Liquid CPU cooler blew up on me. $#@!

youcanDUit · Oct 28, 2013

i have an i7-920 and i was running an A.L.C Vantage Cooler on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDChTNzOeR8

my motherboard started beeping, going apeshit, and i decided to turn off my computer, after seeing the screen (on the cooler) glow red. as soon as i turned it off the cooler pops, spilling this chemical (smelled a lot like CAR COOLANT (WTF!?)) all over my computer, all of my components; my PSU, MOBO and my GFX cards as well as my wireless card (that's right, wireless card. big woop, wanna fight about it?). i quickly unplugged everything, even my monitor, and tried to dry up as much as i could. i separated everything and dried everything with a compressor. afterwards i cleaned up with alcohol. i was wondering if anyone knows exactly what is in the coolers and if it damages computer parts/components. how long should i have everything drying and is there another step, i should take as well as missed? sorry for the tl;dr. thank you for reading and thank you more if you take the time to help my dumbass out. P.S. (?) this happened like 13 hours ago and i haven't turned on my PC.

ed d · Oct 28, 2013

youcanDUit :

If you haven't had it for longer than 2 years you should call the company to RMA the product, also if you components are not working after the fluid has gone on then (it should be fine) then tell the company and they might have to replace any damaged components

If the above doesnt work then:

The coolant shouldn't have effected your board, however it will also be very difficult to dry, using Isopropyl alcohol and an ear bud put the alcohol on the board to take off the coolant, after you must let it dry naturally, and it should boot up fine

manofchalk · Oct 28, 2013

youcanDUit :

Ethelyne Glycol is what they use, also known as the main ingredient in Anti-Freeze. So its pretty possible that its similar to whats in your car.

Any damage would be caused by it shorting something out, the coolant itself shouldnt react chemically to your components. Get it all cleaned off and if the machine survived the initial failure it should be fine.

youcanDUit · Oct 29, 2013

ed d :

youcanDUit :

If you haven't had it for longer than 2 years you should call the company to RMA the product, also if you components are not working after the fluid has gone on then (it should be fine) then tell the company and they might have to replace any damaged components

If the above doesnt work then:

The coolant shouldn't have effected your board, however it will also be very difficult to dry, using Isopropyl alcohol and an ear bud put the alcohol on the board to take off the coolant, after you must let it dry naturally, and it should boot up fine

thank you so much for helping me out. so i can just pour alcohol on the mobo? or how should i do it? i'm worried about trying to google my way out of it, considering i'm not dealing with the usual soda or water. you guys are bloody geniuses, is there anything i can do about my graphics cards and my PSU? also, i contacted the company and they told me that it's ok to soak the board in water, for like 30 seconds. should i?

youcanDUit · Oct 29, 2013

manofchalk :

any way/idea how i should go about cleaning the graphics cards and the PSU?

ed d · Oct 29, 2013

youcanDUit :

http://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Electronics_Water_Damage

I use an earbud as its gentle and small enough to be delicate you wont damage anything (unless you intend too)

You can submerge the whole board but I never like doing that , its painstaking but use the earbud all over the board GENTLE and then let it dry until you are happy , as it will react with heat so dont put in back into a pc until its dry

Here are some parts to consider if you are doing this yourself:

your keyboard and any plastic case may de-color
the insulation coating of motherboard, (some motherboard have used insulation spray to pass ESD test.
some cheap plastic parts, some of china capacitors will actually melt and deform in alcohol.
your warranty code, "make sure you won't wipe it to white so the warranty void"

If in doubt ask a professional cleaner to do it, which would alleviate stress on you behalf.

The alcohol to use:

The common 70% rubbing alcohol would work just as well, the aromatic additives are safe for just about any surface and sublimate quickly to leave nothing behind.

The main reasons to use high-alcohol for cleaning are:
- dries up quickly
- alcohol and distilled water are non-conductive
- no minerals or other contaminants to cause corrosion and stains
- alcohol and water mix can lift/dissolve a wider range of contaminants than either one alone

I'd recommend 90+% Isopropyl alcohol

ed d · Oct 29, 2013

Also with the company (I have dealt with shifty terms) before you dump the board in alcohol would be best , but non conductive DISTILLED water would also work

Have an email or written proof that this company told you to do this to your board, thus if something goes wrong it is their best interest to help you sort it okay.

youcanDUit · Oct 29, 2013

will this work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkWePqTfD14

(almost joking not too sure).

ed d · Oct 29, 2013

youcanDUit :

With the alcohol i suggested yes it would

Just be more gentle , soft non conductive cloth/ear bud to clean the board submerge in alcohol and then take it out 10-20 seconds after and let it dry naturally do not put it near a radiator etc

youcanDUit · Oct 29, 2013

a friend just got me degreaser wash (has the same chemical properties as electrical contact cleaner). i was wondering if i can use that on the motherboard, psu or my graphics cards?

ed d · Oct 30, 2013

youcanDUit :

I wouldn't use a degreaser... you use stuff like that on bikes

Also what about the power supply? Please dont take that apart to clean it , you can die from discharge if you dont know what you are doing

youcanDUit · Oct 30, 2013

ed d :

even if it's unplugged?! what can i do about my PSU? what about my graphics cards?

ed d · Oct 30, 2013

youcanDUit :

For the gpu , use an earbud/soft paintbrush or cloth and alcohol to clean the top of the pcb, and then take the shroud off to do the inside the same

you can also do the same as the mobo and dip in a tub of alcohol, then use compressed air to dry it off. let it dry after for as long as you can.

