- Dec 9, 2008
- 56
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- 18,630
For reference, this is my first watercooled rig, and I am using the following parts. I have been running the PC for 2 weeks:
Alphacool UT60 radiators - full copper, all flushed with distilled water in a closed loop through a 5um filter for 24hrs.
EKWB Waterblocks - Clear plexi and Nickle
EKWB Pump/res combo
EKWB Nickle fittings
Primochill white tubing
25cm long 99.9% pure silver ribbon as my biocide. It is placed in tube linking GPU outlet to pump.
Loop goes: Pump -> Rads -> CPU -> GPU -> Pump.
-----
I looked at my pc a few days ago and noticed that my CPU waterblock had started to get an orange/brown tinge to it. It was then that I realised that my freshly filled PC had been facing a window, and that I should have put my silver inside my vat of distilled water for a week to 'pretreat' the water before filling my loop. Whoops.
Anyway, today, I drained the system and started removed the mobo and graphics card. I was a bit sad to see that my blocks had gone a rather copper looking colour. At first, I thought the nickle plating had come off, but on closer inspection, I have what almost looks like a fine orange powder forming on the nickle. Is this algae that grew and has since died from the silver?
The discolouration was also visible on the outlet fitting of the CPU block, and both fittings of the GPU block. There was slight discolouration on the pump inlet fitting, and nothing on the pump outlet fitting. None of the tubing looks discoloured on the inside, and nothing rubbed off onto a Q-tip either.
**The white is condensation
CPU outlet fitting
I guess my dilemma boils down to the following:
- Am i experiencing galvanic corrosion or algal bloom?
- What is the best course of action now?
- Should I totally strip the loop and flush/clean each piece, or have I caught it early enough? Again, I cant see anything on the tubing, and there was nothing visible on the CPU inlet fitting.
- Should I replace my tubing?
- Am I forgetting anything else?
Alphacool UT60 radiators - full copper, all flushed with distilled water in a closed loop through a 5um filter for 24hrs.
EKWB Waterblocks - Clear plexi and Nickle
EKWB Pump/res combo
EKWB Nickle fittings
Primochill white tubing
25cm long 99.9% pure silver ribbon as my biocide. It is placed in tube linking GPU outlet to pump.
Loop goes: Pump -> Rads -> CPU -> GPU -> Pump.
-----
I looked at my pc a few days ago and noticed that my CPU waterblock had started to get an orange/brown tinge to it. It was then that I realised that my freshly filled PC had been facing a window, and that I should have put my silver inside my vat of distilled water for a week to 'pretreat' the water before filling my loop. Whoops.
Anyway, today, I drained the system and started removed the mobo and graphics card. I was a bit sad to see that my blocks had gone a rather copper looking colour. At first, I thought the nickle plating had come off, but on closer inspection, I have what almost looks like a fine orange powder forming on the nickle. Is this algae that grew and has since died from the silver?
The discolouration was also visible on the outlet fitting of the CPU block, and both fittings of the GPU block. There was slight discolouration on the pump inlet fitting, and nothing on the pump outlet fitting. None of the tubing looks discoloured on the inside, and nothing rubbed off onto a Q-tip either.
**The white is condensation
CPU outlet fitting
I guess my dilemma boils down to the following:
- Am i experiencing galvanic corrosion or algal bloom?
- What is the best course of action now?
- Should I totally strip the loop and flush/clean each piece, or have I caught it early enough? Again, I cant see anything on the tubing, and there was nothing visible on the CPU inlet fitting.
- Should I replace my tubing?
- Am I forgetting anything else?
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