What grew inside my loop?

[ikrloz99]

First things first, sorry for the long post but I don't want to just confuse people by not giving enough information since all loops are different. Now let me share with you my specs, my watercooling parts and some photos of how the loop was running:

 

https://imgur.com/gallery/kZTjzVM

 

Parts:

CPU: Delidded Intel Core i7 8086k running at 4.4 all cores

Memory: 16 GB DDR4 3200Mhz CAS14 Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro

GPU: RTX 2080Ti

Mobo: ASus Strix z390-I gaming mini ITX

PSU: Corsair SF750 Platinum SFX

Case: NZXT H110 Mini-ITX

Watercooling parts (all from EKWB except the coolant):

Soft tubing: EK-DuraClear 11,1/15,9mm 3M RETAIL

GPU Block: EK-Quantum Vector RTX RE Ti D-RGB - Nickel + Plexi

CPU Block: EK-Momentum ROG Strix Z390I D-RGB - Plexi

Radiators: x1 EK-CoolStream SE 240 and x1 SE 120

Pump Combo: EK-XRES 100 DDC MX 3.1 PWM (incl. pump) with and installed Heatsink also from EKWB  THIS IS A LOWER POWERED VERSION OF A NORMAL DDC PUMP WITH JUST THE 4-FIN PWM FAN CONNECTOR TO POWER (NO MOLEX NEEDED) AND I CHOSE IT JUST BECAUSE MY LOOP WAS GOING TO BE VERY SMALL AND THE EKWB SUPPORT TOLD ME THAT THE PRESSURE HEAD OF IT WOULD BE MORE THAT ENOUGH (AND IT WAS ONLY 79 USD LOL).

Fittings and adapters: All Nickel plated from EKWB

Coolant:  PrimoChill Ice - Low-Conductive Coolant (32 oz.) - Clear

Max temps on full load:

 

CPU: 84° C

GPU: 70°

 

As for other relevant data: The loop was only running about 3 months and a half mostly playing GTA Online and Halo MCC PC, I have no pets, and the PC is on a desk on my bedroom.

I did all the loop preparation procedures:

 

1. Drained the rads with vinegar and water

2. Flushed the brand-new loop & parts like 3 - 5 times with distilled water

3. Leak tested the thing with distilled water for +24 Hrs with no leaks at all

 

So the whole point of disassembly was that there was this visible stuff growing in the CPU block and most importantly my pump one day decided to not start, so naturally I switched the PC and tried to start it by rebooting, but it kept making barely audible click sounds as if it was stuck and tried to start, so I hit vigorously the lower part of the motor with my finger and it restarted with no problems. I kept doing this for the last 3 weeks of the loop running before disassembly, and I've read that also I wasn't the only user of this lower powered DDC MX 3.1 Pump having this exact problem, solved also by punching the motor. EKWB even just recently discontinued it on their website as it says, "End of Life".

 

With all that context l begin:

 

Yesterday I decided to disassemble my watercooling loop because I could see in my acrylic monoblock that something was clearly growing inside the loop as shown in these pictures of the disassembled blocks:

 

 https://imgur.com/gallery/dFSvinn

 

As you can see there are multiple stuff of different colors on each material of the loop, and this is where I need your help figuring out why and how this happened and also how to clean it out.

I just recently scrubbed most of the stuff with a toothbrush and 50/50 white vinegar and water and at least the CPU monoblock looks like brand new, except from one mark of the edge of the rubber gasket.

The thing growing inside in the acrylic is white, whereas the stuff growing on the nickel-plated blocks is this brownish sticky oily stuff, but not oily like slippery lubricant, but more like thicker oil found normally on cars.

This oily stuff was also on the inside of the threads of the fittings and adapters (all nickel plated). So it was not easy to clean, and on some of the fittings there is like a circled layer of white paste on them (as shown in the first photos).

The tubing is the most dirty of them all with clear signs of this stuff growing inside to the point where the soft tubing looks more like a yellowish plastic tube as shown in one of the images where is compared to a brand new tube.

The pump/res combo was the same as the acrylic top of the blocks, it had a yellowish layer of stuff which wasn't hard to wash off, but when I disassembled the pump it looked fine except that it also felt covered in the brown stuff.

Now, of all of the above parts they can be cleaned and washed out really easily, but the radiators can't. And this is the most worrisome part for me because I don't know what is growing inside of the radiators; as shown in the photos, this black/brown stuff is at least growing in the 240 radiator, whereas the 120mm rad looks fine from the inside.

I've read that 3 flushes with a mix of 50/50 water and vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes should do the job, but I haven't tried anything just yet since first I wanted to be sure of exactly what I am dealing with.

So my three questions for you guys are:

1. What is the stuff growing on each of the parts?

2. How do I clean and wash out all of the black stuff growing inside my radiators?

3. How do I prevent this from happening again? even when I did all the mandatory stuff first

I am re-installing my loop as soon as I get more PrimoChill Ice since I have no more coolant, but this time in order to avoid problems with the pump I bought The EK-Quantum Kinetic TBE 120 VTX PWM D-RGB - Plexi  https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-kinetic-tbe-120-vtx-pwm-d-rgb-plexi , a fully powered Pump this time and (I hope), less prone to failure and manufacturing problems as the lower powered DDC MX 3.1 one.

 

NOTE: I NEVER USED VINEGAR RUNNING INSIDE MY LOOP, IT WAS ONLY USED TO FLUSH THE RADIATORS AND RECENTLY JUST TO CLEAN WITH A TOOTHBRUSH THE CPU WATERBLOCK

[For Science!]

Not biological growth. Looks like plasticizer related to me, perhaps exacerbated by the vinegar (pH issues)

[ikrloz99]

12 hours ago, For Science! said:

Not biological growth. Looks like plasticizer related to me, perhaps exacerbated by the vinegar (pH issues)

Oh ok, so maybe when I build the loop when it was brand new It may have needed a couple more rinses with distilled water right? to get all the vinegar drops and remains inside the radiators. So, How do I avoid the plasticizer from getting inside the loop that quickly before I reassembly my system this weekend? I've read that those treatments that PrimoChill sell are good for balancing the pH inside the loop. Will that work? Also, I havent cleaned my radiators yet, Do you suggest flushing them again with hot water and maybe a little of vinegar again but this time with way more flushes?

 

BTW, I scrubbed the waterblock and now it looks pristine and brand new (havent installed anything yet). 

[For Science!]

11 hours ago, ikrloz99 said:

BTW, I scrubbed the waterblock and now it looks pristine and brand new (havent installed anything yet). 

EK radiators are historically quite clean. Plenty of hot tap water followed by distilled water is sufficient. As long as you don't introduce any more vinegar you're proabbly already pH neutral. Pasticizer is just a thing you can't avoid with soft tubing, so until you graduate from it, you will be replacing your tubes periodically. 

 

No comment on primochill coolants, they have no documentation and so I do not recommend them

 

Things like heat will increase the rate of leeching, so keeping your fluid temperatures as low as possible will help prolong the life of the tubing.

[AnonymousGuy]

53 minutes ago, For Science! said:

 Pasticizer is just a thing you can't avoid with soft tubing, so until you graduate from it, you will be replacing your tubes periodically. 

 

Mayhem Ultra Clear and EK has something similar are polyurethane soft tubing that don't use plasticizer.  LRT is probably the same.

 

I have some Ultra Clear stuff here that's still perfectly clear after years.

 

The only issues I've had with it fogging is from radiator flux. 2 of my systems don't have radiators so the tubing stays clear.