Official EK statement - Nickel Plating Issues

[Defoler]

So what happens to the people who have paid an extra premium for the nickel products and opt to have the copper one? Will the reseller refund the difference?

From what eddy wrote, no.
You can get either the same item you have, or a copper version. That's it. No money return at all.

[prznar1]

^wolf132

good point. i would like to read Eddy's reply to that.

[NKrader]

^wolf132

good point. i would like to read Eddy's reply to that.

he wont.

[Devil_Dog]

Thanks for the info Eddy but I do have a few questions for you.

First is regarding the RMA process. What do you anticipate the turn around will be for us here in the US? Where will be sending the block to and will the replacement block be sent once you have received the old one or once verified by the info requested sent with the RMA form. Granted it be from you or the reseller.

Now the other is in regards to the testing that has been done. Has the same test been performed on other nickel plated blocks or plated products from other vendors to further study the affect? If not do you plan on doing so? It may seem crazy to do but this has not occurred with nickel plated blocks form other vendors and if it did they did a hell of a job keeping it quiet. I have been using distilled water and silver for 2 years with other nickel plated blocks and they look as new and shiny as the day I got them.

[mpolter]

I would like to see the "Institute" perform a test on an EK wb from a vendor to see how good the plating is before hand. It has to be a random vendor with stock and not a hand-picked special one from EK.


--MikeP

[miahallen]

EK, I just purchased 3x Acetal & nickel blocks for my GTX 580s.

- In order to check and see if corrosion is occuring on my blocks, I'll need to remove the "warranty void if removed" sticker. Will you still honor the RMA proceedures as outlined in the OP?
- Also, if my blocks are OK...I'll need to get an official recommendation for a fluid which can be obtained in the USA. I am not familiar with the options you listed.

Thanks

[pcfreak]

Sidewinder News - June 4 2011

Sidewinder Computers has released a statement concerning all EK Nickel Plated Waterblocks. Click here to read it.

Go to Sidewinder site and click the link yourself...

[NKrader]

EK, I just purchased 3x Acetal & nickel blocks for my GTX 580s.

- In order to check and see if corrosion is occuring on my blocks, I'll need to remove the "warranty void if removed" sticker. Will you still honor the RMA proceedures as outlined in the OP?
- Also, if my blocks are OK...I'll need to get an official recommendation for a fluid which can be obtained in the USA. I am not familiar with the options you listed.

Thanks

this has been said a couple times before. the sticker is saying its leak-proof not that your void warranty of your water block.

btw love your build

[NaeKuh]

Eddy Im glad ur taking the RMA's however your statement makes no sense.

Did it ever occure to you, if you guys are the only one having the problem, then possibly its just you guys, and NOT us?

Take an example at koolance or swiftech even.
Have you heard anyone complain about there nickle plating?
And im fairly sure those of us who are on swiftech and koolance are doing what u are telling us not to do without any ill effects.

And after all the flaking pictures you've seen, your still not saying its flaking?

Sorry if i dont sound civil, but Eddy, it looks like you guys are going around the bush..
Instead of saying stop using this ... stop using that... maybe its best if u guys CHANGE your nickle process to something that works.
Because if u get professional nickle platers come in here and tell you, what you said is a result of trying to cut cost, these scars you have are going to turn into amputations.

[tiborrr]

Warranty void sticker on the blocks ensures the water blocks is leak-proof out-of-the-box. Breaking the orange/black warranty seal does not void the warranty of your water block.

[Avathar77]

Any one know if this issue is for EK Supreme HF Full Nickel as well? Or is it just for GPU blocks?

[[AK]Zip]

Any one know if this issue is for EK Supreme HF Full Nickel as well? Or is it just for GPU blocks?

All nickel EK blocks.

[XiraN]

Ram and motherboard blocks too, so yes, everything has the problem, just GPU are easy to see with those plexi tops and lots of surface area.

[NaeKuh]

Any one know if this issue is for EK Supreme HF Full Nickel as well? Or is it just for GPU blocks?

his statement said straight up...
IF you want to use eK blocks with nickle.. you can not use distilled + silver.
And that is leaving a sour taste in my mouth kinda like when he said u can not use PT Nuke on his plexi.
Well... i cant speak for the vendor... but if those are the options i am left with.. well... i'll leave it at that..
But it makes no sense for eK to tell us what we cant do, when other vendors shows us we can do it.
But if you want eK, dont let me stop you.

And let me remind you about premixes which eK says we must use.
If your using an injection style block.. something that uses a Injector head... ie.. the HF with P1 nozzle, or a KL-350,360,370, or AC Kryos.... expect mystery jelly clogging your jets from the straining / filter action in months of time. (we used to call it hydr-x mystery gelly). Its actually the glycol in proply or ethly combined with heat and pressure, solidfying into a gelly like material.
(systems with higher flow, show faster collection..)


