Hello, I've read 1000x of horror stories on using colored coolants. However, in every Facebook group I am in for extreme pcs or even on these forums I see dozens of people using colored coolants. Is this a thing of the past, myth, or do some people just turn the blind eye? Can we have a legitimate discussion on the subject because I find it sexy as hell but just as scary.
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Coolants
- Thread starter Wuddup
- Start date
Some of them supposedly don't gunkt up. Others do it with more frequent loop maintenance to prevent it. Commonly held advice is to just get colored tubing and use distilled with silver kill coil and a biocide.
Choice is your but for ease of use, get colored tubing.
Choice is your but for ease of use, get colored tubing.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2012
what he said^^^^^^^^.
I thought 3 or four drops of dye couldn't hurt anything...........
I thought 3 or four drops of dye couldn't hurt anything...........
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2015
- Location
- Gardnerville, NV
Haha, I was so expecting one of those horror pictures to follow this post. I've read the same horror stories, as someone that won't have the time to tear down and clean every month or two, I'm sticking to distilled with a kill coil.
- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Location
- USA
Doesn't only gunk up but stain as well.
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2004
- Location
- San Antonio, Texas
I used mayhems blue dye one (liquid dye) in my xspc 360mm rad back in the day and when I sold it to Nebulous after changing fluids a few times (rig changes) and prior to shipping to him it still ran tinted blue. Now I dont know if he still has the blue tint when flushing anymore but I know for a fact I will never use it again. Imagine wanting to change the color and changing fluid and still getting remnants of the old color mixed in and ruining iy. I now only use 100% distilled water with a kill koil and colored tubing.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2012
The better coolants like Mayhams supposedly will last longer before they break down. If one really wants to use them that's the brand you want to get. That said you still need to do a proper tear down and cleaning of everything much more regularly if one does use even the best colored coolants. Which most people do not and this in turn leads to clogged blocks and radiators. Life is a lot easier with Distilled water, biocide/silver coil and colored tubing.
- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Location
- USA
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
Use distilled with a biocide or kill coil and be done with it.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2015
I am not going to say you have to use this or that, but.....if use dyes or colored fluids it will end up making a big mess. Pretty much Distilled water with some type of biocide will give you cleaner results over time. Some people do use corrosion inhibiters as a personal choice. I would not use anything with glycol in it, No kind of alcohol, No oils, or Dyes...I would make sure the PH is above 6.5 as well. Anyhow keep reading and learning its the best thing you can do.
For long term use without having frequent changing of the fluid and rinsing/cleaning out the system Distilled water/biocide with colored tubing is a much better choice. Even then you wouldn't want to let it go years without doing some maintenance checks.
I just bought a block from some guy who used colored fluid off ebay....
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ought-on-Ebay-(-Not-for-the-faint-of-Heart!-)
If this is what you want down the road then go ahead use the colored crap.
For long term use without having frequent changing of the fluid and rinsing/cleaning out the system Distilled water/biocide with colored tubing is a much better choice. Even then you wouldn't want to let it go years without doing some maintenance checks.
I just bought a block from some guy who used colored fluid off ebay....
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ought-on-Ebay-(-Not-for-the-faint-of-Heart!-)
If this is what you want down the road then go ahead use the colored crap.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2012
I was going to post those pics of your block here Jdeed, how appropriate for this thread.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2015
LOL!
no one should have to go through what I did there....Lucky it was just messy it could have been worse...
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2012
Brocko, distilled + Silver coil and or Biocide is easy and works. I do a yearly tear down of my loop every year and have no issues what so ever.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2015
Basically If you don't know what's in the fluid and/or what it does or why you're using it I wouldn't use it.
Clear doesn't mean Good it just means they didn't use a dye to color it they still use chemicals.
That said if you want to use dyes and/or other fluids in your system and take chances you could end end up with a lot of cleaning to do sooner rather than later. In some cases as I am sure you have seen it's way past cleaning and damage happens. I would start simple and see the results then go from there later on when you learn a bit more.
In other words go with what works first.
I have a 1 lt bottle of clear fluid sitting here that came with my kit I wont ever use and I won't sell it either simply because it has Ethandiol 1.2 %in it.
Clear doesn't mean Good it just means they didn't use a dye to color it they still use chemicals.
That said if you want to use dyes and/or other fluids in your system and take chances you could end end up with a lot of cleaning to do sooner rather than later. In some cases as I am sure you have seen it's way past cleaning and damage happens. I would start simple and see the results then go from there later on when you learn a bit more.
In other words go with what works first.
I have a 1 lt bottle of clear fluid sitting here that came with my kit I wont ever use and I won't sell it either simply because it has Ethandiol 1.2 %in it.
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Thanks for all the responses. I have been using distilled water with a biocide for the past 3 years now (draining and adding new water and biocide yearly). I was just seeing if there was something better out there than using distilled water. Thanks Again.
Bocko
Bocko
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2015
Well you know what the results are then with what you use now!
If it's working.....don't fix it!!
Oh so what have you noticed if anything at all using that for 3 years?
- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Location
- USA
I know from experience sitting on clear tubing with distilled can get a bit boring. If you want a little eye candy, get some LEDs and PrimoChill Advanced LRT colored tubing and call it a day. Haven't looked back since than.
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Well you know what the results are then with what you use now!
If it's working.....don't fix it!!
Oh so what have you noticed if anything at all using that for 3 years?
To be honest, I don't have much to compare it too. I never had problems with too much heat using heat sinks and fans (or perhaps I should say I wasn't aware of any heat problems). I went to water cooling because I like to try new things and like the challenge of building new things too. With this recent build (2013), I went with water cooling and setup 4 areas to monitor the temperature (CPU, GPU, Memory, and Chipset). I am currently only water cooling my CPU but in the works to water cool the GPU too. I have been tracking the temperature of the GPU which has been pretty good until I went to 2 monitors and starting playing some new games. The temperature is still under specs but I want to improve the temperature. Once I add the GPU water block, I'll let you know what results I get.
Bocko
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