Mixing Copper and aluminum, I know it is bad but...

[MadHacker]

I just got a rad shipped to me today... its supposed to be copper but its aluminum, company apologized and I can ship it back and get refund.
I ordered a new rad, copper one. however I won't get it for 10 days.
however I was wondering if I use the aluminum one in the mean time.
I have 8 6970 running and they are rumping a lot of heat and i would like to put the rad outside instead.
I'm just concerned with my investment in water blocks since i also have 8 swiftech water blocks that i don't want damaged.
if i can run it with car antifreeze and not damage the blocks that would be great.
however I just really need to know before I do anything.

Thanks in advance

[paulbagz]

I would just be patient imo.

Will they take the rad back if you've used it (and maybe corroded it)?

-PB

[MadHacker]

I payed $78 for the rad. one to fit a 20" box fan.
so the loss of the money isn't to much.
I wish i could be patient, however i'm just sweltering in this heat.
I'd like to put the rad outside and run it there and dump the heat there.

[paulbagz]

I payed $78 for the rad. one to fit a 20" box fan.
so the loss of the money isn't to much.
I wish i could be patient, however i'm just sweltering in this heat.
I'd like to put the rad outside and run it there and dump the heat there.

Ahh ok.

What's a Canadian Summer like?

-PB

[MadHacker]

Ahh ok.

What's a Canadian Summer like?

-PB

it varies depending on location.
everything from 38DegC in the north(last weeks new record) to mid 20's...
her in Calgary it gets cool every night to about 10-12 Deg.C but in some places it is hot and humid all day and night.

this doesn't answer my question however about mixing copper and aluminum
can i eliminate galvanization by using car antifreeze?

[[AK]Zip]

Yes you can use car antifreeze to eliminate galvanization. Once you are done with that setup I would suggest flushing the blocks, pump and everything else in the loop before moving onto the new radiator.

[Kayin]

I would recommend a complete teardown honestly, but yes, it should work. I tend to prefer the propylene glycol based stuff, it's safer.

[MadHacker]

thanks.
guess later on today i'll get some antifreeze.
i'll try to find some propylene glycol based stuff.

[theseeker]

Aqua fluid is great if you want to mix the two.

[Waterlogged]

it varies depending on location.
everything from 38DegC in the north(last weeks new record) to mid 20's...
her in Calgary it gets cool every night to about 10-12 Deg.C but in some places it is hot and humid all day and night.

this doesn't answer my question however about mixing copper and aluminum
can i eliminate galvanization by using car antifreeze?

Eliminate?...no. Slow down...yes.

The stronger the mix, the better the protection, it also means the worse your temps will be.

Be patient is my advice.

[MadHacker]

Eliminate?...no. Slow down...yes.

The stronger the mix, the better the protection, it also means the worse your temps will be.

Be patient is my advice.

Patient is hard when you have 8 6970s, & 4 5830's dumping heat in the room next door.
I have all the waterblocks for the 6970's and plan to make them for the 5830's.
that room is 35 degc during the day, nights a low 28 deg.
my office must be 25-27 deg. not sure exactly.

[miahallen]

Are you folding/crunching

[MadHacker]

Are you folding/crunching

nope... just a selfish bitminer..
that may change once i get things set up better.
right now since i have multiple video cards, my CPU's go to 100%
still have to figure that one out.

[PatRaceTin]

wow canada hot like bangkok!!

[MadHacker]

wow canada hot like bangkok!!

well its 22 deg outside...
31 deg inside... LOL

[bmaverick]

Awe come on now. A mere 22C? That's just comfortably cool for the day.

If you go with the Propylene Glycol, get the Sierra brand. The Sierra has the best corrosion inhibitors like the EG auto coolants do.

As for the mixture, 33%PG to 66%distilled water is the minimum safe zone and should work for 1 year before flushing and refill of the same. DO NOT USE Long Life coolants or Extended Life coolants. Those has very few corrosion inhibitors since newer vehicles have most aluminum and steel in the cooling loops. Just trust the old green stuff and you will be safe. Actually, that was the main WCing mixture from the mid-90s to the mid-00s.

