Official EK statement - Nickel Plating Issues

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Originally Posted by Phaseshift

I dont know much about nickle and the plating process but can we take our own blocks to a place that does plating and have them do it? How much would the cost be for something like that?

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here in poland not that much, dunno about US or other parts of world, but im sure that in US it should be fairly cheap to redo the nickle plating.

This sucks :(

I just installed a new 6990 with the EK FC nickel block and now I'm worried whether or not I'm going to run into problems. I didn't bother breaking the seal and look at the internals because at the time I thought the seal meant your block warranty would be void, and not just the "seal" warranty. Either way, I'm running distilled water with a biocide in my loop. No killcoil and no other additives, with Primochill LRT tubing. *knocks on wood* here's hoping I don't run into any major problems!

There was this one guy on the forum who was trying to setup a plasma spray.

Man i wish that went though, because he said with it, you could plate anything, including plastic.

I have a lot of things i wanted plated ... and i believe he wouldnt of charged and arm and a leg for. :P

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Originally Posted by vulcZ

This sucks :(

I just installed a new 6990 with the EK FC nickel block and now I'm worried whether or not I'm going to run into problems. I didn't bother breaking the seal and look at the internals because at the time I thought the seal meant your block warranty would be void, and not just the "seal" warranty. Either way, I'm running distilled water with a biocide in my loop. No killcoil and no other additives, with Primochill LRT tubing. *knocks on wood* here's hoping I don't run into any major problems!

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The problem is something is corroding in the loop, and you have no anticorrosive.
Its only a matter of time b4 the nickle fails, if it fails, or a impurity in the nickle area where it fails, once again, if it fails, and nothing but an anticorrosive will save you.

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Originally Posted by NaeKuh

There was this one guy on the forum who was trying to setup a plasma spray.

Man i wish that went though, because he said with it, you could plate anything, including plastic.

I have a lot of things i wanted plated ... and i believe he wouldnt of charged and arm and a leg for. :P



The problem is something is corroding in the loop, and you have no anticorrosive.
Its only a matter of time b4 the nickle fails, if it fails, or a impurity in the nickle area where it fails, once again, if it fails, and nothing but an anticorrosive will save you.

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man if he can do that...my bank account will be screaming once again because that means I'll have to go through with my WC build lol

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Originally Posted by Waterlogged

Nickel plating starts out with a layer of copper (regardless of what the base material is) so the nickel can better adhere to the item being plated. Nickel and copper also are found in the same mines.

Here is some enlightening reading on the relationship between copper and nickel. (link)

As for this report, the smell of the fud was so strong by page 7 that I had to stop reading it. :shakes:

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Originally Posted by mcj66106

Why would a copper block need to be copper plated in the first place? Use some common scene please.

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Please answer the question if you have an answer to my simple question.

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Originally Posted by Eddy_EK

[B][COLOR="DarkOrange"]
Therefore until further notice EK Water Blocks Company recommends, not to use distilled water with silver in the loop in combination with nickel-plated blocks, nor additives based on Copper Sulphate.

EK recommends only coolants with anticorrosion additive, although our internal test systems of pure distilled water have been found without any problem in 2 months test period. EK Team would like to ask you to kindly spread this information as we would like our users to continue having excellent experiences with EK products.

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Ok I am really confused here. Yes I am a water cooling noob but thinking about doing a setup soon. Everyone I have asked has said to me use only distilled water, a kill coil and PT nuke, no dyes or other additives for the long life of a 24/7 running water system.

So now we drop the kill coil and use store purchased coolants <shrug>

guys, why you will not go totaly wicked and - chrome - your blocks XD most of you are in US, chopper and hot rod motherland :D

1. Why have no other manufactures had issues with users using these additives?
2. Why have some blocks shown issues before the blocks were ever run in a loop? Notably whats going on in the picture that Gary used in his statement.
3. How will users with blocks that have Acetal tops check there blocks without voiding there warranty? I broke the seal on my X58 Classified FC block to check it, so is the warranty void forever on it?

Sorry if any of these questions have been asked before, I haven't gone through this thread yet, but will soon.


I'm pretty 50/50 on this solution. On one hand, users will be able to get their blocks replaced through their vendors\EK directly, which is great. On the other hand, I feel that EK did have (or still has) a plating issue. I do hope that if this is the case, that they have secretly fixed it. I use to hold EK in higher regards then what I feel they now deserve in response to this. Depending on what happens in the next few weeks\months, this could easily change for the good\worse. Either way, I do hope EK has made some changed to the plating process, rather or not they will admit to it, because from all of the evidence I have seen, this issue seems isolated to EK blocks only.

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Originally Posted by Rudster816

3. How will users with blocks that have Acetal tops check there blocks without voiding there warranty? I broke the seal on my X58 Classified FC block to check it, so is the warranty void forever on it?

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Opening blocks does not void warranty.

