[SOLVED] How to clean motherboard after liquid cooler leaked

HarvestBirdy

Commendable
Sep 23, 2021
16
1
1,515
(Sorry if this is the wrong section, I wasn't really sure where to put my question)

Hello everyone,

So, a few days ago I discovered my liquid CPU cooler had leaked inside my computer. When the leak first started my PC turned itself on, and was on for about 20-30 seconds before I turned it off. I discovered the leak two hours later when I went to turn it on.

I immediately turned off the PSU and unplugged it from the mains before moving it to another room. I then removed all the components from the case, binned the broken cooler and left everything out and the case open to air dry. Any parts that didn't dry I patted dry with a kitchen towel,

The top part of the graphics card got wet but other than that it seems to be mostly dry and except for a few wet spots on some of the cables, everything else seems to be dry.

The motherboard, on the other hand, got a bit wet from where the cooler leaked (the leak came from the part that attaches to the processor, the pump head I think it is called). The cooler liquid has left a few sticky trails and patches on the motherboard where it has run down the bottom half of the motherboard, down to the bottom of the case and onto the table under it.

Is there any chance my motherboard can be saved? Will it still be able to work?

Is there anything I could clean it with to get the residue from the cooler liquid off?
I was told by people on Reddit to use Isopropyl alcohol to clean the motherboard, but it is not sold in stores in the UK. Is there any alternative liquid I could use, such as surgical spirit (which contains: Ethanol 90%, Methanol 9% w/w, Methyl Salicylate, Diethyl Phthalate and Castor Oil.) I also read online that some people have used distilled/de-ionized water, so could that be an alternative?

Pictures showing where the liquid leaked (Sorry the pictures aren't that great, but hopefully they give an idea how wet it got and where the leak ran through the motherboard)
The cooler was an ENERMAX LIQTECH II 360 ALL-IN-ONE LIQUID CPU COOLER if that provides any extra info.

I know people have asked before about cleaning their motherboards, but since in regards to a cooler leaking onto their motherboard, I felt it would be better to ask than to make any assumptions.

Any help or advice would really be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Solution
i ever experienced this on my friends pc before and it shorted and leaks the gpu caps, i decided to blow off the pcie slot and everything from water, using blower and make sure no water left, and let it dry for 1 day and give a little humid ambient, and it worked again.
i ever experienced this on my friends pc before and it shorted and leaks the gpu caps, i decided to blow off the pcie slot and everything from water, using blower and make sure no water left, and let it dry for 1 day and give a little humid ambient, and it worked again.
 
Solution