pirana6
Go Cougs!
+682|6261|Washington St.
My friend asked me to fix his water cooling system and go and find what is quite possibly the grossest system set up ever. This thing hasn't been cleaned in what I can only guess is a matter of years.
Anyway, I take the whole thing apart and am tossing out a few things to buy new ones but I'm also trying to save a few things.

Question one: What's the best substance to clean with? I want to get all the algae out but not do any damage to the inside of my pump, radiator, cpu block, etc., whatever I plan to save.

Question two: What's the correct mixture to put back in once I get everything up and running? He said the original liquid that came with his set-up (thermaltake?) worked well but he drained it awhile back and put tap water with some engine coolant in but he doesn't know the ratio.

Question three: If you use water and car coolant can you use too much of the coolant? Will it actually hinder your cooling system if you use too much? He didn't know the ratio he put in but he remembers using quite a bit of it and not the "cap full" I read is the correct amount.

gracias as always

ps I've got pics of some of the nasty components if you wanna see them. Seriously, stuff is growing on some of them.
{M5}Sniper3
Typical white person.
+389|6730|San Antonio, Texas
1) Vinegar first since it's that bad and then distilled water.

2) 1:4 With this and distilled water.

3) Don't ever use tap water or you'll have algae again in a matter of weeks. You really shouldn't use car coolant in your system... There's a lot better options to use.

Last edited by {M5}Sniper3 (2010-08-03 21:39:07)

Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6687
What about tap water taht's been boiled? woundl't that clean it?
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Finray
Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro
+2,629|5759|Catherine Black

pirana6 wrote:

ps I've got pics of some of the nasty components if you wanna see them. Seriously, stuff is growing on some of them.
Do want

Cybargs wrote:

What about tap water taht's been boiled? woundl't that clean it?
In theory..
https://i.imgur.com/qwWEP9F.png
-Whiteroom-
Pineapplewhat
+572|6629|BC, Canada
You can use tap water to flush out the system ( does not need to be boiled but make sure its running hot, I run mine directly in to the full loop setup, separate from the computer of course, for at least 5 mins.), just make sure you flush it with distilled water after (twice).


Apparently "Scrubbing Bubbles" is great for cleaning the blocks, an old tooth brush is handy too. If you have acrylic tops on your blocks, do not use alcohol.

Replace the tubing, most recommended filler is a combo of PT nuke, IandH killcoil ( if you cant get this, you can use 99% pure silver wire, just make damn sure its the 99% pure stuff), and distilled H20.

I am currently using feser one coolant, and am not having any problems with it, though I have read about others who have.

I have also in the past used distilled H2O and the swiftech green algecide, but I found it greasy to clean and it stained my res pretty badly.

PS be very careful with the vinegar if you use it to clean your rad and blocks, it can eat holes in the res, they warn about it over at Xtremesystems.

I cant stress flushing your system for awhile enough, I left that out one time and ended up having a block that caused my comp to overheat and shut down, but not before I saw the coolant on the cpu block bubbling.

Oh just read its a thermaltake system, be careful, thermaltake liquid cooling stuff is apparently infamous for leaking.

Also you would only need an anti corrosive mixture if your system had a combination of aluminum and copper in the loop, avoid that.

Last edited by Nic (2010-08-04 00:31:10)

Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|6814|Reykjavík, Iceland.
Personally, I use only distilled water, nothing else, never had any algae.

Also, pics!
pirana6
Go Cougs!
+682|6261|Washington St.
thanks guys. karmas all around!
pics are on their way but I'm having trouble getting them off my phone cause I've never actually been able to connect it to my computer. You can email them to yourself somehow right?
pirana6
Go Cougs!
+682|6261|Washington St.
Cell phone pics ftl.

https://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w113/pirana6/0803101913.jpg
https://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w113/pirana6/0803101913a.jpg
https://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w113/pirana6/0803101913b.jpg
https://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w113/pirana6/0804101331.jpg
https://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w113/pirana6/0804101331a.jpg
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|6814|Reykjavík, Iceland.
That...is...disgusting.
FloppY_
­
+1,010|6257|Denmark aka Automotive Hell
https://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9776/9fib4.jpg

Better keep an eye on that stuff, the heatsink looks like it can walk on it's own!

And I believe that shit is how pandemics start
­ Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me
FFLink
There is.
+1,380|6661|Devon, England
If it's a newish phone, you can upload them straight to Flickr.

Edit: I didn't refresh this page for a while...

Last edited by FFLink (2010-08-04 15:31:15)

Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|6814|Reykjavík, Iceland.

FloppY_ wrote:

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9776/9fib4.jpg

Better keep an eye on that stuff, the heatsink looks like it can walk on it's own!

