- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
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- in the garage
Does anyone know if water wetter is worth it? Apparently it helps in heat transfer and stop corrosion. But it goes for like $13 +s/h. Is there an equal/better/cheaper solution to these problems?
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Water Wetter or other mixtures?
- Thread starter fuzzba11
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Location
- Bakersfield,CA
water wetter was worth it for me=]
it doesnt transfer heat better thin water but it does cool down the water a little and does stop corrosion
but if you dont have it or dont have the money you can use radiator fluid
it doesnt transfer heat better thin water but it does cool down the water a little and does stop corrosion
but if you dont have it or dont have the money you can use radiator fluid
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2001
- Location
- College Point, N.Y.
You can find Water Wetter at PEPBoys Auto store for $6.
Thats if there is one by you.
Thats if there is one by you.
OP
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
- Location
- in the garage
- Thread Starter
- #4
I'd prefer it if I could order so I wouldn't have to get off my as5 
I'll look around online, though, thx for the response.
I'll look around online, though, thx for the response.
I have heard (so don't shoot the messenger) that you can achieve a similar effect by using a drop or two of dish soap. Evidently the soap breaks down the surface tension of the water in the same way that water wetter does.
Do not try this without confirming it elsewhere though! I could be talking out my azz. (My most reliable source!)
: ]
Do not try this without confirming it elsewhere though! I could be talking out my azz. (My most reliable source!)
: ]
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2001
- Location
- College Point, N.Y.
mechsiah said:
That will work, but there will be nothing to stop corrosion or some type of lifeform from growing inside your cooling rig.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2001
- Location
- Denver, Colorado
I never really understood the point of adding stuff to your water- If it is a closed system, where is the contamination of growth going to come from? Assuming you wash all yer tubes etc first. If it is an open system, do you want to be breathing that s**t when it evaporates? IDK, I'd think dumping in some isopropyl and running it open for an hour every month outta get the job done- it's worked for me so far.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2001
- Location
- Denver, Colorado
That's what I'm talking about! Start clean, it stays clean. If you can get it, deionized water is even better-
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2001
- Location
- a van, down by the river
if you have mixed metals, especially aluminum and copper, you will get corrosion.
Unless you put it together in a sterile clean-room, you will have some sort of contamination... which will lead to the growth of something. Especially if you have an open system. That's why I won't use a 'bong'. I'd think it would be too much of a hassle to clean it all the time.
Sure, use distilled water, but also use water-wetter... in a closed system this should prevent you from having to clean it for quite a while.
an ounce of prevention... or, in this case, watter-wetter
(I sound like a frickin' salesman)
dan
Unless you put it together in a sterile clean-room, you will have some sort of contamination... which will lead to the growth of something. Especially if you have an open system. That's why I won't use a 'bong'. I'd think it would be too much of a hassle to clean it all the time.
Sure, use distilled water, but also use water-wetter... in a closed system this should prevent you from having to clean it for quite a while.
an ounce of prevention... or, in this case, watter-wetter
(I sound like a frickin' salesman)
dan
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Location
- Seattle Washington
no such thing as perfectly distilled water or perfectly de-ionized water outside a labrotory. elevate the temperature a few degrees above room temp and you'll get it. if not from your water, then from your metal. remember, in heat transfer, we're passing temperature from one side of the metal to the other side. other microscopic things come with it. the minute any of your water hits the air, it's contaminated. temperature amplifies all that.
if you're getting lower temps in your radiator then you're getting slightly better temps in your waterblock and everywhere else, even if your thermometer isn't registering it. you're right, waterwetter breaks up the surface tention which allows water to transfer heat better... it absorbs heat better. up to 15 or 20% better if you have the right ratio.
antifreeze is probably the worst thing you could put in your system. it's like liquid styrofoam. it does nothing except insulate water increasing the boiling point and lowering the freezing point. antifreeze is made of glycol which is a silicone, which is also why it's good at preventing corrosion and eliminating bacteria growth... it coats the inside of your system. anyone know of any petrolium product that transmits temperature real well? not me. i do however know it's used to insulate pretty well. antifreeze is good because it raises the boiling point which is the major concern for automobiles. the glycol is good to lower the freezing point too, but only as a side effect. it insulates both ways. run your car on nothing but antifreeze and you'll burn your car up before you reach the supermarket.
