Question Galvanic Corrosion or Microbial Growth?

[Brian42Own]

Pictures of green residue on GPU WaterblockBrand new system brand new everything I filled it up with EK's clear coolant (expired) but I left it off for a few days and I noticed green residue on the inside of my GPU waterblock, all in the fins.
Copper EK radiator
Brass bitspower fittings
Copper thermaltake fittings
Nickle waterblock
Thermaltake reservoir

(I will drain & flush & add new good coolant, just curious if it's corrosion or growth.) Water has been in it for about 6 days total. Left it off when I went out of town.

Thanks!

 

[Barty1884]

Too short a timeframe to be either. Some coolants just have a 'gunk' build up over time &/or if it sits for a while.

Of course, if you've no anti-microbial in the loop, that's not a great idea for long term use...

 

[Brian42Own]

Soon as I get home from working out of town I'm going to drain it, flush it, and replace the coolant with non-expired thermaltake c1000

Just curious what that green residue actually is in that picture

 

[rubix_1011]

Color looks like galvanic corrosion that has sluffed off and gotten stuck in the block, but if this is a brand new loop, you wouldn't see that for several weeks or even months.

Unless you included an older component into the 'new' loop?

 

[Brian42Own]

No I bought everything within the past 4 months brand new. I'm leaning toward microbial growth after all the research I've done in the last day or two.

after I put the system together and filled it up to test everything and leaks I left it off for the past five six days since I had to go out of town for work and my girlfriend took pictures and you can see it growing more with just two or three days so I just had her turn it on so at least the water will be flowing since I hear that's better and then I'll get back and flush it and refill it and keep it on for good obviously

Unless you or someone else thinks I'm wrong and it's actually still galvanic corrosion?

 

[Brian42Own]

Also I plan on using thermal takes c1000 clear pre-mixed coolant, I'm pretty sure that has anti-microbial stuff in it but if anyone knows another good clear coolant to recommend that is pre-mixed and has everything anti-microbial and anti-corrosive in it?

Also thanks for the replies and the help so far!

 

[looniam]

Also I plan on using thermal takes c1000 clear pre-mixed coolant, I'm pretty sure that has anti-microbial stuff in it but if anyone knows another good clear coolant to recommend that is pre-mixed and has everything anti-microbial and anti-corrosive in it?

Also thanks for the replies and the help so far!

please stop using junk; mayhem's PT nuke FTW!

ek's coolant has had a lot of issues with junk anymore lately and i suggest staying away from that and most anything TT has. mayhems's coolants are the go to lately.

and really using "expired" coolant? did you not suspect there could be an issue?

btw, did you flush the rad before installing?

well, you're going to have to now along with tearing apart all the blocks and using a toothbrush and ketchup to get rid of that stuff.

 

[Brian42Own]

I think I remember on EK side it says not to use mayhem's blitz I guess that's different on their water blocks? And honestly I was in a rush to finish it before I left out of town and I didn't think that expired stuff was a huge deal till I did research on the road.

I used rad cleaner for my dad's but everything else I didn't clean or flush. I didn't think about how sensitive these loops can be

If I drain the loop then cycle some water and add good coolant like mayhem's without scrubbing the blocks do you think that would be fine or is that keeping everything at risk?

 

[looniam]

I think I remember on EK side it says not to use mayhem's blitz I guess that's different on their water blocks? And honestly I was in a rush to finish it before I left out of town and I didn't think that expired stuff was a huge deal till I did research on the road.

I used rad cleaner for my dad's but everything else I didn't clean or flush. I didn't think about how sensitive these loops can be

If I drain the loop then cycle some water and add good coolant like mayhem's without scrubbing the blocks do you think that would be fine or is that keeping everything at risk?

EK wants you to avoid mayhems when using their coolant. it doesn't matter as i highly suggest NOT using EK's coolant. (edit; i've used their stuff before but the recent cryo fuel should be avoided like the plague, imho)

i don't understand, is this your dad's? did you flush THIS rad? how did you flush it? (more rhetorical)

just running a some water through it isn't enough; warm distilled water w/some white vinegar, shaken for a few minutes and rinse, repeat until you don't see anything. you can cheat a little and use tap water the first few times but finish w/distilled

and sorry no, the stuff just won't disappear - it needs removed.

sorry to sound harsh. i'm sure this experience will reinforce that doing a little preventative maintenance will go a long way.

 

[Brian42Own]

I used primochills rad cleaner on both ek quad rads
Dual loop system.

No it's my build first one ever. I'm 29 lol. But yeah i hear ya I can take it. Everything else I rigorously researched

My dad did help me though he's built PC's his whole life on a low budget but this is the first water cooled for both of us & with my new job I put about 7k into this I think

Ty for the info though definitely will use it!

Pics of Build

 

[Gmoney06ss]

I agree a full breakdown and clean is the only definite way of making sure all gunk is out of the loop. Its sucks, but always better safe than sorry.

@looniam , care to explain about cryofuel? I've been running it in my loop for about a year now. No buildup, but you got me worried now, lol. What's so bad about it?

 

[SkyNetRising]

just curious if it's corrosion or growth

That's copper oxide.

Galvanic corrosion would be, if you had multiple types of metals in your liquid loop like aluminium and copper.

 

[Brian42Own]

That's copper oxide.

Galvanic corrosion would be, if you had multiple types of metals in your liquid loop like aluminium and copper.

If it is, what do I do about it? To prevent it?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Clean it.
Make sure all your fittings/radiators/waterblocks are from same metal.

 

[rubix_1011]

You are going to need to disassemble blocks to get that gunk out.

You will not simply be able to 'flush' it out, most likely.

 

[Zizo007]

That is for sure not bacterial growth; it would have looked different and it wouldn't be the same color.

 

[looniam]

@looniam , care to explain about cryofuel? I've been running it in my loop for about a year now. No buildup, but you got me worried now, lol. What's so bad about it?

Spoiler: big pic!

there are several complaints about from system builders in the WC sub forum on OCN. not to bash EK i use their products myself, have had their older EKoolant in my system for years now, but they aren't as good as they have been in the past.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

Spoiler: big pic!

there are several complaints about from system builders in the WC sub forum on OCN. not to bash EK i use their products myself, have had their older EKoolant in my system for years now, but they aren't as good as they have been in the past.

Pic doesn't work. But thanks for the link, I'll read it when I have a bot more time. Wont jam up this thread anymore. Thank you.

 

[looniam]

Pic doesn't work. But thanks for the link, I'll read it when I have a bot more time. Wont jam up this thread anymore. Thank you.

sorry about that, thought i set it to share on google fwiw same pics as this post
though mind that is old and so was the coolant used in the OPs loop.

 

[rubix_1011]

I used some EK clear coolant in my loop and it looks rather murky. This was after I had cleaned and drained the loop before refilling. I have so many bottles of coolant I can use, though. Might try the Corsair coolant from the Hydro-X testing I did, but honestly, just plain distilled water with good anti-microbial works the best without worry.

 

[Brian42Own]

UPDATE
Today's GPU & CPU build up pics
So my girlfriend took these pictures an hour ago and it's getting worse.
& I guess she didn't notice before but there's white build up on my CPU block
I have a dual loop system, Tower900
2 separate loops.

yikes