I have a shiny new pa120.3 thats currently waiting for lift-off (which will probably be when the nf5 boards appear - unless I crack before then). Seeing as I've got some spare time this weekend I thought it would be a good opportunity to give the rad a good clean out. It seems the solution of choice is diluted vinegar - approx. 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water. According to various posts I found it takes a good few goes, leaving it to soak for a while each time. What approach did anyone else take and how many passes did it need? Is there a better cleaning fluid to use?
rad cleaning
- Thread starter paulc
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Ok ive done this a few times and got the best results with my last blast at it.
I soaked in Distilled Viniger for 12hrs. "just Distilled Vinager no water" Then emptyed and flushed out with distilled water a few times shaking the rad.
I repeated this for 3 nights. Took some time but now i run just distilled Water and not a single discolour.
I soaked in Distilled Viniger for 12hrs. "just Distilled Vinager no water" Then emptyed and flushed out with distilled water a few times shaking the rad.
I repeated this for 3 nights. Took some time but now i run just distilled Water and not a single discolour.
Soldato
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can you use just the normal vinegar you put on food? or do youneed to buy something else?
Soldato
Why do you need to clean a "shiny new PA120.3"? It's not like it's been in a car or anything. These aren't "pre-owned" heatercores, they're custom made.
Soldato
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i read in a thread a while ago that they dont clean them before they ship them so the crap from the manufacturing process stays in the rad, meaning impurities in your loop which as far as i understand it can potentially block/damage itMikeTimbers said:
I'd done a bit of googling and found a few places where people had new thermochills that they had flushed out. I can't find the link at the moment, but there were pictures of the results from successive flushes - seems as though there is quite a lot of possible contaminant in there which could gum up the loop badly. I've got a storm block and I think any detritus in the loop could block up the nozzles directing water onto the base plate, which would be bad. Vinegar was suggested in most places, was just wondering if there was a better/quicker alternative.
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Most of the stuff youll clean out is solder flux. The rest will be machining oils and similars.
Took 4 soaks for my PA120.2, and 5 for my 120.3.
I've heard of some particularly manky Swifty MCR-QPs taking as many as 8-9.
The main problem here in not discoloration, unless youre some sort of bling-addicted pansy with windows and caths, its that the stuff that comes out of the rad will clog any small channels the coolant has to go through - for example Storm/MP-05 w. Injector plate/TDX w. Injector plate nozzles.
If you add too much additive dont be surprised to see a whiteish film forming on the tubes after some months, as the water evaps though the tubes and excess dye precipitates. Enough of that and youll be unclogging your loop again =p
Basic rules really
1) clean the inside of your rad well, it pays off on saved work down the road.
2) check the inside of block for metal shavings which could kill your pump, clean them of machining oils etc. block QA is good but stuff does slip though and they simply dont have the time to clean every block perfectly.
3) dont add too much additive for colour, 5-10% at most unless you have alu in your loop, in which case you best get that alu out of your loop pronto. add more and itll clog up even an apogee.
4) stay away from dye if at all possible. there are a few makes that dont precipitate easily but its roll of dye here (terrible pump intended).
5) dont boil your tubing, most makes' molecular structure degrades @ ~105c, so its not really safe if you live near sea level. dipping the end in water poured out of a kettle to make slipping it on barbs easyer is fine.
6) dont use chemicals on watercooling plastics, and especially organic acids (eg vinegar). clean them with distilled water and new toothbush.
follow all that and you can run a stain-free, clog-free, algae-free loop with just distilled/deionized h2o from your local supermarket and a few drops of iodine/cap of your favorite additive.
Took 4 soaks for my PA120.2, and 5 for my 120.3.
I've heard of some particularly manky Swifty MCR-QPs taking as many as 8-9.
The main problem here in not discoloration, unless youre some sort of bling-addicted pansy with windows and caths, its that the stuff that comes out of the rad will clog any small channels the coolant has to go through - for example Storm/MP-05 w. Injector plate/TDX w. Injector plate nozzles.
If you add too much additive dont be surprised to see a whiteish film forming on the tubes after some months, as the water evaps though the tubes and excess dye precipitates. Enough of that and youll be unclogging your loop again =p
Basic rules really
1) clean the inside of your rad well, it pays off on saved work down the road.
2) check the inside of block for metal shavings which could kill your pump, clean them of machining oils etc. block QA is good but stuff does slip though and they simply dont have the time to clean every block perfectly.
3) dont add too much additive for colour, 5-10% at most unless you have alu in your loop, in which case you best get that alu out of your loop pronto. add more and itll clog up even an apogee.
4) stay away from dye if at all possible. there are a few makes that dont precipitate easily but its roll of dye here (terrible pump intended).
5) dont boil your tubing, most makes' molecular structure degrades @ ~105c, so its not really safe if you live near sea level. dipping the end in water poured out of a kettle to make slipping it on barbs easyer is fine.
6) dont use chemicals on watercooling plastics, and especially organic acids (eg vinegar). clean them with distilled water and new toothbush.
follow all that and you can run a stain-free, clog-free, algae-free loop with just distilled/deionized h2o from your local supermarket and a few drops of iodine/cap of your favorite additive.
Last edited:
Associate
(and there's a guide on cleaning pinned over at XtremeSystems... it's been mentioned on here countless times over the past month or two... search and you'll probably find it here)
Soldato
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still doesnt say whether you should use the stuff you put on food or your supoposed to buy something else?Marci said:
Associate
white vinegar...
Soldato
and with respect, its not unique to thermochill...
all rads generally have gunk in, and blocks (particularly the cheap ones) tend to have metal shavings and such inside
all rads generally have gunk in, and blocks (particularly the cheap ones) tend to have metal shavings and such inside
Associate
If you can find distilled white wine vinegar its better... me, I use the el-cheapo tesco white wine vinegar 