And I believe that shit is how pandemics start
/packs for a trip to Madagascar.
menzo
̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏&#
+616|6417|Amsterdam‫
wow, what did he run in his system?   poop?
https://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/menzo2003/fredbf2.png
menzo
̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏&#
+616|6417|Amsterdam‫

Sydney wrote:

FloppY_ wrote:

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9776/9fib4.jpg

Better keep an eye on that stuff, the heatsink looks like it can walk on it's own!

And I believe that shit is how pandemics start
/packs for a trip to Madagascar.
inb4 port gets closed
https://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/menzo2003/fredbf2.png
pirana6
Go Cougs!
+682|6261|Washington St.
yeah, anyway is ANYTHING in the world able to clean that? the heatsink can go fuck itself but Id like to keep the radiator and the pump for a bit until he can pay for a new one. Id like to think that's not what's inside both. He said the pump is fairly new and I could tell it wasn't too bad but the radiator is as old as everything else.
And I'll def take your guys ideas on the actual liquid inside the loop. I take it thats not something you can just wing.

edit: another question! If I can get him to drain his system every once and while will it stop it from doing this or is it more about cleaning the inside? What i mean is, is just draining and replacing the fluid enough or should I replace tubing and get some pipe cleaners for the other stuff too?

Last edited by pirana6 (2010-08-04 19:42:32)

FloppY_
­
+1,010|6257|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

pirana6 wrote:

yeah, anyway is ANYTHING in the world able to clean that? the heatsink can go fuck itself but Id like to keep the radiator and the pump for a bit until he can pay for a new one. Id like to think that's not what's inside both. He said the pump is fairly new and I could tell it wasn't too bad but the radiator is as old as everything else.
And I'll def take your guys ideas on the actual liquid inside the loop. I take it thats not something you can just wing.

edit: another question! If I can get him to drain his system every once and while will it stop it from doing this or is it more about cleaning the inside? What i mean is, is just draining and replacing the fluid enough or should I replace tubing and get some pipe cleaners for the other stuff too?
At the very least use destilled water...

If vinegar can't get it out you could allways try with chlorine, that kills algea like a nuke, but it could be strong enough to damage the plastic too, so use it as a last resort...
­ Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me
-Whiteroom-
Pineapplewhat
+572|6629|BC, Canada
If the block is that bad, the rad is probably on the same level. One way to find out if your cleaning out any build up is to hook the pump up to the rad and just pump water through it, clean it with some vinegar, then repeat the flow test, if your getting higher flow your making progress. With it being that bad, there may not be much salvageable.

How long has he had that running for? I know a swiftech pump when properly cared for should last ~50,000 hrs, but a thermaltake pump, trying to push through that, with likely just as much build up inside it, would most likely severely shorten the lifespan. If I were in your shoes, replacing it with a new (even a new low end system) would work better. But hey, give it a shot.

Edit:
Take everything apart, get that pump out of the res and clean it thoroughly, remember to put all your o-rings and gaskets back in properly. Inspect them for damage or wear first though. And replace as necessary. Oh and slap your friend with that tubing for letting it get that bad.

Last edited by Nic (2010-08-05 00:26:25)

FloppY_
­
+1,010|6257|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

Nic wrote:

Oh and slap your friend with that tubing for letting it get that bad.
­ Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Vinegar might attack a few things, dilute bleach kills all.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
FloppY_
­
+1,010|6257|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

Dilbert_X wrote:

Vinegar might attack a few things, dilute bleach kills all.
Bleach = Chlorine

right?
­ Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me
-Whiteroom-
Pineapplewhat
+572|6629|BC, Canada

Dilbert_X wrote:

Vinegar might attack a few things, dilute bleach kills all.
not about killing, its about cleaning first, vinegar will break down the build up better than bleach.
have a peek through these threads: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/sea … d=20808628

also, random quote from one of those threads "I read that clorox will corode the hell out of copper" don't know how true it is... and vinegar will mess up o-rings, so make sure to soak it without the o ring in, and remember to dilute it.

Last edited by Nic (2010-08-05 02:38:03)

liquidat0r
wtf.
+2,223|6598|UK

FloppY_ wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Vinegar might attack a few things, dilute bleach kills all.
Bleach = Chlorine

right?
Well, not just Chlorine. Bleach has a cocktail of chemicals in it.
FloppY_
­
+1,010|6257|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

liquidat0r wrote:

FloppY_ wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Vinegar might attack a few things, dilute bleach kills all.
Bleach = Chlorine

right?
Well, not just Chlorine. Bleach has a cocktail of chemicals in it.
Yeah, but don't they do the same thing...

Bleach is more common in the US and Chlorine is more common in europe.. afaik
­ Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me
-Whiteroom-
Pineapplewhat
+572|6629|BC, Canada
Chlorine bleach?

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