What is this white film in my loop?

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NetJunkie

[H]F Junkie
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Mar 16, 2001
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My loop is:
  • Corsair CPU Block (in pic)
  • Corsair radiators (total of 4)
  • EKWB 4090 Water Block
  • Aquacomputer EPDM Tubing
  • Aquacomputer Fittings
  • Aquacomputer DP Ultra Coolant
Before putting this loop together I rinsed out the rads like 20 times. They had a lot of gunk in them but I got them clean. Rinsed with distilled water.

I'm using Aquacomputer DP Ultra along with their Next Flow sensor that shows conductivity/water quality. About two weeks after install my water quality started steadily dropping from 98% down to now 65% in a few months. I can see this white...stuff..in my blocks and on the sides of my res.

Any idea what this is? I'm planning to tear it down and go through the Primo Chill loop prep process to totally rinse, clean, and start the loop over again.
 

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It's hard to say exactly. I've gotten it from tygon tubing, using water wetter and from carelessly handling the insides of fittings/blocks and tubing. If you used 45s or 90s etc make sure you clean them with dawn dish soap if they feel/felt even a little oily. Oily fittings will cause white crap. Sometimes it's organic growth, sometimes chemical, other times...who knows.
 
Might be flux from inside the radiators, but it is tough to tell.

It takes A LOT more to clean out some components than most people think.

Especially radiators.
 
I've used primochill tubing and EK Cryofuel for my EK blocks and never have seen anything like this. It's always been crystal clear. If it bothers you switch to primochill/cryofuel for perfect results.
 
The Mayhams kits to clean your loop work really good. Break it down and clean everything. I had loops run for years with none of that after using those kits. I also don't use any additives, just distilled water.
 
I think it comes from something that is breaking down from the tubing. I don't expect to have that problem anymore as I'm now using tubing that's pretty much impervious to anything that we use as coolant along with a host of other industrial chemicals. After I get done cleaning I then sterilize the tubing.
 
IME, I've found it usually happens with specific brands of tubing (Tygon for example), and not with others like Primochill LRT. But, that's obviously entirely anecdotal, it could be any number of things. It doesn't take much to get some organic growth going, or it could be some sort of residue leeching from the tubing or components.
 
Most likely residue from radiators or tubing. Have had it some times when using the system for the first time, but never when re-using old rads and tubing. It also is minimal or non-existent when I spend a lot of time flushing radiators and tubing before first use. My bet is that it comes from radiators that haven't been sufficiently cleaned and it does appear when using cryofuel so doubt it is the coolant that causes it. Had it with both EK and HW-labs radiators and HW-labs is the OEM that corsair uses for the custom loop radiators.

If it bothers you then put on some clean plastic gloves and use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe it away. Should be permanently gone then, but it becomes harder to wipe off if it sits for a long time.
 
I would agree with rads first, then potentially some leaching from the tubing.

Regardless of the manufacturer, whether they (or reviewers) claim they clean the rads prior to selling them, always clean out your rads.

Hot water and a splash of vinegar works fine.
 
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