Is there a single water cooler additive out there that won't gunk up your system over time?

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mgoldshteyn

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Feb 13, 2011
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I've been using Mayhem's XT-1 Nuke, no coloring or anything else other than 10% of that and distilled water. Here is what it led to:
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So, is there an additive out there that doesn't leave a residue in your loop but is still effective at killing algae and bacteria?
 
How long was that loop running with that coolant? Were you doing maintenance (flushes and refills) on any sort of schedule? You mentioned a 10% solution, was that the directions on the Mayhem's product?
 
VanGoghComplex said:
How long was that loop running with that coolant? Were you doing maintenance (flushes and refills) on any sort of schedule? You mentioned a 10% solution, was that the directions on the Mayhem's product?
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Followed concentration directions on product. Was running for 2 years prior to cleaning, so there is that.
 
mgoldshteyn said:
Followed concentration directions on product. Was running for 2 years prior to cleaning, so there is that.
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That gunk kinda looks like flux residue from radiators. Did you give those radiators a flush when you put them into service? Some brands come pretty clean from the factory but others (like Alphacool, for example) ship chock full of flux that needs cleaned out before you use them. Mayhem's Blitz PT1, Vinegar, CLR, boiling water - there are lots of ways to do it. I personally like the Blitz.

Not trying to be a jerk here, but all my experience and reading indicates that clear coolants are among the safest options, and Mayhem's is well regarded. I have a hard time believing this happened in a properly prepared and well maintained loop. It might just be time to tear everything down and do a thorough clean and prep for new coolant.
 
I have never had any trouble with distilled water and a kill coil.

I pretty much never replaced coolant unless I was upgrading WC parts or building a new system.
 
i still have a little bottle of PT nuke from years back. it's copper sulphite i think. doesn't gunk anything up, no issues and this is 15 years later. you only put a couple drops of the stuff in. and yes it works. do keep in mind that i'm running deionized water and the PT nuke as a biocide. my loop is all copper, brass and the pump has stainless in it so corrosion due to dissimilar metals really isn't an issue. if you have copper and aluminum in your loop, this isn't an option.
 
I used Primochill Liquid Utopia and it's been years since I changed the coolant, nothing growing in it. I have copper tubing too, so that probably helps.
 
I've had good luck with fluids from Koolance and EK's clear Cryofluid. Whatever you do, don't buy that silvery bullshit.
 
Was this with clear tubing? I find exposure to sunlight accelerates ook with clear tubes.

I personally have been doing fine with Swiftech products and a good maintenance program of flush and refill at least once a year. A bit of vinegar goes a long way.
 
After all my years of watercooling, and that's close to two decades now lol, I just settle for pure de-ionised water and a little bit of kitchen bleach. Doesn't need to be hardly much, just enough to kill anything that might wanna start growing in there. (y)

All 'specialist' additives just gunk things up over time from my experience.
 
spine said:
After all my years of watercooling, and that's close to two decades now lol, I just settle for pure de-ionised water and a little bit of kitchen bleach. Doesn't need to be hardly much, just enough to kill anything that might wanna start growing in there. (y)

All 'specialist' additives just gunk things up over time from my experience.
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Thank you. Why bother with relatively expensive coolant that might gunk up your system when distilled/deionized water is far cheaper and has zero chance of causing such problems? I don't get it.
 
But they do sell something like your asking. We use it at work for eye wash stations.. I'll find out what its called. Wanting to say it's a type of water softener to remove minerals.

B/c that honestly looks like a calcium build up..
 
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