet. I'll keep filling the 5 litre tub until I'm happy it's all flushed through, then I'll repeat with de-ionised to flush out all the tap water.

I didn't see any gunk when I drain the system, so I better see some when I flush else I'm not sure this can be attributed to radiator flux.

tom_e · 11 Oct 2016 at 09:58

Are you sure you didn't just introduce a load of air bubbles into your coolant? You say there was a big one so you stuck the pump on to full speed, could this not have just broken that bubble into lots of little ones giving a cloudy look?

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 10:01

tom_e said:
Are you sure you didn't just introduce a load of air bubbles into your coolant? You say there was a big one so you stuck the pump on to full speed, could this not have just broken that bubble into lots of little ones giving a cloudy look?

I don't think it was bubbles, mate. I could see bits floating about.

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 12:35

Flushing going well so far, have probably flushed through 20 litres of warm tap water and no bits came out... so I reckon it all dissolved so hopefully it's clear now.

I drained the loop then tie wrapped the res to the front of the case. Bottom connected to pump inlet and top of res connected to the return from the last rad. I let it all circulate like a normal fill, and when all bubbles gone I isolated the return, disconnected from the top of the res and put it into an empty coke bottle.

Opened valve and return drains into coke bottle, when the res has an inch of water left I isolated the return again and refilled the res. I then kept repeating until mavity had pulled about 5 litres through the loop with head pressure. Then, I reconnected the return to the top of the res and fired up the pump to circulate all the water through the closed loop for about 15 minutes. I've repeated this process about 4 times and the water is now crystal clear.

Here's some pics of the flushing process...

Tucci · 11 Oct 2016 at 17:01

It's the coolant. when I built my loop, I cleaned the rads with blitz part 1 and then flushed through with bicarb to neutralize. Then through with a pump and water filter.
To fill the loop i used mayhems x1 clear coolant and for the first few hours it was cloudy to the point it looked white. It's been in about three months now and its fine. Its probably just settled from not being run for a while.

Dirk Diggler · 11 Oct 2016 at 17:33

Tucci said:
It's the coolant. when I built my loop, I cleaned the rads with blitz part 1 and then flushed through with bicarb to neutralize. Then through with a pump and water filter.
To fill the loop i used mayhems x1 clear coolant and for the first few hours it was cloudy to the point it looked white. It's been in about three months now and its fine. Its probably just settled from not being run for a while.

Totally agree. I've installed plenty of radiators and never had this. I've got a kill coil on order and will settle for that and pure water. My PC regularly spends weeks without being switched on so I don't want a res full of milk every time I get home.