[Conumdrum]

I always heard (never used) that Toyota or VW antifreeze was pretty good nice color, and works.

[MadHacker]

well i was thinking if i get a heat exchanger... like this one HXP-193 Plate Heat Exchanger
hxp-193_p0.jpg
then i can always go with the cheaper aluminum Rads without worrying about damaging my nice copper waterblocks.

[BillA]

Upon occasion I see a thread and am inclined to post
I hope you are not the same MH I used to know, because if so you've learned little

You are showing a (ss) braised plate (counterflow liquid/liquid) heat exchanger
They are really the cat's meow, but they are liquid on both sides, no air - got it ?
I used a number of them for many years, but the "cooling" side was glycol at (a very controlled) 30 to 40°F from a chiller - and the whole thing was submerged in a (another, very controlled) chilled bath.
Got really deep pockets ??

They can be had off eBay and, as always, bigger is better
You really do need to get into their design specs, its about both flow rates and the ΔT
The temps and flow rates are driving, not so much the heat capacity of the coolant

Bill

[MadHacker]

Upon occasion I see a thread and am inclined to post
I hope you are not the same MH I used to know, because if so you've learned little
Bill

I may be the same MadHacker, I use to post a lot in ProCooling
as for learning little.. its all relative to how much you need to know, watercooling for me is a hobby.

You are showing a (ss) braised plate (counterflow liquid/liquid) heat exchanger
They are really the cat's meow, but they are liquid on both sides, no air - got it ?
Bill

I understand this...
I want to make 2 loops, 1 that goes from Heat exchanger, pump, to cheep aluminum Rad and using car antifreeze as the coolant
second loop goes from Heat exchanger, pump, to waterblocks on GPUs and using Distilled water and HydreX

I used a number of them for many years, but the "cooling" side was glycol at (a very controlled) 30 to 40°F from a chiller - and the whole thing was submerged in a (another, very controlled) chilled bath.
Got really deep pockets ??
Bill

nope not deep pockets, just looking for a way to use cheaper aluminum rads instead of copper ones.

They can be had off eBay and, as always, bigger is better
You really do need to get into their design specs, its about both flow rates and the ΔT
The temps and flow rates are driving, not so much the heat capacity of the coolant
Bill

I'll take a look as to what eBay has to offer.

[BillA]

"You really do need to get into their design specs, its about both flow rates and the ΔT
The temps and flow rates are driving, not so much the heat capacity of the coolant"

run the numbers, won't fly w/o a chiller to drive the ΔT
who cares what they cost if it cannot be used?

Bill

[MadHacker]

I took another looks at the spec of the heat exchanger I posted above.
has specs for ΔT at 10 & 20 deg.
that in its own is a very high temperature differential.
that would mean if i had ambient temp of 22 Deg, then the heat exchanger specs would be relative to water temp (water block side) being 32 deg,
if and only if i could get the water down to ambient temp, which you never really can.
I think i understand what you mean,
what I'm thinking about would only really work well, if i was happy with a water temp (water block side) above 40 or even 50 deg.
which does seem very high.
and that isn't factoring in flow rate, i was planning on using a MCP655 on each side. which breaks down to 20 LPM without any resistance and there will be significant resistance on the water block side.
and it doesn't seem as practical as i had hoped to cool without using a chiller.

[tw33ter]

For the price of that heat exchanger, you can get a 3x120 rad from swiftech and not have to worry about using aluminum at all...

[MadHacker]

when I saw the heat exchanger i saw "•Heat Transfer: 4.0 kW"
I have 8 6970's and 7 5830's i want to watercool.
hence going with 1 large rad and a 20" box fan.

[warriorpoet]

"You really do need to get into their design specs, its about both flow rates and the ΔT
The temps and flow rates are driving, not so much the heat capacity of the coolant"

run the numbers, won't fly w/o a chiller to drive the ΔT
who cares what they cost if it cannot be used?

Bill

BillA? Long time no see