Brown layer in reservoir

Hey guys,

I've had my loop running for well over a year and a half without touching it. Now I've taken it apart and I noticed a brownish layer inside my reservoir. I have absolutely no clue what it is. It doesn't come off with a thorough rinsing. I can scrape it off easily with a Q tip but I can't reach the entire reservoir.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...c/DSC00042.jpg

I've also found it inside my black tygon tubing and inside my EK supreme. I could clean the block easily but I can't get it out of the tubing. I'm worried that it might have covered my entire loop, including my precious thermochill pa120.2 =(. I have no idea what it could be.. I used demineralised water with 3-4 drops of PT Nuke.

Anyone have an idea or tip for me?

I don't know if anyone tried. But can or may these res's be washed in a dishwasher?

They probably can, but I doubt even the dishwasher can reach the innards of the res well enough. The 3 holes aren't that big, I don't think it'll get very clean. Could still try though =O

I know there are some brushes on the market that are thin and bendable and ment for cleaning dishes. You could easily reach into tubes with them. Or you can use cilit bang and give it a good shake. That liquid does a good job.

Give it a try and report back.:comp10:

It also seems to have made a rather odd stripe on the fittings. It just won't come off, I have to use my fingernails to scratch it off .. =( I don't have any cilit bang or one of those long brushes, I'll have to look for a bit.

What really worries me though is the radiator, there's no possible way of cleaning that =/

its possible that the water might have had something in it, afaik demineralized isnt the same as distilled, they filter the water to remove the impurities while with distilled they evaporate it and then recondense, its possible that the water you used have something left in it from the demineralizing...

next time try use lab grade distilled water...

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Originally Posted by Coldon

its possible that the water might have had something in it, afaik demineralized isnt the same as distilled, they filter the water to remove the impurities while with distilled they evaporate it and then recondense, its possible that the water you used have something left in it from the demineralizing...

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+1. You could also make your own distilled water. From boiling tap water and collecting the steam. There are youtube tutorial on how to set something like that up.

As for your res. You could try vinegar/water mixture and shake it to see if that stuff comes off.

From what I've heard demineralised water doesn't make much of a difference to distilled as long as you use some PT-Nuke or something along those lines. I can't get proper distilled water in my area though. Anyway, can't vinegar hurt my reservoir? I could try it for my radiator.

I can confirm that demineralized water is absolutely fine. I have always used it without the slightest problem. I don't know about PT Nuke though, I use some 99.99 silver in the reservoir instead.

Get one of those green cans of Scrubbing Bubbles Foam. Put hot water in the resevour and squirt a bunch of scrubbing bubbles in there. Plug all the opennings up and shake it a bit. Do this a couple of times and it will be good as new. I've done this with quite a few dinjy looking bay resevoirs and they always turn out perfectly clear.

You gotta shake it, shake, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picshah!

....sorry....damned song was on the radio. ;)

i use something like this one to clean the loop it remove all organics parts , but please read the instructions before using it

to clean pvc tubes , it work very good with all WC parts and you can buy something similar in any supermarket :)
http://www.agerul.com/imagenes/profe...scador-big.jpg

I'll have to state the obvious. 1.5 years with the same liquid? Not even a drain/refill? Be glad it's just brown...........

But folks have posted good remedies, I hope they work, it should..

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Originally Posted by autobot

Get one of those green cans of Scrubbing Bubbles Foam. Put hot water in the resevour and squirt a bunch of scrubbing bubbles in there. Plug all the opennings up and shake it a bit. Do this a couple of times and it will be good as new. I've done this with quite a few dinjy looking bay resevoirs and they always turn out perfectly clear.

You gotta shake it, shake, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picshah!

....sorry....damned song was on the radio. ;)

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Not really a good idea

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1...ingbubbles.jpg

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Originally Posted by Conumdrum

I'll have to state the obvious. 1.5 years with the same liquid? Not even a drain/refill? Be glad it's just brown...........

But folks have posted good remedies, I hope they work, it should..

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Haha suppose you're right. It's only a residue though, the water itself was quite clear. It just left a brown trail in the res, and inside the tubing. It's weird it looks like sand inside the tubing.

