H2O Coolant

[-zax-]

Where does everyone get their coolant for their H2O systems?

I'm a total n00b to watercooling, got a setup on the way, but would like to know what kind of coolant to go with...

Want something that doesn't need to be changed excessively. Just added when necessary. Being UV reactive would be a plus!

LMK

 

[Erasmus354]

The main ingredient to most coolants that people use is simple distilled water you buy at the grocery store. To that you want to add an anti-corrosion and an algaecide. Common additives used are zerex, water wetter, antifreeze and swiftech hydrx. UV reactive dyes can be purchased at some mod shops (frozencpu?). None of the above combinations need to be changed out much more than once every 6months to a year.

 

[MeanieMan]

Its better to get UV reactive tubing, the liquid stuff doesn't last nearly as long as the rest of the mixture (1-2 months compared to 6 months- a year).

Water wetter has been said to hate plastic parts, thats the only thing I would watch out for.

 

[-zax-]

Are you telling me I can run antifreeze through this setup?? Lol that would be pimp. Have some orange havoline engine coolant in there.

 

[hanlin]

I've been running antifreeze in mine for a while now and haven't had problems.

 

[-zax-]

From what I've been reading from searching the forums... looks like the 2 most common setups are using Swiftechs HydrX and a mix of distilled water and other chemicals... OR using a glycol/water setup running between 15/85 to 25/75 mix of glycol to water.

Probably will run the glycol/water setup from what I've been reading... and an added bonus is that it'll be cheaper anyway. And on the plus side I've got access to 80,000 gallons of glycol! (Yes that number is correct) w00t

 

[Erasmus354]

From what I've been reading from searching the forums... looks like the 2 most common setups are using Swiftechs HydrX and a mix of distilled water and other chemicals... OR using a glycol/water setup running between 15/85 to 25/75 mix of glycol to water.

Probably will run the glycol/water setup from what I've been reading... and an added bonus is that it'll be cheaper anyway. And on the plus side I've got access to 80,000 gallons of glycol! (Yes that number is correct) w00t

Swiftech HydrX is a glycol additive. Antifreeze is a very common additive and back a few years ago was the only additive people used.