Flush loop with vinegar?

[grandpatzer]

I have algea and my system is a big hassle to remove radiator and then there is the gpu blocks....

Is it safe just add som vinegar and flush it for 24h?
I also have red glycol that I might consider flushing for 24h.

I do have cat so most likely I'll avoid the Glycol.

 

[tjosborne]

i dont think it would hurt. but i also just think it would be a temporary solution

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Yup, if you still have algae the best thing is to strip and scrub, but a 25% white vinegar/Distilled mix for 24 hours coupled with some UV light may be the next best thing,<Seen pics, strip and scrub
Keep the UV Cathodes anyhow as an ongoing gloop prevention measure once you've flushed the vinegar out and refilled with plain Distilled,
whats so bad about your case to remove the rad btw? mines bad, it would require a full strip of the unit which is why I designed it for in-situ flushing and modularity,
I can't recall your rig off the top of my head though and don't have time to search the W/c galllery
Moto

 

[tjosborne]

i was bord and looked through all pages of it, his rigs not there.

 

[grandpatzer]

i was bord and looked through all pages of it, his rigs not there.

Ive been wery busy not much time for watercooling

either way here is the internal of my system, I have to cut off the short tubing between gpu's, it's alway difficult reinstalling it, I have normal fittings so I have to boil tubing before install

 

[tjosborne]

whats the specs? and did you run the vinegar through there?

 

[grandpatzer]

whats the specs? and did you run the vinegar through there?

Never ran vinegar, I used to have green fittings and green inside waterblock but now the color is changed.
My copper block is black inside and the nickel block is white/grey/blue.

please click the pictures below

 

[Motopsychojdn]

No vinegar flush is going to sort that out mate, thats a strip and scrub job,

Moto

 

[grandpatzer]

No vinegar flush is going to sort that out mate, thats a strip and scrub job,

Moto

Ok, but is that algea?

If it is looks like it's dead? If It's not algea should I worry or just leave it?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

The green/black stuff is algae and even if it is dead, it can come loose and block your pump up, as it is now its restricting flow to the block and consequently the rest of the loop putting more pressure on the pump,
The look on the second block tells me its the plating corrosion issue again, with a healthy glob of algae to boot,
I'd strip the copper block and clean, and replace the Nickel one with another copper,
I have to write this in caps sorry but its important,
LEAVING IT IS NOT AN OPTION!
seriously, as much a pita it may be to strip your build, its the only option you have other than blowing your Pc up by neglecting the loop
Moto

 

[grandpatzer]

Well what should I scrub it with?

Also is boiling water inside radiators enough?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Strip the blocks, soak the gaskets in some anti-bacterial or replace them (be careful handling them as they are quite delicate)
get some lemon juice, salt and a toothbrush, mix the salt in the juice and dip the brush in, scrub block and rinse (under a tap is fine) as you go, don't let the mix sit on the block for more than about 30 seconds, its very corrosive
I don't go for boiling water in rads persoanlly, I have callouses on my thumbs from similar experiences with the bikes radiator hehe,
I would hook the rad up to a bucket of water/vinegar (90/10 mix) and have a filter/mesh on the bucket so it catches any gunk before the pump pushes it back though,
my method is similar to this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9TwhwVlllo&feature=player_embedded
but I don't remove my loop from the case, way too much hassle to strip my loop lol
when getting rid of algae there is no overkill, just be careful that you don't use anything that damages the components or will taint your shiny fittings
as always rinse with distilled before rebuilding and refilling
Moto

 

[grandpatzer]

Strip the blocks, soak the gaskets in some anti-bacterial or replace them (be careful handling them as they are quite delicate)
get some lemon juice, salt and a toothbrush, mix the salt in the juice and dip the brush in, scrub block and rinse (under a tap is fine) as you go, don't let the mix sit on the block for more than about 30 seconds, its very corrosive
I don't go for boiling water in rads persoanlly, I have callouses on my thumbs from similar experiences with the bikes radiator hehe,
I would hook the rad up to a bucket of water/vinegar (90/10 mix) and have a filter/mesh on the bucket so it catches any gunk before the pump pushes it back though,
my method is similar to this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9TwhwVlllo&feature=player_embedded
but I don't remove my loop from the case, way too much hassle to strip my loop lol
when getting rid of algae there is no overkill, just be careful that you don't use anything that damages the components or will taint your shiny fittings
as always rinse with distilled before rebuilding and refilling
Moto

I might take of just the top of the blocks the transparen acryl part and leave the GPU installed on the block.
Then I'll scrub off the junk carefully with Cotton swab / Q-tip and reinstall the Acryl part.

I'll consider the bucket method or I'll just boil water and put in the radiators.

 

[rubix_1011]

Not to be the one to throw this out there, but why do you want to only do this clean-up half-way right instead of getting it all the way right? For the price you've paid for the WC gear and hardware itself, wouldn't it be worth it to tear it down and make sure it's a proper cleanup?