Mineral oil in a custom loop?

[ManSizeTardigrade]

     So, I was wondering if running mineral oil in a custom loop would kill a pump built for water cooling.

      I was also wondering if the mineral oil would corrode any metals or leech metal and become conductive. If it doesn't could I leave the fluid in the loop indefinitely or would I still have to change the fluid regularly for other reasons?

      I dont know what the heat capacity of the oil would be but I figure as long as I have a big enough radiator it should be fine. 

      If you think this is a terrible idea please feel free to enlighten me and please suggest a solution to any problems you foresee. I appreciate your time and thank you in advance!

 

[Lurick]

No, that's a terrible idea and will almost certainly kill the pump, if not everything else. It won't corrode any of the metals, it will be a nightmare to clean, and it will destroy any rubber seals in the loop meaning you'll have to replace those before doing it.

Mineral oil cannot quickly transfer heat but can absorb it quickly so it will heat up and kill the pump that way as well. Additionally, it cannot easily flow through the micro-channels the same way that water can which will increase head pressure causing the pump to die out faster.

[brandishwar]

How many times has this question been asked on this forum?

[ManSizeTardigrade]

1 hour ago, Lurick said:

No, that's a terrible idea and will almost certainly kill the pump, if not everything else. It won't corrode any of the metals, it will be a nightmare to clean, and it will destroy any rubber seals in the loop meaning you'll have to replace those before doing it.

Mineral oil cannot quickly transfer heat but can absorb it quickly so it will heat up and kill the pump that way as well. Additionally, it cannot easily flow through the micro-channels the same way that water can which will increase head pressure causing the pump to die out faster.

I see, I apologize I'm not very knowledgeable with mineral oil. Are there pumps that are designed for it that could be used instead? and a radiator that is also optimized for mineral oil?

[ManSizeTardigrade]

59 minutes ago, brandishwar said:

How many times has this question been asked on this forum?

You tell me.

[Lurick]

5 minutes ago, ManSizeTardigrade said:

I see, I apologize I'm not very knowledgeable with mineral oil. Are there pumps that are designed for it that could be used instead? and a radiator that is also optimized for mineral oil?

None that I know of or have ever seen, unless you get into automotive stuff.

It's the thermal properties of mineral oil itself that make it retain heat, you can't really optimize a radiator for it.

[For Science!]

29 minutes ago, ManSizeTardigrade said:

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Degradation of rubber seals, highly viscous liquids, poorer thermal properties compared to water.... Ultimately "not worth it" if all you are trying to circumvent is a yearly maintenance. Putting mineral oil into a loop is definitely putting the maintenance timer on a more frequent basis than when just dealing with normal water based coolants.

[andrewmp6]

Look at this way people have been water cooling pcs since the 90s,Some tried the whole lets dunk a pc in a fish tank full of mineral oil to cool it fad but that wore out fast.For pc liquid cooling water and the coolants we have now are the best option for cooling vs price.Using anything else will cost a lot more and you'd have to fully make your own loop pretty much.

[ManSizeTardigrade]

20 hours ago, Lurick said:

None that I know of or have ever seen, unless you get into automotive stuff.

It's the thermal properties of mineral oil itself that make it retain heat, you can't really optimize a radiator for it.

Ah I understand. So are there any liquids that would work better than water mixtures? Or is that about it?

[ManSizeTardigrade]

20 hours ago, For Science! said:

Degradation of rubber seals, highly viscous liquids, poorer thermal properties compared to water.... Ultimately "not worth it" if all you are trying to circumvent is a yearly maintenance. Putting mineral oil into a loop is definitely putting the maintenance timer on a more frequent basis than when just dealing with normal water based coolants.

Interesting, are their other coolant besides mineral oil and water based?

[ManSizeTardigrade]

12 hours ago, andrewmp6 said:

Look at this way people have been water cooling pcs since the 90s,Some tried the whole lets dunk a pc in a fish tank full of mineral oil to cool it fad but that wore out fast.For pc liquid cooling water and the coolants we have now are the best option for cooling vs price.Using anything else will cost a lot more and you'd have to fully make your own loop pretty much.

I'm willing to make my own loop. Are there any coolants you would suggest besides distilled water?

[For Science!]

1 hour ago, ManSizeTardigrade said:

Interesting, are their other coolant besides mineral oil and water based?

Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are the main alternatives. But by far water based coolants have the widest range of compatibility. I don't understand why you are trying to keep away from water based coolants. Water + Biocide + anti-corrosives mixture is all you need for a low-maintenance water cooling setup, and EK-CryoFuel for example provides you in a "just add water" concentraate.

[andrewmp6]

Really any big name coolant not 3d effects like vue or ufo will work prefect for you.