waterwetter is good stuff. it will also coat the inside of your system preventing corrosion and bacterial growth, but not with glycol. i had some questions so emailed them. from the word of the manufacturer, using it in a watercooled system like we're using, 3% will be the ideal ratio when used with either distilled or de-ionized water.
if you're getting lower temps in your radiator then you're getting slightly better temps in your waterblock and everywhere else, even if your thermometer isn't registering it. you're right, waterwetter breaks up the surface tention which allows water to transfer heat better... it absorbs heat better. up to 15 or 20% better if you have the right ratio.
antifreeze is probably the worst thing you could put in your system. it's like liquid styrofoam. it does nothing except insulate water increasing the boiling point and lowering the freezing point. antifreeze is made of glycol which is a silicone, which is also why it's good at preventing corrosion and eliminating bacteria growth... it coats the inside of your system. anyone know of any petrolium product that transmits temperature real well? not me. i do however know it's used to insulate pretty well. antifreeze is good because it raises the boiling point which is the major concern for automobiles. the glycol is good to lower the freezing point too, but only as a side effect. it insulates both ways. run your car on nothing but antifreeze and you'll burn your car up before you reach the supermarket.
waterwetter is good stuff. it will also coat the inside of your system preventing corrosion and bacterial growth, but not with glycol. i had some questions so emailed them. from the word of the manufacturer, using it in a watercooled system like we're using, 3% will be the ideal ratio when used with either distilled or de-ionized water.
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2001
- Location
- a van, down by the river
r0ckstarbob said:
uhhh...
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Location
- Seattle Washington
point being we're not really running a totally closed system. and granted, it's not alot, but its there. it's why piercers use an autoclave to clean metal. the only way to really do it is to heat it up so the metal expands and a thorough cleaning can happen. in fact, its the only way to completely disinfect metal.
OP
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
- Location
- in the garage
- Thread Starter
- #15
Alright, well, I've ordered a bottle of Water Wetter, so that problem should be solved
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2001
- Location
- Denver, Colorado
Hang on a second, r0ckstarbob- Are you trying to tell us that microbes will move THROUGH the metal of our waterblocks and infect our systems?
Well, 3 years of Adv Biology tells me that's pretty bogus. I don't care how soft copper or Al is, no bug or bacterium is going to magically pass thru 1/4" of solid metal. If something is ALREADY inside the open chamber of the block, than yes, you'll get some growth.
I ran a few genetic classrom experiments back in the day, fruit flies etc.- our petrie dishes of agar and suger water didn't grow all kinds of fuzz and mold after 3 months of open-air exposure, this was in a low-level clean room. Decontam prcedure there was basically wash hands, take off shoes, and don't sneeze.
I know for a fact that after 30 mins of running heated Isopropyl through my system ain't nothing gonna grow in there. 8 months later, it still looks brand new.
As for the suface tension thing- yeah you are totally right on that. Course I thought that was only important in cooling towers- lower surface tension equals smaller droplet size equals more surface area equals better cooling. and then you'd be breathing it, UGH. I don't want any coating of any kind between my block and the water, that's just one more mechanical junction to worry about.
Well sorry if I sounded mean or flamey, you are right on all counts but on a technical level- we ain't dealing with NASA-level clean rooms here, we have TONS of room for leeway. A bit of paramecia won't hurt anything.
Oh and to beat the galvanic corrosion problem- change your water monthly. Hell, to beat any goo problem just change the water.
Of course an ounce of prevention..... If it worries you at all, then hell yeah, dump some water wetter in there. Just understand that it is not imperative.
Well, 3 years of Adv Biology tells me that's pretty bogus. I don't care how soft copper or Al is, no bug or bacterium is going to magically pass thru 1/4" of solid metal. If something is ALREADY inside the open chamber of the block, than yes, you'll get some growth.
I ran a few genetic classrom experiments back in the day, fruit flies etc.- our petrie dishes of agar and suger water didn't grow all kinds of fuzz and mold after 3 months of open-air exposure, this was in a low-level clean room. Decontam prcedure there was basically wash hands, take off shoes, and don't sneeze.
