watercooling leakage.

[halfgaar]

I was wondering if one of you would be able to tell me some experiences with innovatek watercooling (the one from the 3rd THG video). Especialy about leakage: how often it happens and if it is damaging to the components (i plan to use destilled water with anti-corrosion liquid).

 

[JAGedlion]

distilled water doesn't conduct, leaking shouldn't derstroy anything.
Normal watrer conducts because of salts etc. that are disolved in it, distilled water is water in which all of these things have been removed.

 

[halfgaar]

I know what destilled water is. Problem is, that when it leaks, it starts dissolving things, so that free ions are created and it conducts after all. And maybe the water has another damaging effect.

 

[JAGedlion]

well, even still I have never read a post yet that had a person compaining about a leaking water cooler, not one, then again I only really look at the toms hadware forums so I may not have eperience enough to boast, but search your self, no one seems to have had a particularly bad experience with water.

P.S. If you complain about my spelling you can go suck an egg.

 

[knowan]

Thank you Halfgarr! Finally, someone else who realizes that distilled water will not stay distilled forever!

As soon as distilled water touches anything metal (such as your waterblock and radiator) it will start picking up ions. This will un-distill the water.

Also if you do spring a leak, chances are that there is dust, etc on your mobo. This also will undistill the water.

On the other hand, I have never heard of anyone springing a leak. It is important to test your system for leaks before powering up the computer. Generally let it run for about 2 hours while the computer is off, and possibly cover the mobo in paper to make water leaks more visible. This will also purge the air from the system and increase it's efficiency.

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[JAGedlion]

cant you put a sacrificial metal in your tank to pick up the cu+ ions?

 

[lhgpoobaa]

oh dear... we really need more people doing elimentary chemistry.

It doesnt work like that. sure you can get rid of the copper cations, but you will just replace it with soemthing else.
And very pure distilled water is extreemly hard to keep non-conducting.
Even exposing it to air lets it adsorb carbon dioxide, which turns into carbonic acid (H+) and (HCO3-) ions. both of which allow water to conduct.
besides there will allways be parts of your water system that gives off free ions, not to mention what the water picks up as soon as it leaks out.
CO2 from the air, dust from the case, grime, u name it.

thus
leaking water = bad.

<b><font color=purple>[Rik_]</font color=purple> I wonder how many people have made their own phasechange system?
<font color=blue>[LHGPooBaa]</font color=blue> I get phasechange whenever i eat a hot chillie :lol: </b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lhgpoobaa on 12/16/02 04:59 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[JAGedlion]

In case you dont know, air conducts too. In fact electricity can jump almost anything, so noone will ever look for perfect. The only question is, does the water conduct enough to short something and although I cannot give you a direct answer I personally hace submered many a non-waterproof watch only to find that after drying everything is still good. Although in this case I was dealing with much lower voltages I was also dealing with much more conductive water.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Of course air conducts, as does dust. Its just that its dielectric constant is so much higher by an order of multiple magnitudes.

Letting water leak onto your system is still a very bad idea, just for the ions and dirt it picks up from the surface.


<b><font color=purple>[Rik_]</font color=purple> I wonder how many people have made their own phasechange system?
<font color=blue>[LHGPooBaa]</font color=blue> I get phasechange whenever i eat a hot chillie :lol: </b>

 

[halfgaar]

I've got a few things to say and ask.

First. Air conducts? Flying sparks are not conducted by air. The electrons just fly over.

Then, the whater. I bought some anti-corrosion luiquid with my watercooler. I've heard that the copper ions that dissolve in the water harm the alluminium of for example the radiator. But with corrosion-protect,that shouldn't happen, should it?

 

[lhgpoobaa]

You need amazing hy voltages to get electricity to jump through air. The blue spark you see with static electricity is in the order of a few tens of thousands of volts, but amamzinlg LOW current... thus its ability to fry computer chips easiy with static electricity, but why you arnt killed instantly with static electricity.
the actual air molecules get ionised, split into positive an negative ions.
Stuff u usually dont have to worry about normally.

As for your waterblock... water conducts electicity, at least normal tap waterm and even demineralised water, but to a lesser extent.
When you have two disimmilar metals connected by a conducting medium you get galvanic corrosion. aluminium & copper, iron and copper, whatever. The rate of corrosion depends on lots of factors, the conductivity of the medium, how far apart the coper and aluminium is, surface area, other factors etcetcetc.
Anti corrosion agents are specially designed to stop, or at least limit the extent of this corrosion. Thus the reason for antifreeze in your car radiator, apart from its use to prevent the water from freezing.

So with a decent dose of corrosion protect, the corrosion should be zero, or close enough that it doesnt matter.


<b><font color=purple>[Rik_]</font color=purple> I wonder how many people have made their own phasechange system?
<font color=blue>[LHGPooBaa]</font color=blue> I get phasechange whenever i eat a hot chillie :lol: </b>

 

[svol]

Nice to see you in this part of the forum too.

As for water and metals: to be precisly the copper disolves and makes aluminium (and probably more reductor ions like calcium, natrium) ions bind with the aluminium surface according to the redox reaction. But anti-corrosion liquid prevents that and if you use stuff like WaterWetter it also should increase water heat carrying capabilities for better cooling.

My PC eats so much money that I'm in 'desperate' need of it to buy PC3500 RAM, help Svol with his OC project!
--- PM me for information.

 

[scrumlord]

Generally you insulate the immediate component areas (topside and bottom side of boards) with RTV Silicone. Then you wrap the waterblock and socket areas with cut neoprene. If all your connections are good, then you should have no (minimal) leaks and potential condensation should be controlled to the neoprene/insulated areas. Check them periodically to make sure you are ok and watch your water levels.

 

[knowan]

Of course you don't have to worry about condensation in a conventional water cooling setup, only if you're using a peltier or some other refrigerant.

Condensation occurs when the surface temperature is below the ambient (and humidity is high). With conventional watercooling that can never happen, since the temp will never drop below the ambient.

PS: I'm amazed that I can use a term like "conventional watercooling". Seems like an oxymoron to me.

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