Leaving system on 24/7?

M

McDeth

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
414
So I just broke down and bought a complete water cooling setup from DD, and I'm wondering how long I can expect the water to last if I leave it on 24/7? I did this with my air cooling setup, but the noise of 2 high CFM 120's and a delta 80 mm screaming was enough to drive me insane. :(
 
Do you mean how long will the water in your system last? Or how long you can run the loop before something needs to be fixed.

You can run the loop 24/7 no problem, with only having to maintain the loop maybe twice a year, or less (Some people run the same coolant for 2 years w/o changing it, a matter of personal preference really). What you have to do then is just flush out the coolant and then flush the system with some distilled water, maybe some IPA (isopropyl alcohol). That will clean any gunk that might have built up in the system as a result of the additive or whatnot.

Besides the occasional cleaning of the fluid, there isn't too much you have to worry about with running a wc system 24/7. You might also want to occasionally check and make sure your clamps on the hoses are nice and secure so that you dont have to worry about leaks.
 
How long you can expect the water to last? As long as you set it up right and don't have any contamination or galvinic corrosion (exposed aluminum and copper), you should be able to go at least a year at a time without any significant maintenance.

My system has been going mostly 24/7 for about two years now. The only regular maintenance it needs is cleaning the fans and rad (that Chevette heatercore can get pretty caked with dust after a few months). I did tear everything down and clean it out when I changed CPUs about a year ago, but the water system was pretty clean and didn't really need it. You'll probably have to add a little more coolant solution every few months or so as water will slowly evaporate out, but other than that, you should be set.
 
I've had mine on 24/7 for a year now. Havnt touched it once. My tubing is starting to look nasty, but beyond that, temps have remained the same.
 
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