Clogged cpu block help

[zeeman1258]

The fins on my CPU block have like a hard film on the out side but the fins look completely fine underneath, I have tried soaking it in bleach, isopropyl alcohol, and 32% hydrogen peroxide (normal hydrogen peroxide is 3%) and it had little effect. I was wondering if you have any tips for getting this off. Thank you

 

[Letgomyleghoe]

Damn that’s a lot of build up, have you tried acetone/nail polish remover/paint thinner?

 

i would take a lil peek in your rads, I wouldn’t be suprised if they were all clogged up too.

[Bitter]

Were you running mixed metals or running tap water in the system? To know what's needed to dissolve it we first need to know what it is.

[Letgomyleghoe]

1 minute ago, Bitter said:

Were you running mixed metals or running tap water in the system? To know what's needed to dissolve it we first need to know what it is.

Mixed metals would cause corrosion, tap water wouldn’t make that much build up, I would think it’s a home mixed fluid and it just gummed up in the fins.

[zeeman1258]

Tap water, not my proudest moment.

[zeeman1258]

It’s an AIO that has a fill port and it got low and I added tapwater

[Letgomyleghoe]

Just now, zeeman1258 said:

It’s an AIO that has a fill port and it got low and I added tapwater

Aio’s are supposed to stay sealed, there’s probably some sort of bacterial build up in there, I would recommend trashing that one buying another.

[zeeman1258]

Just now, scuff gang said:

Aio’s are supposed to stay sealed, there’s probably some sort of bacterial build up in there, I would recommend trashing that one buying another.

I’m going to soon but for now I can’t what do you think would dissolve it

[Letgomyleghoe]

Just now, zeeman1258 said:

I’m going to soon but for now I can’t what do you think would dissolve it

I would try Strong acetone, try and use a tooth brush to lightly brush in between the fins. 
 

but if that Doesn’t work use the stock cooler if you still have it.

[zeeman1258]

1 minute ago, scuff gang said:

I would try Strong acetone, try and use a tooth brush to lightly brush in between the fins. 
 

but if that Doesn’t work use the stock cooler if you still have it.

Alright thank you

[Bitter]

4 minutes ago, scuff gang said:

Mixed metals would cause corrosion, tap water wouldn’t make that much build up, I would think it’s a home mixed fluid and it just gummed up in the fins.

Sure it would, there's minerals in tap water that would precipitate out on the hottest parts of the loop and cause this or can carry ions of other metals (aluminum) through the system and create compounds of metal which may precipitate out and bond to the copper or simply drop out of solution at the hotter areas. It's also possible that aluminum hydroxide has been created in the loop if there's mixed metals and tap water was added.

3 minutes ago, zeeman1258 said:

Tap water, not my proudest moment.

It happens.

 

 

I would suggest a mild acid like simple vinegar to start with which would dissolve common tap water minerals without harming copper. If it's aluminum hydroxide that's dried out then vinegar may be too mild for it and you might need a stronger acid like sulfuric acid which should dissolve aluminum hydroxide and not harm the copper.

[Bitter]

11 minutes ago, scuff gang said:

Aio’s are supposed to stay sealed, there’s probably some sort of bacterial build up in there, I would recommend trashing that one buying another.

Not all AIO are sealed, some do have service ports for adding fluid but you need to use the correct stuff. It's probably not bacterial since the loop would likely be pasteurizing itself if the loop is hitting a fluid temp of 55C for any length of time over an hour, only 10 minutes is needed at 65C water temp to sterilize.

8 minutes ago, scuff gang said:

I would try Strong acetone, try and use a tooth brush to lightly brush in between the fins. 
 

but if that Doesn’t work use the stock cooler if you still have it.

Acetone is a solvent for oils and greases, this would be neither nor would it be a plastic that it could react with. Acetone will do nothing. And what is 'strong acetone' anyway? You buy acetone at 100% strength, it's not like rubbing alcohol that's 70-90% strength or acids which are diluted.

[Letgomyleghoe]

4 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Not all AIO are sealed, some do have service ports for adding fluid but you need to use the correct stuff. It's probably not bacterial since the loop would likely be pasteurizing itself if the loop is hitting a fluid temp of 55C for any length of time over an hour, only 10 minutes is needed at 65C water temp to sterilize.

Bacteria in loops and aios is a very common things and why most pre mixed liquids contain an anti growth.

 

6 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Acetone is a solvent for oils and greases

Acetone also dissolves organic matter, and a lot of other stuff, and would dissolve any organic build up, but won’t corrode copper, unlike sulfuric acid will if left on the copper for an extended period of time.

