Help! <1 year old loop. Is it corrosion? Growth? Both?

[Freijan]

Please help!

I've had my first loop running for less than a year, and I just noticed that there is some color changes to the tubes and there is corrosion or growth present in the GPU block. I have very limited experience in this, so I don't really trust my own judgment here. Could someone please help me understand if this is corrosion or growth and identify the perpetrator?

I don't really care how it looks, I just want a healthy loop.

1st picture: Clear tube new and the yellow tube is an example of the tubes in the loop.
2-4 pictures: From the GPU block.

Setup:
EK - Ekoolant EVO - CLEAR
EK - ACF Fitting - 13/10mm - Black
EK - Supremacy EVO - Full Nickel (Original CSQ)
EK - RES X3 110
EK - CoolStream SE 360 (Triple)
EK - Koppling - Plugg G1/4
EKWB EK-FC1080 GTX Nickel GPU Block
MasterKleer - 13/10mm CLEAR
Innovatek HPPS Plus - 12V Pump
Thread adapter kit G1/4for Innovatek HPPS Pl

 

[Nebulous]

Looks like plasticizer leaching from the masterkleer tubing coupled with the EK fluid. Your best bet is to take everything apart, thoroughly wash it all with hot water and scrub the blocks with a toothbrush. Rinse with distilled water and reassemble it all. Use primochill advanced lrt tubing and distilled water only. Use a biocide (silver kill koil) to the distilled water and forget those fluids that claim it will not harm your loop.

 

[Blaylock]

I agree it's probably plasticizer and to go with the Advanced LRT. However, just a buyer beware, EK does not recommend the use of a Silver kill coil. They used to recommend their Ekoolant but it appears they have a new product EK-Cryofuel. I would suggest what ever you use stick with a clear non-colored coolant to prevent the loop from gumming up.

Also, FTR I'm currently using Distilled and a Silver coil in my EK loop, but plan to switch it out an my next cleaning.

Here is a very in depth study EK did on using Silver with their nickel plated blocks.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

I will echo the same with the other members about being a plasticize issue and needs a complete tear down with distilled water used for cleaning. I will disagree on the use of distilled and silver as your DIY fluid for the loop and say that you should stick with EK's clear fluid (non-color) so your warranty is still valid for one and that you don't degrade your nickel with the use of a silver coil since they don't dance well together as we've evidently seen and has been warned several times by EK.

 

[Nebulous]

I didn't think of that warranty section guyz Thx for the heads-up

 

[Bishopheals]

Ya just take it apart all the parts and remove any orings then use a turbo solution on it. It will eat and clean all that sht out.

 

[Freijan]

Thanks for your support!

I will most probably order some new tubes and and some CryoFuel.

But I don't really have a clear picture of how to clean the system. Should I use distilled water only or distilled water with some cleaning aid?

 

[Blaylock]

It would probably be best if you did a full tear down and open up your water blocks at this point. I like to scrub the insides with vinegar and a soft bristle tooth brush to get rid of all the little deposits from the plastisizer (assuming that's what it is). rinse with distilled water and re-assemble with the new tubing. I've never opened up an Innovatek pump but I'm sure you can. Maybe one of the other members can advise on how to do that.

 

[Freijan]

It would probably be best if you did a full tear down and open up your water blocks at this point. I like to scrub the insides with vinegar and a soft bristle tooth brush to get rid of all the little deposits from the plastisizer (assuming that's what it is). rinse with distilled water and re-assemble with the new tubing. I've never opened up an Innovatek pump but I'm sure you can. Maybe one of the other members can advise on how to do that.

Ah, thank you. I have ordered some new tubing and CryoFuel and as soon as the parts arrive I will do a complete tear down and do a thorough of all the parts with vinegar.

FYI: The Innovatek HPPS pump is very easy to disassemble and clean. It actually have a quick release which pretty much gives you access to the complete chamber.

 

[Blaylock]

Beautiful. My old Swifttech required you to remove the warranty sticker. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

 

[Conumdrum]

Vinegar meaning you will open the blocks and scrub them all? Every bit? That's what you need to do. CPU and GPU blocks, every fitting and the wetted pump parts toothbrush, Q tips, rags etc and a nice weekend for cleaning. Sure, soak them for an hour in a 25% of vinegar just to get rid of nasties. Your parts are nickle, Vinegar doesn't react with nickle nor does nickle get the tarnish like copper did, not like the old copper block days where we used vinegar and ketchup......

I had at least one log of cleaning a loop, fully. Might look at a old cleaning log in the stickies I made.....

 

[mgrisoli]

It looks a lot like green algae like we see growing in aquariums.
Plasticizer wouldn't stick so much to even surfaces, it would float around until it clogs in the microchannels.
However, it seems like the suggested solution would work for both cases: clean the system and refill it with a coolant with aditive to prevent growth.

M