Water additive mixing?

Hi, I`m new to all this watercooling stuff...

Just made meself a system from scratch but I'm not sure what additives to use. I got some zerex which i think is ethelyne glycol based? Can I add other stuff to the mix (with distilled water) as well, like iodine or summat as a biocide?

The total volume in the loop is around 3L (big res) and I've only got one wee bottle or zerex from the shop, around 2Oz i think. As people normally use 10% additive, will there be any problems with corrosion do you think? ( and yes I am using disimilar metals like alu and copper )

Cheers all

Looks like this always gets written but ....some additives similar to water wetter reduce the surface tension in the water, which helps to increase the wettability of the heated surfaces which is good!.....However it also replaces a volume of water, since the additive has worse thermal properties this factor will reduce the heat taken from sources, this is bad....I'd rather have an system which hasnt corroded away and fryed my PC personally

I personally use 5% anti-freeze and 95% distilled water but I'm not mixing any metals. If you only ave copper in your rig than that is best if you mix metals then I would use 10% anti-freeze and 90% distilled water

Welcome to the forums JJimmeh

Coolant mixture is all a matter of preference. As you know, galvanic corrosion could be your enemy, so be careful on the mixture you choose.

I personally use water wetter, because when I was trying different coolant solutions it consistently yielded better temps than with the antifreeze/distilled solution. So now I'm running 100% distilled, with a few capfuls of water wetter. The amount of water wetter needed makes the displacement of water negligable, whereas antifreeze is as much larger portion. You only need a tiny amount of water wetter even for preventing corrosion.

As Sewer suggested, if you go with antifreeze/distilled, use a minimum of 10% antifreeze.

If you use antifreeze over water wetter, in my experience (which might mean nothing for your case) it will cost you as much as 5º. When I tried water wetter after the antifreeze I shaved off 4º.

I would try several different solutions and see what works best.

Keep us posted on your progress, and always show us pics of your complete rig!

good luck

I haven't tried the water wetter as a number of people I have read here on OC have bad things to say about it. Do some searching around on the forums and you will see what I mean. Also, when you are saying dissimilar metals, you are probably running anodized aluminum, not bare aluminum, right? I have copper and anodized aluminum in my loop and run about 15% antifreeze with distilled water, some algaecide (waterbed or fish tank type), and a few drops of iodine for good measure. I like the antifreeze route as I use the blue VW type which goes with my black/blue case colors theme.

It also helps if you have dissimilar metals to change your water more often, like every couple of months or so (which I do anyway). I make sure to put a drain valve in the loop at the bottom which really makes it easy to drain, and have a large fillport which makes it easy to fill.

To elaborate on voights' suggesting water wetter is bad, maybe I can clear it up, I should have stated this before.

Water wetter STINKS. It simply does not smell pretty. This obviously isnt a problem in closed loop systems. It will also cloud your water and turn it a nasty brown color, but this isnt a problem if you are using dye. One last thing, water wetter will stain your tubing, or cloud it rather. Again, not a problem if you are running dye, as dye will stain it as well.

Hope that clears up the confusion on water wetters nasty secrets.

thanks guys, er does zerex count as antifreeze ( its the racing super coolant)? I do have some anti freeze also, as well as the zerex. I have plenty of anti freez but only a little zerex, as I said only something like 2oz...im in the UK and there was only antifreez in the local store, nothing like water wetter etc. I had to get the zerex online and it was pretty pricey for such a small bottle so I dont really want to have to get anymore as I'll have postage to pay too. (Ive spent too much already to make a nice job...pics when its filled etc).

So basically I have 2 options, use all the zerex which might be too low concentration when mixed, or use alot of antifreeze which might give me worse temps.....hmmm

The aluminium in the loops consists of beer cans and possibly the radiator (it might be plated, i cant make it out), Im guessing that the cans have a coating of somesort to preserve the delicious flavor of my beverage , so maybe corrosion wouldnt be such a problem, my water block is copper. Am I right in thinking the alu would corrode faster than the copper? I have an rbx so i should be able to see any bad corrosion throught the lucite top.

Sooooo, I think I'll try the zerex for better temps and keep an eye on things, what do u reckon chaps?

Thanks again for helping a fool

Ok I have to ask, why is there beer cans in your loop. ALso do you have pics of this loop?

first of do not use a minimum of 10% anti-freeze or you will kill your temps. 10% anti-freeze is definetly enough for your loop and no need for anything else (besides distilled water). But why beercans?

SewerBeing said:

first of do not use a minimum of 10% anti-freeze or you will kill your temps. 10% anti-freeze is definetly enough for your loop and no need for anything else (besides distilled water). But why beercans?

Click to expand...

Shouldn't that be don't use more then 10% anti-freeze or you'll kill your tems.

lol i thought I'd get asked about the cans...they are for my reservoir cos they were by my desk, and being alu they should dissipate a bit of heat. Sry no pics of loop yet i gotta get stuff sorted but my loop goes-->

pump>rad>cpu waterblock>res>pump

my system as follows: Eheim 1250, DD RBX with no4 nozzle (the narrowest slit one, as they changed the nozzle numbers for some reason ie: 5 is now no2), DD tubing and heater matrix.

That way some of the the pump heat should be removed. The whole lot is in a box I made from mdf but I'm waitng on a 120mm fan to come through for it. Had a wee bit of dremel work for my case door though