I can cause discolouring to the plastic however this is normal and doesnt mean you have damaged your card.

You could open the PSU, BUT I don't recommend that, unless you are VERY safe, and know what you're doing. They told tons of voltage. I once blew a screw driver in half, from arc'ing it out on the PSU

If is an expensive one get a professional to do it, if its a cheap one replace it. I'm not going to suggest you clean the inside of it as it is very dangerous.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

youcanDUit · Oct 30, 2013

ed d :

youcanDUit :

For the gpu , use an earbud/soft paintbrush or cloth and alcohol to clean the top of the pcb, and then take the shroud off to do the inside the same

you can also do the same as the mobo and dip in a tub of alcohol, then use compressed air to dry it off. let it dry after for as long as you can.

I can cause discolouring to the plastic however this is normal and doesnt mean you have damaged your card.

You could open the PSU, BUT I don't recommend that, unless you are VERY safe, and know what you're doing. They told tons of voltage. I once blew a screw driver in half, from arc'ing it out on the PSU

If is an expensive one get a professional to do it, if its a cheap one replace it. I'm not going to suggest you clean the inside of it as it is very dangerous.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

damn. even if the psu's been unplugged for 3+ days it can kill me?!

ed d · Oct 30, 2013

youcanDUit :

ed d :

youcanDUit :

For the gpu , use an earbud/soft paintbrush or cloth and alcohol to clean the top of the pcb, and then take the shroud off to do the inside the same

you can also do the same as the mobo and dip in a tub of alcohol, then use compressed air to dry it off. let it dry after for as long as you can.

I can cause discolouring to the plastic however this is normal and doesnt mean you have damaged your card.

You could open the PSU, BUT I don't recommend that, unless you are VERY safe, and know what you're doing. They told tons of voltage. I once blew a screw driver in half, from arc'ing it out on the PSU

If is an expensive one get a professional to do it, if its a cheap one replace it. I'm not going to suggest you clean the inside of it as it is very dangerous.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

damn. even if the psu's been unplugged for 3+ days it can kill me?!

There is a risk of that, small risk but still a risk

manofchalk · Oct 31, 2013

The capacitors in a PSU can hold a lethal charge for months, if you really want to dive in there I suggest taking every precaution possible (rubber gloves, stand on a rubber mat, shoes on, have the PSU grounded to something, etc).

ed d · Nov 1, 2013

Please inform us how you have got on

youcanDUit · Nov 2, 2013

so far. i have got the psu and a graphics card to work. i'm using the computer now. but i have 2 new problems with the computer now. 1st, the new motherboard is stupid slow. 2nd i have a problem with a PSIKey. i don't know what that is but it keeps popping up. any ideas?

ed d · Nov 3, 2013

youcanDUit :

what is the error quote?

youcanDUit · Nov 3, 2013

it just says solve a problem with PSIKey. when i install the program from protexis it just installs without any problems or notification. but after every boot it pops up. also, my hard drives are really slow any ideas?

youcanDUit · Nov 3, 2013

anyone know how to add a picture? i ran a diagnostics and i don't get it.

Lumber-jack · Nov 3, 2013

An old trick used to get rid of moisture is rice. Or those silica packets but they aren't as easy to find.

youcanDUit · Nov 4, 2013

Found out the thing slowing down my computer is my HDD.

The Hatch · Nov 21, 2013

youcanDUit :

I had the same thing just happen to me and would like to know how you made out. I haven't started cleaning up the mess yet. I haven't contacted Vantage yet (not sure I want another CPU cooler like this) to find out what help they can give me. Is there a problem of not removing the coolant (from an operational standpoint not aesthetically)? Is the earbud recommendation an actual earbud from a headphone? Any help is appreciative.

Y0GI · Nov 21, 2013

The Hatch :

If you do not remove the coolant, it will likely leave a sticky residue which will make a worse mess as it attracts dust over time. Better to go ahead and clean it with Distilled water + alcohol ASAP.

I think that in this case the term "earbuds" refers ti the small sticks which are coated with a cotton tip, commonly referred to as "Q-Tips" in the USA.

Good luck and let us know how you make out. Please pay particular attention to the warnings about the potential for electrical shock hazards within the PSU.

Yogi

Liquid CPU cooler blew up on me. $#@!

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