Coolant Reuse?

[Skiiwee29]

So in a week or so I will need to disassemble my loop to replace my motherboard. The system as is was done up back in February so the fluid is about 6 months old. its EK Cryofuel with Distilled water. Would it be OK for me to drain it and reuse the fluid, or should I just replace it all together?

[Mick Naughty]

That’s one you. There’s no diffence between you not taking the loop apart and keeping the fluid in it and you draining it and putting it back in. 

 

Just use a clean container. 

[wildgg]

if you have a clean bucket or container i don't see any problems but since you're draining anyway, personally i would put new liquid in

[SolarNova]

So long as you dont notice any buildup or growth or other gunk in the system when u pul it apart, then its fine to reuse.

if you do howeveri  would advise changing it.

[AngryBeaver]

So let me point this out. If you are going to drain the system and then reuse the fluid... then you might as well not drain the system at all.

 

Normally cleaning is only flushing it with a cleaning solution and then some distilled, but the second you put in the used coolant you just completely removed the benefit of cleaning the system.

 

So if you are trying to be cheap... just use distilled with a biocide in it. If you are only 6 months in and the system looks good from what you can tell... then go another 4 months or so and then clean it out and replace the fluid.

[Mick Naughty]

2 hours ago, AngryBeaver said:

So let me point this out. If you are going to drain the system and then reuse the fluid... then you might as well not drain the system at all.

 

Normally cleaning is only flushing it with a cleaning solution and then some distilled, but the second you put in the used coolant you just completely removed the benefit of cleaning the system.

 

So if you are trying to be cheap... just use distilled with a biocide in it. If you are only 6 months in and the system looks good from what you can tell... then go another 4 months or so and then clean it out and replace the fluid.

Well let’s says he swapping the mobo because it doesn’t work or is incompatible, isn’t left with much of a choice. I had to do the dame thing no to long ago thanks to a pin falling out of my cpu socket. Can’t play games with 8 gigs of ram so the boards gotta go. Reused my coolant many times though. 

[Skiiwee29]

14 minutes ago, Mick Naughty said:

Well let’s says he swapping the mobo because it doesn’t work or is incompatible, isn’t left with much of a choice. I had to do the dame thing no to long ago thanks to a pin falling out of my cpu socket. Can’t play games with 8 gigs of ram so the boards gotta go. Reused my coolant many times though. 

I have to swap the board out because I have been having lots of system problems and have troubleshot it to the teeth and have determined it to be the motherboard itself. All I am asking is if I will be OK draining and re-using the fluid which is about 6 months old, or if I should just put all new fluid in. I use distilled water with EK Cryofuel additives. 

[Mick Naughty]

10 minutes ago, Skiiwee29 said:

I have to swap the board out because I have been having lots of system problems and have troubleshot it to the teeth and have determined it to be the motherboard itself. All I am asking is if I will be OK draining and re-using the fluid which is about 6 months old, or if I should just put all new fluid in. I use distilled water with EK Cryofuel additives. 

Yea I know what you’re asking. It doesn’t matter. Re use it or spend the money. I have done both many times. 

[AngryBeaver]

15 hours ago, Skiiwee29 said:

I have to swap the board out because I have been having lots of system problems and have troubleshot it to the teeth and have determined it to be the motherboard itself. All I am asking is if I will be OK draining and re-using the fluid which is about 6 months old, or if I should just put all new fluid in. I use distilled water with EK Cryofuel additives. 

If you are already tearing it down... the distilled and an additive. If not you will just be tearing it back down in 4-6 months. If you clean it out and replace fluids though then you can go 10-12 months before needing to clean it out again.

[AngryBeaver]

I mean I normally run pastel these days, but I have 2 big gallons of water premixed with the biocide crap that comes with primochill tubing. I just use that for the other (not my rig) gaming machines in my lab. It is super cheap and works just as well as the pastel stuff i use (maybe better less cleaning required)  it just doesn't look as pretty. Then again you could use colored tubing and it wouldn't matter. I just like being able to see my fluids just in case.