liquid cooling smelling of cigarettes

[Fvistrup]

Hello

I bought a complete liquid cooling system of a friend who is a smoker. I took as much apart as I could and cleaned all the dust off, but it still smells a lot when running. Any suggestions as to what I can do? I thought about putting the radiator in vinegar for a few hours, and hoping nothing will dissolve or anything. Will that work?
The cooling system is: CoolIT VANTAGE A.L.C. CPU Cooler

I hope somebody can help me, as I can't afford a new one right now.

 

[synphul]

That would probably be the best option. There's probably nicotine residue on the fins of the radiator and/or fans and might pose a problem to someone who is sensitive to odors. Vinegar would be safe for the radiator though the fans may have to be cleaned with qtips and rubbing alcohol. The tar from smoking has probably adhered to the fins which gives off an odor when it becomes warm during use. Try a few cap fulls of vinegar in warm water and let it soak. Alternative may be a little dawn liquid dish detergent (really good at removing grease/residue) in warm water and letting it soak. Just make sure everything is dry before putting it back together in your system.

Just to clarify, I meant soaking the radiator, not the fans

 

[Fvistrup]

That would probably be the best option. There's probably nicotine residue on the fins of the radiator and/or fans and might pose a problem to someone who is sensitive to odors. Vinegar would be safe for the radiator though the fans may have to be cleaned with qtips and rubbing alcohol. The tar from smoking has probably adhered to the fins which gives off an odor when it becomes warm during use. Try a few cap fulls of vinegar in warm water and let it soak. Alternative may be a little dawn liquid dish detergent (really good at removing grease/residue) in warm water and letting it soak. Just make sure everything is dry before putting it back together in your system.

Just to clarify, I meant soaking the radiator, not the fans

Thanks. I'll try.

 

[synphul]

I'm not sure where you're located, but you may give this a try as well (on the radiator portion).
http://www.amazon.com/Ozium-Glycol-Ized-Professional-Sanitizer-Freshener/dp/B000143LHY

It's called ozium, you may find it more locally at auto parts stores. Spray down the radiator and all between the fins until it's dripping wet and let it sit for a few minutes (don't let it dry on there as it may leave a residue) then try rinsing it off with a mild solution of dish soap/water. It should be safe for the radiator to sprinkle some baking soda on it and use a little vinegar, let the reaction bubble up (safe for metals, removes scum/oxidation etc).

That ozium is pretty good stuff, works better than febreeze. About the closest thing available on the shelf to a commercial product I used to use called frigi-fresh by BG. A spray disinfectant and odor neutralizer we sprayed into the air ducts of vehicles for the heating/cooling system to cleanse them of residual odors left from smoke, old food, mold/bacteria (naturally occurring in moist air ducts from condensation). Got rid of that 'funky' smell that never seemed to go away.