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Watercooling and metals

R

Ravenrex

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Messages
1,163
I'm looking at getting into watercooling and have been reading numerous articles about the topic for a while. I'm thinking about taking my time and getting the right pieces instead of a pre-made kit. The one question I have though is about the issue of galvanic corrosion in the system from dissimilar metals in the loop. I understand that you don't want an aluminum radiator and a copper block since one will become an anode and another a cathode and erode away into uselessness, but how far do you have to go to ensure that there is no possibility of corrosion due to metal differences?

What about the barbs on the radiator, waterblocks, pump or resivoirs? Are the chromed or brass ones of a metal type that is not prone to galvanic corrosion? Are there metal parts inside the pump that come into contact with the water such that you have to worry about them and what type of metal they are made of?

I guess my concern is that I don't want to get everything all set up and running for a few months and find that it rots away because of the type of metal in something silly like a barb was wrong from the get-go.
 
wow dude
i think you worry to much
anyways
i been doing water cooling for 6 years now
best places to get water stuff is swifttech, and dangerden IMO!...
also IMO ehiem pumps are the best to buy. i got a 1250 and been running it for over 2 years now. not one prob at all
also i and anyone else would like more info on WHAT you are trying to do with water cooling
also most rad's from dangerden are copper inside. same with water blocks from both companys
also fittings are not really a worry
gimme more info i see what i can help you with
 
Worry too much? Just because I don't want to put all the time and effort into a setup that will not be cheap to construct and could damage or destroy itself and my PC components if there is some flaw in the construction?


I'm trying to avoid something like this from happening from dissimilar metals in the coolant loop. I understand not to mix and match aluminum radiators with copper blocks, but I am also concerned with all the other metal pieces that come into contact with the water as well.

Are chromed or brass fittings not prone to galvanic corrosion?

That's my main concern. I dont want some part, however small and seemingly inconsequential to eat away or cause another part to get eaten away and cause a failure in the system.

It's probably going to be for an AthlonXP setup. I have a Yeong Yang server cube to fit it in so space is not a consideration. The case is large enough to park a car in. I'm looking a a DangerDen maze4 block for the CPU and one for the northbridge as well. Probably not one for the GPU as I have a Tyan Tachyon9700 Pro and it has a fairly robust HSF on it. I was thinking of 1/2 ID Tygon tubing and fittings for a high volume setup and will probably get a rad from either a heater core or a transmission cooler.

I'm not looking to do this for extreme overclocking, but rather for the experience of setting up a watercooling loop and reducing fan noise a bit.
 
well first
that setup was used with normal tap water
tap water causes that crap to happen
i would if i where you get the dangerden RBX. best one i have seen to date
and the dangerden GPU block maze 4 i belive.. anyways also get a rad from there possibly a dual 120mm rad would help you alot
as for a nb block i don't got one on mine i got a huge heatsink on it but other than that no water cooling that way
also for the coolent i could get water wetter and some distiled water to keep corrsion down. also get ya some EV dye. makes it look neater. =]
anyways got anymore question keep posting. i going to bed =]
i will help you as much as i can tomorrow
 
Car engines are made of multi metals..

Use car coolant mixture. Unhealty but keeps your RIG going. :D


*Using car coolent from the first day off. == No crap inside!!
 
Originally posted by [RIP]Zeus
wow dude
i think you worry to much
anyways
i been doing water cooling for 6 years now
best places to get water stuff is swifttech, and dangerden IMO!...
also IMO ehiem pumps are the best to buy. i got a 1250 and been running it for over 2 years now....
Click to expand...

amen, DD/WW and Swiftech in combination with a good heatercore or a BIX2 and a strong pump mcp600/eheim1250
 
someone posted before about a good solution. I want to do it but where to get this in any quantity eludes me.

Take your copper blocks and fill them with silver nitrate. There is a reaction and the copper block gets coated with silver and in solution you have copper nitrate. Silver is a better conductor of heat so no problems there. What is a problem is getting enough silver nitrate to do it. Its kind of expensive and it is used in explosives which because of todays world will but you under immediate suspicision. I want/need to do this because of my future water chiller setup. Aluminum tub and copper blocks. Someone also told me putting Nickel in your system will solve the problem cuz the reaction will happen to the nickel and not your stuff. Not A Nickel. Nickel metal.
 
The best way to go is to bake your aluminium parts in a oven.
That way you get a nice coating of aluminium oxide on the metal which is insoluble in water.
So unless you water is acidic there will be no reaction.

Nickel wont work.
You need something more reactive than aluminium.
The only metal that is safe to use would be magnesium.

Luck..........:D
 
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