Making your own custom loop coolant

[gtr2244]

 Linus mentioned in his video "I will never water cool again" that using a biocide such as iodine and distilled water should be fine in a cutom loop. As long as you don't have anything that will corode over time, has anyone ever used this mixture? I'm thinking of trying it because the ek and other coolants I tried haven't been all that great in terms of tubes fogging, some growth inside my cpu block. I've been changing the coolant every 6 months, as recommended. Washed the system with an ek cleaner, but it looks like I have to break everything down and see how much build up is really inside. I figure if distilled water and iodine will give the same or better performance, I'd be saving some money.

[SImoHayha]

it's probably cheaper to use an aftermarket solution.  You shouldn't be getting growth in the CPU block, if that is the issue. Perhaps you should be using distilled water + the aftermarket corrosion inhibitor. 

[Bananasplit_00]

I ran distilled water and glycol for a while, I think 70/30 of something. Don't remember how long it was in there but there was no growth or corrosion.

[gtr2244]

What I've been using for the past few months is EKWB cryofuel premix, clear. I'll try the iodine and destilled, looks like it will have a dropper included.

 

[gtr2244]

 I've decided not to make a coolant. Amount of iodine, types, could be corrosive, might become diluted in the wrong mixture. I'm going to try Corsair's premix clear, should be good.

[Stahlmann]

I've been using EK Cryofuel clear premix and without maintenance it clogged up my blocks in about 3 years. I switched over to a clear premix from Alphacool, let's see how long I can run this before running into problems.

[gtr2244]

 They do say to change it every 6 months, with a cleaning, preferably their cleaning solutions. I hope you at least opened the block and pump to clean out any stuck on fungi.

[-rascal-]

On 7/9/2024 at 3:35 AM, Stahlmann said:

I've been using EK Cryofuel clear premix and without maintenance it clogged up my blocks in about 3 years. I switched over to a clear premix from Alphacool, let's see how long I can run this before running into problems.

 

Three years without drain + refill?! Damn...

 

I've used EK Cryofuel concentrate + distilled water for a number of years now; works fine for me.

I've tried their Solid Cloud White...and the pigments separated after a few months...haven't tried again since.
(Community said they eventually fixed the formula)

[Stahlmann]

On 7/9/2024 at 7:29 PM, gtr2244 said:

 They do say to change it every 6 months, with a cleaning, preferably their cleaning solutions. I hope you at least opened the block and pump to clean out any stuck on fungi.

Yes I cleaned everything. I just wanted to know how negligent you can be before running into issues.

[gtr2244]

23 hours ago, -rascal- said:

 

Three years without drain + refill?! Damn...

 

I've used EK Cryofuel concentrate + distilled water for a number of years now; works fine for me.

I've tried their Solid Cloud White...and the pigments separated after a few months...haven't tried again since.
(Community said they eventually fixed the formula)

 My first use was EK Cryofuel blue, after a year it ws stuck to everything. Had to replace the tubes, scrubbed the gpu block, some wouldn't come off. The pump was really gunked up. Maybe they reworked it, I hope. I only use clear after that. How often do you change the liquid?

[Blai5e]

@-rascal- @gtr2244 I too tried the EK Cryofuel Blue (concentrate) and as said, it stuck to everything and took forever to clean out. Since then, I have used Cryofuel Clear (concentrate) exclusively 2 hardline builds and a ZMT testbench without issue. I do a full change (with flush) every 12 months and haven't suffered any buildup in the blocks.

 

One thing I was disappointed to hear out of the recent Computex was EK is going to drop selling the concentrate! In the future, EK (if the Youtuber was correct) will only offering premixed 

[gtr2244]

 Do you like the ZMT tubes? I'm considering switching out from soft tubes since they fog up every few months. 

[Blai5e]

@gtr2244 - Yes, I only use them on my test bench and was attracted to the "zero maintenace" mantra. Well, it's been three years and there haven't been any plasticisers leeching out contaminating the loop.

[-rascal-]

On 7/12/2024 at 11:36 AM, gtr2244 said:

 My first use was EK Cryofuel blue, after a year it ws stuck to everything. Had to replace the tubes, scrubbed the gpu block, some wouldn't come off. The pump was really gunked up. Maybe they reworked it, I hope. I only use clear after that. How often do you change the liquid?

 

I change the coolant every 6 ~ 8 months.

 

I used to notice gunk will start to build up over time, not serious, though.

Because of that, I would take the blocks apart, and replace all the soft tubing every time.

Ever since I started pre-rinsing the tubing and their loop cleaner + superflush, it seems to have held up.

[BabaGanuche]

I do not understand people's obsession with changing coolant. I have ran the same EK clear for over 5 years without doing anything but topping up the res for evaporation. I have had no noticable performance difference over that time.

 

Outside of the PC space I have used industrial equipment with water cooling that ran pure deionized water for 25 years with any maintenance. No additives could be used as that would raise the conductivity.

[ErnestJ]

Dont use iodine. Just get distilled water and add potassium permanganate just few small drops who will slightly disolve in water and dont change water color. Like one small flake on one liter bottle. Even in nuclear power stations distilled water used or heavy water. If water lab clean distilled and deionised you might not need to add anything. Have enermax saphire rapids water radiator and inside just distilled water from super market. Nothing growing inside. I wouldnt use collored colants and glycoil it fucks up pump and it slightly sticky.

 

Wonder how it would work using 3m novec fluid.

[Stahlmann]

On 7/18/2024 at 10:14 AM, BabaGanuche said:

I do not understand people's obsession with changing coolant. I have ran the same EK clear for over 5 years without doing anything but topping up the res for evaporation. I have had no noticable performance difference over that time.

 

Outside of the PC space I have used industrial equipment with water cooling that ran pure deionized water for 25 years with any maintenance. No additives could be used as that would raise the conductivity.

I did a long-term test with the same coolant and I haven't noticed any changes in temperatures, but after 3 years when upgrading my CPU I noticed severe thermal issues and the CPU block was almost completely gunked up. There was still enough flow to cool my old 65W CPU, but the new 105W CPU was too much.

 

If it helps to get around a full disassembly and deep cleaning all the blocks, I'd say flushing every 12 months doesn't sound obsessive.