If no nuke was added after the original dose, it could very well be a biologic. Nuke is not a one treatment cure, it's protection does fade over time and it'll need to be re-administered every 4-6 months.

That could very well be the explaination. I haven't added any biocide afterwards, just topped off the reservoir twice. Thanks everyone for the help. I'll continue rebuilding my computer with dual loops, if you want you can read about it in my recently resurrected thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=194805

I have yet to run into any issues with Scrubbing Bubbles damaging acrylic resevoirs. Most likely because I don't let it just sit there. I fill, shake vigorously, then rinse....repeat as nessisary.

I'm hijacking this thread if you don't mind. :)

Is This algae? It's like that over the whole loop, some light brown stuff.
Sorry for the sucky picture, I have one with flash on also if that would work better.
I'm running De-ionized and a silver coil. The stuff is in sign.

http://www.pici.se/pictures/medium/gbgNGZAtU.jpg

It's [probably just :banana::banana::banana::banana: from your thermochills.

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Originally Posted by ecidious

It's [probably just :banana::banana::banana::banana: from your thermochills.

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Yeah, whatever it is all of my stuff is covered with it.
And regular water does'nt really cut it, I need something stronger..
So, vinegar or ketchup? Or perhaps a mix of both?
My heatkiller is so nasty right now.

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Originally Posted by WeeMaan

I'm hijacking this thread if you don't mind. :)

Is This algae? It's like that over the whole loop, some light brown stuff.
Sorry for the sucky picture, I have one with flash on also if that would work better.
I'm running De-ionized and a silver coil. The stuff is in sign.

*snip*

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That is very interesting, my DDC had the EXACT same residue aswell. Some white dust-like layer after it dried out. I just cleaned it off with a brush and some dishwashing stuff.

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Originally Posted by oerekum

That is very interesting, my DDC had the EXACT same residue aswell. Some white dust-like layer after it dried out. I just cleaned it off with a brush and some dishwashing stuff.

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What kind of "anti-algae" did you use?
We both have thermochills, perhaps it is just flux then.

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Originally Posted by oerekum

It just left a brown trail in the res

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I hate when this happens!!!!!!!!! :shocked:



oerekum, did you get your reservoir all cleaned up?
if so, what did you use?

Haven't tried any stuff that was specifically mentioned here. I had a look through our cubboards and found some funghie/algae/stuff remover, had no effect. I'll need to find a brush of somesort, because the layer comes off REALLY easily when touched.

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Originally Posted by WeeMaan

What kind of "anti-algae" did you use?
We both have thermochills, perhaps it is just flux then.

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Sorry I missed your post. Seeing as this residue is white I think it is indeed Thermochill residue, other posts on these forums also say it looks like it. It's the only place in my loop where I found this residue though. I brushed it off with a toothbrush that's been demoted to computer cleaning, and some dish washing soap.

Cleaning the inside of a MCRES is a pain - I had to remove flux from mine (I was too lazy to rinse properly).

Here's what I did (and it worked a treat):

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...58&postcount=4

(if you don't have "Bounty" (now called "Plenty") then use any kitchen towel that is labelled as "strong when wet" - i.e. the stuff that won't fall apart in water)

HTH
J

That's a great idea! I'll try it this week if I have time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oerekum

Sorry I missed your post. Seeing as this residue is white I think it is indeed Thermochill residue, other posts on these forums also say it looks like it. It's the only place in my loop where I found this residue though. I brushed it off with a toothbrush that's been demoted to computer cleaning, and some dish washing soap.

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Okay, I had som light brown stuff all over my loop.
In the res, pump, inside the heatkiller etc. And it won't come off with just a toothbrush or simular.

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Originally Posted by brammers

Cleaning the inside of a MCRES is a pain - I had to remove flux from mine (I was too lazy to rinse properly).

Here's what I did (and it worked a treat):

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...58&postcount=4

(if you don't have "Bounty" (now called "Plenty") then use any kitchen towel that is labelled as "strong when wet" - i.e. the stuff that won't fall apart in water)

HTH
J

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Thanks for the link/info