Is there any aluminum in your system? Like say your rads? It looks like a little corrosion build up. A friend of mine built a loop once before he knew what he was doing, and he got a cheepy aluminum radiator. Had a similar problem. He got a new, copper rad, and the issue when away.

 

Are you using any kind of anti-corrosive additive? They do help. I use a small ammount of Primchills Liquid Utopia. (~1tsp in 1L), it' a biocide and anti-corrosive. How about quick disconnects? Some brands have been known to break down quickly and do what you are describing. Also, probably unrelated, but the rings in your res make me think you have a slow leak somewhere.

 

Is it just plasticizer?

 

No QDCs. All metals in system are from EK. Two nickel plated blocks and 1 copper block.

Rads are two EK PE and one EK XE. I have a few bits power black fittings and a bits power acrylic t block

 

No additives for the month the loop has been up in total.

 

Small amount of flux residue is my guess. May just need to flush/clean the system more thoroughly before assembling it. If you can't drink the water out of the radiator and have it taste like it was fresh out of the jug, it's got stuff in it.
Quote:

Originally Posted by GnarlyCharlie

Is it just plasticizer?

That's what it looks like, but Mayhems Ultra Clear isn't supposed to use plasticizers.

 

My guess is plasticizer residue remaining from the EK ZMT tubing... I guess that isn't plasticizer free.

Will tear down my blocks tonight and see if there's any even weirder stuff going on.

Any ideas on the best way to scrub & dub plasticizer out from my loop? Warm water + vigorous shaking?

 

EK ZMT doesn't need plasticisers because its naturally flexible. It also doesn't leach which is why its often used in drinking water applications. Clear soft tubes will always do this sort of thing to more or less an extent, no matter how free of blah blah they are advertised as.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookiesowns

My guess is plasticizer residue remaining from the EK ZMT tubing... I guess that isn't plasticizer free.

ZMT is probably lower residue than the Ultra Clear.
Quote:

Originally Posted by cookiesowns

Any ideas on the best way to scrub & dub plasticizer out from my loop? Warm water + vigorous shaking?

Clean all non-metallic stuff with hot water and dish soap, rinse thoroughly. Clean all the metal components with heated (I use near boiling) vinegar.

Rinse/flush it all repeatedly with distilled before final installation/fill.

 

Is it possible for corrosion to have occurred this early?

I do have some mix metals, 2 nickel plated blocks and one copper acetal Supremacy CPU block.

I noticed the two fittings on the cpu block had some sort of copper residue, some wiping with alcohol managed to get it off. It also appears the res had traces of a fine copper/metallic powered similar to the one found on the fittings.

I'm worried and this has me paranoid. Last thing I want is this loop to gunk up after filling up with Mayhems pastel. I'm personally not a fan of vinegar rinsing blocks.

Do you think Isopro alcohol on just the metals ( RAD, cpu block with brings removed, and fittings with brings removed bathed in it for 4 hours plus rinse with boiling distilled will do the trick of getting rid of any of this crap?

 

Corroded/oxidized copper turns green or black. If you found copper colored dust, it's probably not corroded, just particles that weren't adequately flushed. If it's silver colored dust, it's probably chrome or some other metal abraded off from barbs during assembly...unless you have aluminum in the loop somewhere.

If it is corrosion, isopropyl won't remove it. Acids will, which is why vinegar is used. The only non-acidic cleaners that will remove copper patina or corrosion are considerably more harsh than vinegar.

That said, without the use of additives some degree of corrosion is virtually inevitable, and will usually happen fairly quickly. This normally isn't a problem as it will form a fairly thin protective patina then stop or slow dramatically without something exacerbating it (other metal ions, acids not flushed from the loop, excess turbulence mixing more oxygen into the water, etc).

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blameless

Corroded/oxidized copper turns green or black. If you found copper colored dust, it's probably not corroded, just particles that weren't adequately flushed. If it's silver colored dust, it's probably chrome or some other metal abraded off from barbs during assembly...unless you have aluminum in the loop somewhere.

If it is corrosion, isopropyl won't remove it. Acids will, which is why vinegar is used. The only non-acidic cleaners that will remove copper patina or corrosion are considerably more harsh than vinegar.

That said, without the use of additives some degree of corrosion is virtually inevitable, and will usually happen fairly quickly. This normally isn't a problem as it will form a fairly thin protective patina then stop or slow dramatically without something exacerbating it (other metal ions, acids not flushed from the loop, excess turbulence mixing more oxygen into the water, etc).

What do you recommend now? Assuming I properly flush it this time and only run it with additives to prevent corrosion & biocides, would the loop be fine?

It's a mix of copper colored and silver colored dust/powdery substance.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookiesowns

Assuming I properly flush it this time and only run it with additives to prevent corrosion & biocides, would the loop be fine?

Probably.
Quote:

Originally Posted by cookiesowns

It's a mix of copper colored and silver colored dust/powdery substance.

Likely not corrosion, just stuff left in the loop, or stuff worn off the fittings during assembly, that made it into the water.

 

My tubing came with a bottle of PrimoChill SysPrep - Cooling Loop Pre-Treatment. Ran it for the final leak test overnight. Not sure if it made a huge difference, but I haven't had any issues. I also still reccomend PrimoChill Liquid Utopia for use with straight distilled water. I've never had any issues in the hoses when I have drained it. I've just read too many horror stories of not using additives. Youll get it figured out, try not to let it get you down.