Oxidation on the Water block?

[aeterna789]

Good day everyone, I was disassembling my PC when I discovered some oxidation on the copper plate in the waterblock (see photos attached). Can I still use this or do I need to get a new one? It’s a Corsair H80i and has been in service for 2 years.

 

If I do need to get a new one, can I still at least use this for a couple of hours (its night time in my region as of this post) to test if my new build is working?

[AdroG23]

5 minutes ago, James Evens said:

Take it apart. Looks like CuSo4 and CuO.

CuSo4 is water solvable. For CuO you need different solvent or just sand it.

If it's cupper sulphate... wouldn't it be dangerous to the board and cpu?

 

I'm not a hydrodinamics expert, but if there is oxidation, there was water or at least moisture...
I wouldn't want that anywhere near my cpu and board.
I imagine how anxious you might be to test your new build but can't it wait 'till tomorrow even if for at least extra security?

You know... "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"

[Onboard87]

16 minutes ago, aeterna789 said:

Good day everyone, I was disassembling my PC when I discovered some oxidation on the copper plate in the waterblock (see photos attached). Can I still use this or do I need to get a new one? It’s a Corsair H80i and has been in service for 2 years.

 

If I do need to get a new one, can I still at least use this for a couple of hours (its night time in my region as of this post) to test if my new build is working?

 

 

How offten do you change your system water/coolant? and if you use coolant what type?

[pbx2]

1 minute ago, Onboard87 said:

How offten do you change your system water/coolant? and if you use coolant what type?

H80i is a sealed loop so there won't be any coolant changing.

[aeterna789]

11 minutes ago, James Evens said:

Take it apart. Looks like CuSo4 and CuO.

CuSo4 is water solvable. For CuO you need different solvent or just sand it.

I’m not familiar enough with watercooling, specially close loops, to try and dismantel it. Guess I’ll have to buy a new one. Right now however, I’d like to know what’s happening here.

 

2 minutes ago, AdroG23 said:

If it's cupper sulphate... wouldn't it be dangerous to the board and cpu?

 

I'm not a hydrodinamics expert, but if there is oxidation, there was water or at least moisture...
I wouldn't want that anywhere near my cpu and board.
I imagine how anxious you might be to test your new build but can't it wait 'till tomorrow even if for at least extra security?

You know... "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"

Im not willing to risk it then, I can wait till tomorrow. Im just curious what caused this since this is the first time ive ever encountered this.

[Onboard87]

Just now, pbx2 said:

H80i is a sealed loop so there won't be any coolant changing.

well then personally it's a throwaway. as with anything that move ware happens and in the coolant metal in PPM and absorption of chemicals in the rubber add to the ware. so every coolant system should be changeable in my opinion.

[aeterna789]

Thank you for the replies everyone! It really helped me understand what happened. 

 

I’ve decided to ditch this cooler and will buy a new one first thing tomorrow.

 

Do guys have any recommendations? My CPU is an i7 8700 (non-k) version and I use this system exlusively for gaming.

[AdroG23]

Maybe a bit overboard, but the Corsair H100i Pro looks lovely and as far as i know it's rather good

Now that you're gonna ditch it, you could (if interested of course) dismatle it and se what makes it tic, even if for understainding its working ways better?

 

 

[aeterna789]

3 minutes ago, AdroG23 said:

Maybe a bit overboard, but the Corsair H100i Pro looks lovely and as far as i know it's rather good

Now that you're gonna ditch it, you could (if interested of course) dismatle it and se what makes it tic, even if for understainding its working ways better?

 

 

Exactly what I was planning!

[EsaT]

2 hours ago, aeterna789 said:

Do guys have any recommendations? My CPU is an i7 8700 (non-k) version and I use this system exlusively for gaming.

Plenty of heatpipe coolers which would give similar cooling per noise performance with lot less reliability challenges.

Only thing which can broke in those is fan, whose failure would only decrease cooling performance.

 

While waterpipe coolers would need coolant refilling/replacing to counter water molecules slowly permeating tubes and to make sure corrosion inhibitors are effective.

That would go double especially for combination of copper block and alu radiator, because of galvanic reaction potential between those.

https://martinsliquidlab.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/corrosion-explored/

If you ever wondered how galvanic cells we call batteries produce electricitry it's though same process.

 

 

3 hours ago, James Evens said:

Water evaporated and for some reasons the Cu oxidized to CuO.

Well, water tends to increase oxidizing rate of metals.

Also there could be some stuff from inside loop which then crystallized on surface when water kept evaporating.

 

It's actually ridiculous how fast iron/steel can develop rust when wet.

As in starting to turn brownish in 10-15 minutes.

Though that machinery having more than sniffed formic acid before pressure washer wash might have had something to do with that rate of oxidizing...