Corrosion??? Problem on my blocks!

[johny69]

Hello peeps.

I'm in need of your infinite wisdom once more. I recently bought a new VGA (Saphire 6990). While I was waiting for my new VGA waterblock (http://www.ekwaterblocks.com/shop/blocks/vga-blocks/ati-radeon-full-cover-blocks/radeon-6xx0-series/ek-fc6990-nickel.html) I decided to dismantle the old one (Aqua 4870X2) (http://www.aqua-computer-systeme.de/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.pl?board=7;action=display;num=1219183368) and check it out. BAAAAD move :rofl:.
Here is what I saw (sorry for the bad quality of the pics, they are from an iPhone 3GS :().

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo211/johny69/IMG_0060.jpg

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo211/johny69/IMG_0061.jpg

I'm guessing my CPU block (http://www.swiftech.com/apogeegtz.aspx) will look like that also.

My liquid cooling consists of the following components:

Pump: Swiftech MCP655 (http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmc12vdcpu.html)
Radiator: Swiftech MCR320QP (http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmcqupo3xbl.html)
Vga Waterblock: aquagrATIx for 4870X2 (http://www.aqua-computer-systeme.de/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.pl?board=7;action=display;num=1219183368)
CPU Block: Swiftech Apogee GTZ (for socket 1366) (http://www.swiftech.com/apogeegtz.aspx)
Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES-Micro REV2 (http://www.swiftech.com/mcresmicrorev2reservoir.aspx)
Coolant: Primochill PC ICE (http://www.xoxide.com/primoice-nonconductive-fluid-clear.html) (nothing else in there)

Did I mentioned I've been running this setup for almost 3 years with 1-2 refills of the coolant? No?:sofa: :slash: (I blame the noob inside me :lol2:)

Now for my questions:

What would be the best way to clean this up (will my radiator be in the same state?)?
I'm thinking of droping the PC ICE for WFI (Water for injection). What else should I put in there (heard silver coil are bad with nickel (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4840054&postcount=45))
My new VGA will have a nickel plated block. Is there something I need to do to avoid interference between the copper CPU block and this one (if any)?


Thanks for your time!

[theseeker]

Ketchup will clean the copper and I would use distilled or demin H20 with Kill Koils. The aftermarket fluids are not worth it and do not add value.

[johny69]

Ketchup will clean the copper and I would use distilled or demin H20 with Kill Koils. The aftermarket fluids are not worth it and do not add value.

Wouldn't my nickel gpu block have a problem with kill coils (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4840054&postcount=45) (assuming by kill coils u mean silver coils)?

[NKrader]

Wouldn't my nickel gpu block have a problem with kill coils (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4840054&postcount=45) (assuming by kill coils u mean silver coils)?

no.
that guy is clearly wrong.

[PiLsY]

Looks like galvanic corrosion from something. The insides of your rads will be like that too.

Try a white vinegar and water mix - soak and scrub on the blocks, fill and shake with the rads. Looking at the state of that gpu block though I don't think youll ever get them spotless again.

Edit - Looking again it could be really bad algae growth. Hard to tell from the pic.

[theseeker]

no.
that guy is clearly wrong.

Silver and nickel get a long just fine....

[Conumdrum]

Thats oxidation. All copper will do that, especially the amount of time between refills and not tearing it all down and cleaning it.

No corrosion, not the end of the world, just oxidation and poor loop maintenance.

[owikh84]

corrosion = oxidation

[penguins]

corrosion = oxidation

God you're smart.

[zeropluszero]

Thats oxidation. All copper will do that, especially the amount of time between refills and not tearing it all down and cleaning it.

No corrosion, not the end of the world, just oxidation and poor loop maintenance.
this guy has it!

[johny69]

Looks like galvanic corrosion from something. The insides of your rads will be like that too.

Try a white vinegar and water mix - soak and scrub on the blocks, fill and shake with the rads. Looking at the state of that gpu block though I don't think youll ever get them spotless again.

Edit - Looking again it could be really bad algae growth. Hard to tell from the pic.

I don't think it's Algae. it's very smooth on touch it's like I melted layers of a brown material on it.

Would it be bad if I made a vinegar-water mix (don't know at what ratio though) and replace the fluid on the loop and let it run for a few hours?
Wouldn't it help clean it better?

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP AND REPLYS YOU GUYS :)

[PiLsY]

Its not oxidation as nothing in his loop should oxidise that colour. You'd get black/green/blue deposits for oxidation in our loops. Certainly nothing brown.


Dont run the vinegar mix through your loop - its soak and scrub or soak and shake in the case of rads im afraid.

Make sure you use white/spirit vinegar and start with a 1:10 vinegar to water mix. If thats not shifting it move up to 1:5. Depending how bad it is you may have to get rough with it and try some automotive rad flush, it looks pretty thick.

Will it chip/flake off when scratched? If so it could be a mix of plasticiser from the tubes along with whatever else your loop managed to create in the last couple of years :p:.

TBH its hard to tell as its so bad :lol:. If it dissolves into the vinegar mix then its either algae or oxidation, if it comes off in pieces / flakes then its got some kind of plasticiser base to it. Aside from that as a general indication itd take chemical analysis to know for sure :p:.

[zeropluszero]

Definitely copper oxide.

[owikh84]

that's red color so it's Copper(I) oxide (cuprous oxide, Cu2O)
there are green/blue spots as well in the pics viewed on a good monitor

[johny69]

My new setup will have the old cpu block (copper) and the gpu block will have nickel. As a coolant I'll use WFI (http://www.drugs.com/pro/water-for-injection.html) plus a kill coil and some algae preventer for aquariums. Do i have to use something else in the mix cause I heard nickel and copper don't play nice together?

Thanks