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Originally Posted by Rudster816

1. Why have no other manufactures had issues with users using these additives?
2. Why have some blocks shown issues before the blocks were ever run in a loop? Notably whats going on in the picture that Gary used in his statement.

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Good questions...

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Originally Posted by Buckeye

Ok I am really confused here. Yes I am a water cooling noob but thinking about doing a setup soon. Everyone I have asked has said to me use only distilled water, a kill coil and PT nuke, no dyes or other additives for the long life of a 24/7 running water system.

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Everyone recommends those solutions because they have been proved totally safe...until now as per EK's statement.

So, my logic says that if that stuff has been ok for a ton of time (and they are still with all other vendors except EK) then it still is: and thus there is something else going on here with EK platting.

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Originally Posted by Buckeye

Ok I am really confused here. Yes I am a water cooling noob but thinking about doing a setup soon. Everyone I have asked has said to me use only distilled water, a kill coil and PT nuke, no dyes or other additives for the long life of a 24/7 running water system.

So now we drop the kill coil and use store purchased coolants <shrug>

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No , what you do is not buy Ek.nickel. blocks , problem.solved ... all.other vendors don't have this problem .

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Originally Posted by Rudster816

3. How will users with blocks that have Acetal tops check there blocks without voiding there warranty? I broke the seal on my X58 Classified FC block to check it, so is the warranty void forever on it?

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:shakes:

and nae sounds like you need a hug.

i must really agree with you on this one. i would rather quit watercooling than use premix..

well aquacoomputer here i come ;)

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Originally Posted by NaeKuh

do you have pets? children?

Because if you do, your really and honestly better off going a proply recipe as its less toxic..

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Thanks, that helped. So the only real option is to use the gelly luquids?

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Originally Posted by Buckeye

So now we drop the kill coil and use store purchased coolants <shrug>

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NO because that opens a totally new can of worms, for the termite problem you have.
I call it termite because something is eatting something.

Best solution right now, is get rid of the eattable source.. ie... eK Nickle, and replace it with another vendor's nickle.. ie.. Swiftech, Koolance, DD, AquaCom, Bitspower.... someone who has a more and better refined plating process, and problem is solved.

OR...

Take your blocks to a local plater... have him do a batch job on all the blocks you wanted plated... go out on vacation with GF for the weekend... come back with done and completed blocks... and then your back in happy happy land.

And this is what is pissing me off... because eK is saying no its not the nickle, everyone is thinking all vendors' nickle is bad.
NO, EK HAS A BAD NICKLE SOLEY, NO OTHER VENDOR HAS THIS TYPE OF ISSUE.

all anwseres are few pages back. but well.

problem is only with EK nickle blocks, and no other. ek copper or all other brands dont have any kind of corrosion issue (atleast if you will not mix them with aluminium blocks or radiators XD)
mostlikely its the nickle plating process problem, not coolants.
seal is for leaking warranty. if you will broke the seal, and block will start to leak, you will not be helped. all other issues will be covered by warranty.

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Originally Posted by KingOfsorroW

Eddy_EK
By "EC6" do you mean this coolant:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/thec6noncoco.html

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Yes, we used this coolant in our tests.

Eddy, are you still going to blame the coolants?

I'm going to go see if we have any vendors over at OCN who can do a plating process and have them get back to me. Unfortunately my yelp search in the Los Angeles area turned nothing but one review and I don't trust one reviews lol, why am I even looking? I haven't even purchased my EK blocks yet...I subconsciously want to spend money on this addiction....

Great, now I have 5 nickel paper weights!

i will say this one more time. why you will not go crazy and chrome your blocks? :) it could be way easier to find someone who can do that.

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Originally Posted by prznar1

i will say this one more time. why you will not go crazy and chrome your blocks? :) it could be way easier to find someone who can do that.

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I dont want that much bling...its going to be like pimp my ride inside the case if I do go chrome...:rofl:

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Originally Posted by Phaseshift

I'm going to go see if we have any vendors over at OCN who can do a plating process and have them get back to me. Unfortunately my yelp search in the Los Angeles area turned nothing but one review and I don't trust one reviews lol, why am I even looking? I haven't even purchased my EK blocks yet...I subconsciously want to spend money on this addiction....

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message iandh, he works near apple valley, and probably would know someone within 1:30 hour driving range from LA. :D

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Originally Posted by theseeker

Great, now I have 5 nickel paper weights!

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You live right smack near Bei Fei...

So Message him, and im 1000% sure he can take care of ya.

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Originally Posted by Eddy_EK

Yes, we used this coolant in our tests.

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Allright, thanks! (lol) And What about the timeframe of using it? Should I change it every 3-4months, or I just fill the system and forget about it for two years?

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Originally Posted by Phaseshift

I dont want that much bling...its going to be like pimp my ride inside the case if I do go chrome...:rofl:

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and i thought that in nowadays watercooling is all about bling :ROTF:

Waterlogged are you ever going to answer my simple question. Why would you need to plate a copper block with copper? To me that statement is showing your true knowledge of the subject.