View Full Version : Cleaning XSPC Res/Top
woffen
02-26-2009, 02:28 AM
How can I get rid of those white stripes that are still in the res??
You can see it pretty clear in the photo below to the right:
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo219/woffen/DSC_0514.jpg
Stoaway
02-26-2009, 07:27 AM
What liquids do you add/use in your loop?
shazza
02-26-2009, 08:43 AM
Looks like residue built up in the reservoir ... possibly from the internals of the radiator.
I've fought a nightmare with one of my radiators ... just can't seem to get it clean. Starts out with cloudiness in the res, then eventually you get build up on the sides:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/439506207_agLXS-S.jpg
The best way to clean it is to figure out how to get a cleaning brush in there to wipe it all off. You can use something like vinegar to disolve it ... but do it at your own risk. You've got to rinse it very thoroughly after, otherwise you run the risk of dissolving more stuff from your radiator internals. I've also found that a cleaner like 409 will work to dissolve it - again, you gotta rinse it very very thoroughly. Just saying what has worked for me ... not necessarily recommending it.
woffen
02-26-2009, 09:05 AM
I've been using battery water, ionized water. Only had the loop going for like 2 weeks so must be some shat from somewhere.
I thought vinegar would ruin the acrylic or w/e it's made of. Guess I will have to try and find some little brush for next time..
What I did was clean it up as good as possible, everything in the loop and then just put Feser One in it. Hopefully all the crap is gone now, temps are at least down quite a few degrees. Maybe just a better mount though.
quattro_
02-26-2009, 09:48 AM
i had the same problem, its from TC rads :( ,long story short i threw my res/top away after a week of testing different stuff to clean the inside i could only remove 30% of it.
shazza
02-26-2009, 09:57 AM
My issue is with a TC rad as well. I'm hoping third time is a charm, as I've just cleaned and reinstalled.
Vinegar will work to clean the inside of the res (I should clarify to say it worked for me)... it doesn't damage the acrylic. It's best to remove the res from the pump first. Let it soak for a while ... rinse, repeat. It's better than giving up on the res.
Stoaway
02-26-2009, 10:18 AM
My issue is with a TC rad as well. I'm hoping third time is a charm, as I've just cleaned and reinstalled.
Vinegar will work to clean the inside of the res (I should clarify to say it worked for me)... it doesn't damage the acrylic. It's best to remove the res from the pump first. Let it soak for a while ... rinse, repeat. It's better than giving up on the res.
Interesting post. I guess it's important to really clean this stuff alot before installing.
Thanks
=[PULSAR]=
02-26-2009, 10:21 AM
To clean out my acrylic res, I know it sounds funny but I used KABOOM, that all purpose cleaner they are always selling on the shop at home channel or atleast they used to. Worked great, better than anything I have ever tried.
woffen
02-26-2009, 01:51 PM
A friend just told me he used Cillitbang, also some sort of TVShop cleaning stuff:)
I thought that the TC rads didn't need to be cleaned with vinegar as they are using water based soldering flux. From the TC FAQ on their homepage:
"11 - Flushing / Prepwork
All Thermochill radiators are flushed at the factory, however there may still be some residues within the system. Thermochill only use water-based soldering flux... as such it is recommended that the radiator is flushed by recirculating hot water for an hour. This should be more than enough to break down any flux residue. The radiator should then be flushed with room temperature distilled water for 15 minutes."
I must admit I did not have any water circulating through my rad for an hour. Just had it under the tap running hot water and shaking it around and stuff. Well, let's hope that running the loop for a while removed most of the :banana::banana::banana::banana:.. Otherwise, I will have to get serious about cleaning that rad.
Nickel020
02-26-2009, 02:31 PM
Vinegar will work to clean the inside of the res (I should clarify to say it worked for me)... it doesn't damage the acrylic. It's best to remove the res from the pump first. Let it soak for a while ... rinse, repeat. It's better than giving up on the res.
Vinegar certainly did damage my EK Multires, it started to develop hundreds of small cracks after I let it flush with a water/vinegar mixture over night.
If you don't leave it in for long you may be allright, but I'm not gonna use vinegar on my acrylic stuff anymore...
shazza
02-26-2009, 03:02 PM
Vinegar certainly did damage my EK Multires, it started to develop hundreds of small cracks after I let it flush with a water/vinegar mixture over night.
If you don't leave it in for long you may be allright, but I'm not gonna use vinegar on my acrylic stuff anymore...
I can imagine an overnight soak could do that. Note that I have never left it more than a few minutes, and generally start with a diluted solution. Note also -- I said several times that this wasn't something I'd necessarily recommend. Just reporting that it did work for me. I'd only recommend it if it's a last resort - worth saving a $40 res. (I do admit, I have a spare one on hand ... just in case :p: )
quattro_
02-26-2009, 03:03 PM
i just cleaned my old EK muitires with vinegar an hot tap water for less than 5 minutes and its like new ,OMG it really works.
FrostyPanda
02-26-2009, 03:57 PM
Go get a flexible test tube brush cleaner (they probably have similar ones at an aquarium store...hell petco probably has them). Use that with some mild, plastic safe detergent (.5-1.5 mol HCl works well too) and scrub away!
shazza
02-26-2009, 07:27 PM
Go get a flexible test tube brush cleaner (they probably have similar ones at an aquarium store...hell petco probably has them). Use that with some mild, plastic safe detergent (.5-1.5 mol HCl works well too) and scrub away!
Ummmm... if people don't want to put vinegar(dilute acetic acid) in their reservoir, I doubt they'll want to put Hydrochloric acid in there...
FrostyPanda
02-26-2009, 08:57 PM
Ummmm... if people don't want to put vinegar(dilute acetic acid) in their reservoir, I doubt they'll want to put Hydrochloric acid in there...
HCl isn't corrosive to plastic in low molar concentrations. That's why you buy it in plasic containers.......Just don't use anything above maybe 1.5mol. .5 Should be fine though. Just make sure you dry it out nice and good because it'll screw with whatever else you may have in your loop that doesn't like HCl....
shazza
02-26-2009, 09:05 PM
I didn't say HCL would corrode the reservoir ... just commenting that it can be stronger than vinegar. Vinegar is often used to clean acrylic fish tanks ... it's not gonna hurt the res with a few quick rinses :)
GameGuru
02-26-2009, 10:00 PM
This might be overkill but I bookmarked this a while ago, take a look here! (http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showpost.php?p=71158&postcount=48)
I just used toilet bowl cleaner, squirted some in pluged the holes and shook it for a few mins and BAM clean as a whistle