CORSAIR H80 Leaked. Is the coolant conductive?

wicked_chicken

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
316
Pretty simple question. My LGA 2011 started throwing CPU fan errors, then wouldn't boot. I figured the H80 finally took a dump as the LED on the front only worked on 2/3 of the fan speed settings.My new cooler showed up and the CPU will be here shortly. I figured I'd pull apart the tower, dust everything, and prep it for surgery.

Welp. As soon as I took the screws off the cooler, it began leaking coolant and de-pressurize. Everywhere. I've started to soak it up and get air into the case with a fan, but my question now is if Corsairs H80 coolant was conductive or not. I'm happy that it lasted as long as it did, but fuck me if it didn't go out taking the literal piss.
 
The coolant isn't conductive to begin with but after years of use it could be. Buy some electronics cleaner spray and go to town. Use the whole bottle to make sure you displace any coolant in crevices etc.
 
The coolant isn't conductive to begin with but after years of use it could be. Buy some electronics cleaner spray and go to town. Use the whole bottle to make sure you displace any coolant in crevices etc.

Thank you for this suggest. The CPU socket was literally flooded with the stuff, and I found it on numerous other components.

Best case scenario, I can fix it.
Worst case scenario, I guess it's finally upgrading time....
 
Warm water and dish soap. Can use a soft toothbrush to clean.

Obviously out if the case. Don't touch the socket pins.

I was old motherboards in the kitchen sink this way. Then flush with isopropyl alcohol.
 
Oh wow. That's a real leak all right. Damn. Clean carefully, dry thoroughly, rinse with isopropyl alcohol. Let dry again. Pray.
 
Yep get the highest percentage alcohol you can find, i believe 91% is the best i can get locally. Electronics cleaner is another very good option. Gently wash anything that got wet with it then gently spray it off with compressed air and let it air dry for a couple of days. If you need it right away put it in a nice sunny spot for a day and rotate it every couple of hours. Ive dried several cell phones and gpus in the clothes drier with towels wrapped tightly around them for 20 to 40 minutes with success but thats on you. Theres also the oven but ive never been in that big a hurry to dry anything, yet.

If you didnt try to power it up while it was wet you should be golden. If it was given power while wet well...thats not good. Its likely dead.
GL!
 
Taco crust made me login omg I'm dieing

That's brutal man, I wouldn't fix it, Id bin it and gitchyerself a new cooler

As for isopropyl alcohol, you might have to go to a pharmacy to get the good stuff. Good stuff being 99%..
 
As others have said, as long as it was never powered when wet, it's likely still okay.

You can get into the nitty gritty with a toothbrush but personally, I would remove everything I could from the mobo (heatsinks, covers, CMOS battery) and give it a nice relaxing alcohol bath, then let it dry in front of a fan for several days before reassembling.
 
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