 

11 minutes ago, Bitter said:

You buy acetone at 100% strength, it's not like rubbing alcohol that's 70-90% strength or acids which are diluted.

My bad.

[Bitter]

14 minutes ago, scuff gang said:

Bacteria in loops and aios is a very common things and why most pre mixed liquids contain an anti growth.

 

Acetone also dissolves organic matter, and a lot of other stuff, and would dissolve any organic build up, but won’t corrode copper, unlike sulfuric acid will if left on the copper for an extended period of time.

 

My bad.

Copper and sulfuric acid don't react on the time scale we're be talking about here for cleaning a water block or at the temps we'd be talking about cleaning a water block. Acetone doesn't dissolve organic build up, it can kill things but it won't dissolve them. It may loosen the bonds they have to some surfaces by breaking down the lipids involved in the organic materials but that's not going to do what I think you think it's going to do to this because I highly doubt this is organic in nature. It's very likely this AIO uses an aluminum radiator and that tap water has allowed aluminum hydroxide to for which is a hydrated form of aluminum oxide, drying the water block would have turned this into aluminum oxide which is pretty tough stuff (think sandpaper). Aluminum oxide does dissolve in sulfuric acid to make aluminum sulfate and water, aluminum sulfate is dissolves in water.

https://chemiday.com/en/reaction/3-1-0-12939

 

To react the copper water block with sulfuric acid we'd need to heat things up a bit and leave them alone for a bit. neither of which will be taking place since the aluminum oxide will react with the acid much quicker than the copper. Dilute sulfuric acid, assuming this is aluminum oxide, will clean this 'gunk' from the copper block without damaging the block. It's a cheap and readily available chemical so it's worth a shot. Do this outside, away from surfaces which may stain, wear long sleeves, and use gloves+goggles. Be careful about brush bristles slinging acid around/at your face when scrubbing.

[zeeman1258]

10 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Copper and sulfuric acid don't react on the time scale we're be talking about here for cleaning a water block or at the temps we'd be talking about cleaning a water block. Acetone doesn't dissolve organic build up, it can kill things but it won't dissolve them. It may loosen the bonds they have to some surfaces by breaking down the lipids involved in the organic materials but that's not going to do what I think you think it's going to do to this because I highly doubt this is organic in nature. It's very likely this AIO uses an aluminum radiator and that tap water has allowed aluminum hydroxide to for which is a hydrated form of aluminum oxide, drying the water block would have turned this into aluminum oxide which is pretty tough stuff (think sandpaper). Aluminum oxide does dissolve in sulfuric acid to make aluminum sulfate and water, aluminum sulfate is dissolves in water.

https://chemiday.com/en/reaction/3-1-0-12939

 

To react the copper water block with sulfuric acid we'd need to heat things up a bit and leave them alone for a bit. neither of which will be taking place since the aluminum oxide will react with the acid much quicker than the copper. Dilute sulfuric acid, assuming this is aluminum oxide, will clean this 'gunk' from the copper block without damaging the block. It's a cheap and readily available chemical so it's worth a shot. Do this outside, away from surfaces which may stain, wear long sleeves, and use gloves+goggles. Be careful about brush bristles slinging acid around/at your face when scrubbing.

Thank you, I’ll try to get some

[Letgomyleghoe]

@Bitter but this doesn't look like any form of galvanic corrosion i have ever seen, galvanic corrosion tends to turn copper a black color, not the nice shiny copper we see below the layer of *whatever* and there would need to have been galvanic corrosion for your theory to hold up.

 

it looks like a coagulation of the mixers in the fluid and/or a bacterial buildup, but i could be corrected.

[Bitter]

2 minutes ago, scuff gang said:

@Bitter but this doesn't look like any form of galvanic corrosion i have ever seen, galvanic corrosion tends to turn copper a black color, not the nice shiny copper we see below the layer of *whatever* and there would need to have been galvanic corrosion for your theory to hold up.

 

it looks like a coagulation of the mixers in the fluid and/or a bacterial buildup, but i could be corrected.

If there's a more reactive metal like aluminum present it becomes the sacrificial metal in the loop. Aluminum is the more reactive of the two, that's why the coolant would have been DI water with a buffer and some freeze protection, pretty similar to car coolant actually! This looks very similar to the Enermax Liqtech cooler gunking, GN had some 'gunk' analyzed and determined it was aluminum oxide caused by mixed metals with poor quality coolant fill.