Confession: I didn't clean my radiator for 6+ years

[HungryHamster]

I don't say this with pride, but I didn't clean the radiator on my Corsair H110i for 6+ years. My friend installed it for me and I just always worried about it leaking or breaking if I tried to take it out to clean it.

 

I'm making this post as a testament to the quality of Corsair AIOs and to the advantage of using a push/pull configuration. I credit the push/pull configuration for keeping at least one side of my radiator completely free of dust. I definitely think this extended the life of my AIO and continues to keep my CPU cool to this day (30C idle and always under 70C at full load) even though one side is completely covered in dust. That said, I highly recommend the push/pull configuration.

 

I should also mention that for about the last year my AIO has occasionally been making weird bubbling noises and yet it still hasn't leaked or stopped working. I'm very glad my Corsair radiator has lasted this long running almost 24/7. I'm certainly going with Corsair for my next radiator.

 

 

[Senzelian]

The configuration doesn't matter. Dust will always accumulate only on one side of the radiator.

[SimplyChunk]

the bubbling sound probably just means it needs topping up.  AIO (and open loops for that matter) do loose an bit of water over time due to ingress through the tubes.  there may be a fill port on the corsair.  you can top it up with a mix of distilled water and a little PG

[Origami Cactus]

5 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

The configuration doesn't matter. Dust will always accumulate only on one side of the radiator.

You clearly haven't seen cursed Push/Push radiator setups.

But you are right, by design all radiators are meant with a singular airflow direction, so dust can only collect on the intake side, no matter if it is push/pull, just push, or just pull.

[HungryHamster]

10 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

The configuration doesn't matter. Dust will always accumulate only on one side of the radiator.

You're probably right about this. I guess my point is just that with the push/pull configuration that one side still gets some cooling from the fans even though the other side is pretty much completely clogged with dust. I would theorize that my temps would be way worse with fans on just one side and potentially even catastrophically so. 

[Senzelian]

18 minutes ago, HungryHamster said:

You're probably right about this. I guess my point is just that with the push/pull configuration that one side still gets some cooling from the fans even though the other side is pretty much completely clogged with dust. I would theorize that my temps would be way worse with fans on just one side and potentially even catastrophically so. 

If you had a purely pull configuration it would make cleaning the radiator really easy, as long as the open side isn't in front of a grill.

 

There is a really old LTT video that explains this:

 

 

[SimplyChunk]

I run push and just dust the rad every 6 months.  It's not hard to whip off three fans and run a two inch brush over the rad vigorously

[Ralfi]

1 hour ago, HungryHamster said:

I would theorize that my temps would be way worse with fans on just one side and potentially even catastrophically so. 

I recall tests resulting in not much difference, but the case fan setup may have had an influence. 

[andrewmp6]

6 hours ago, Ralfi said:

I recall tests resulting in not much difference, but the case fan setup may have had an influence. 

If i remember right its like 2 or 3 degrees difference.