Eddy, once again... i would honestly recommend u revaluate your statement.
sometimes i understand the way you write stuff, is not the way you intend for them to sound.
Take a good look at your testing results.. and instead of trying to place blame on everything else around the platter..

LOOK AT THE PLATTER.

All these problems u mention can start at a piss poor plater.
Most particularly at a very poor nickle plate start.

[aqualab]

Eddy is right but he forgot to mention all the details; it’s true that an electrolyte can cause what we see on the blocks, but what he forgot to mention, is the nickel have to be in close contact with copper in this electrolyte, and the only way it can happen it’s when defective platting expose the copper, that explain why other manufacturers don’t have the same problem , now Ek will replace the block, of course they was damage before been put in the electrolyte, and EK ask you to not use anymore electrolyte to not damage other block with imperfection. All that to cover manufacturer imperfections. .

[USFORCES]

You know what I find amazing, that I have not seen one bad thing on nickel plated Koolance blocks yet (other than the steel plugs 3 years ago) even after all this happened, and EVERYONE OF THEIR BLOCKS IS NICKEL PLATED. I think I'll pass on EK products from now on, because instead of blaming the plater (100% is their fault and no one will convince me otherwise), they try to blame the coolant, when koolance nickel plated blocks have had 0 problems with the said coolants + additives. So EK's solution is to send the blocks back to the SAME PLATER, to get replated by the same process that previously did not work.

Umm, it says "Only thing that we allow is that customer can chose to replace the product for non-Nickel-Plated block – copper version."

Atleast EK is adressing the issue, I will continue to use EK I've always liked there blocks over others!

[miahallen]

this has been said a couple times before. the sticker is saying its leak-proof not that your void warranty of your water block.

btw love your build

Thanks

Warranty void sticker on the blocks ensures the water blocks is leak-proof out-of-the-box. Breaking the orange/black warranty seal does not void the warranty of your water block.

Duh....it'd probably help if I read them

[NaeKuh]

but what he forgot to mention, is the nickel have to be in close contact with copper in this electrolyte, and the only way it can happen it’s when defective platting expose the copper, that explain why other manufacturers don’t have the same problem , now Ek will replace the block, of course they was damage before been put in the electrolyte, and EK ask you to not use anymore electrolyte to not damage other block with imperfection. All that to cover manufacturer imperfections. .

shhhhh... not yet... dont bring out all the cards yet...

But yes... which is why i am telling Eddy to stop looking at things around the system, and look at the presystem.

Ie.. the plater.


Eddy why are you guys protecting the platter?
Are you guys plating the blocks @ shop personally?
If you guys are... your seriously doing something wrong..

This is what were trying to tell you.
Your plating process is messed up, and you guys need to fix it.
Not tell us how we can accept your wrong plating process.

[NKrader]

Ie.. the platter.

platter?




figured id lighten the mood

[MrToad]

platter?




figured id lighten the mood

[NaeKuh]

platter?



figured id lighten the mood

lmao...

I can +1 your comedy with this:


^im trying to avoid that....

Shazza will probably come in and clean these up... sorry in advance shazza.

[defect9]

Damn, that's one thorough report.

[aoch88]

I think most of the EK products are just crap. Never ending issues from the start. We should stop buying them, 'nuff said.

[zalbard]

Benzalkonium chloride is not based on copper sulfate. It should not create any chance of making a battery out of your water.

In the interest of science, if I happen to have the nickel loss on my block, I'll test it myself when I get my hands back on it. I'll be glad to post the test results here, since we have conflicting views on this issue.

I want to reiterate though-I think he's doing the right thing. We never consider one test conclusive on thermals, so another test on this issue won't hurt. But I'm not gonna sit here and deride a person who is endeavoring to fix this issue. I have the tools to figure out pretty quickly if it's a plating flaw or a galvanic issue (honestly, a microscope will do it if you know what you're looking for) and I'll post pics when I get the opportunity. As my son's in the hospital, it might be a week or two.

If people will be patient, I'll examine one of my own with a microscope and run a few chemical/electrical tests on the water. I think we'll end up with a mix of reasons, personally. Like I said though, he's making good. Accept it for what it is, people.

Please do, I am looking forward to it. Would be very much appreciated.

And once again, to make this clear. If one decides to RMA, the customer pays for both shipping the blocks to EK and back?

[prznar1]

I think most of the EK products are just crap. Never ending issues from the start. We should stop buying them, 'nuff said.

speak for your self only.

its only an issue with one product line, not with whole company. rads, pumps, fittings should still work fine. also copper blocks are also problemless. this will hit EK VERY HARD but will not destroy it.

spoken by not fan of ek at all