I know for a fact that after 30 mins of running heated Isopropyl through my system ain't nothing gonna grow in there. 8 months later, it still looks brand new.
As for the suface tension thing- yeah you are totally right on that. Course I thought that was only important in cooling towers- lower surface tension equals smaller droplet size equals more surface area equals better cooling. and then you'd be breathing it, UGH. I don't want any coating of any kind between my block and the water, that's just one more mechanical junction to worry about.
Well sorry if I sounded mean or flamey, you are right on all counts but on a technical level- we ain't dealing with NASA-level clean rooms here, we have TONS of room for leeway. A bit of paramecia won't hurt anything.
Oh and to beat the galvanic corrosion problem- change your water monthly. Hell, to beat any goo problem just change the water.
Of course an ounce of prevention..... If it worries you at all, then hell yeah, dump some water wetter in there. Just understand that it is not imperative.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Location
- Seattle Washington
nope. sorry. didn't know where my brain was at. didn't actually mean that you're passing it through the metal, but did mean that without disinfecting it, your metal is dirty and with a temp increase of only a few degrees, you'll get bacteria growth.
running isopropyl through the system is a good idea once in a great while, but it's only the first of several steps that should be taken.
theres been more then one example of folks not treating their systems properly and having some VERY detrimental effects due to bacterial growth. it may not happen in a month or two months, but it will happen without taking the proper precautions.
point being, a bit of paramecium will eat your system alive one day. it IS going to be harmful.
i'd rather have an agent in the liquid perpetually eating whatever little bacteria matures as it matures then risk ANYTHING having to do with my system.
shortcuts will kill your box in a flash.
most of us dread the thought of changing the water if we don't have to. every single time you do it you have to proof the system and then reinstall it to guarantee a solid installation. a very time consuming event to say the least. proof the system for 24 hours and then install it? thats alot of downtime for your system. not to mention providing added wear and tear on your hoses. and at least for me, theres way too much at stake to make a mistake. measure twice and cut once. no way am i taking any shortcuts with a process like that.
the percentage of performance increase in PC's vary from 1-2 degrees to as many as 10. this variable easily has as much to do with the various watercooling setups and varying ratios used as anything. regardless, it's a performance increase - in addition to preventing wear and tear on your pumps and blocks AND preventing bacterial growth just by adding a couple of ounces to your system...
you're saving youself a world of work and effort, improving performance, while simultaneously minimizing the chance for damage occuring to either your watercooling setup or your system. in my minds eye this stuff is considered bare bones preventive maintenance and good common sense.
no, i didn't take it as flaming. all is good. sorry for the lack of clarity on my part.
here, check it
http://www.redlineoil.com/redlineoil/wwti.htm
peace
RSB
running isopropyl through the system is a good idea once in a great while, but it's only the first of several steps that should be taken.
theres been more then one example of folks not treating their systems properly and having some VERY detrimental effects due to bacterial growth. it may not happen in a month or two months, but it will happen without taking the proper precautions.
point being, a bit of paramecium will eat your system alive one day. it IS going to be harmful.
i'd rather have an agent in the liquid perpetually eating whatever little bacteria matures as it matures then risk ANYTHING having to do with my system.
shortcuts will kill your box in a flash.
most of us dread the thought of changing the water if we don't have to. every single time you do it you have to proof the system and then reinstall it to guarantee a solid installation. a very time consuming event to say the least. proof the system for 24 hours and then install it? thats alot of downtime for your system. not to mention providing added wear and tear on your hoses. and at least for me, theres way too much at stake to make a mistake. measure twice and cut once. no way am i taking any shortcuts with a process like that.
the percentage of performance increase in PC's vary from 1-2 degrees to as many as 10. this variable easily has as much to do with the various watercooling setups and varying ratios used as anything. regardless, it's a performance increase - in addition to preventing wear and tear on your pumps and blocks AND preventing bacterial growth just by adding a couple of ounces to your system...
you're saving youself a world of work and effort, improving performance, while simultaneously minimizing the chance for damage occuring to either your watercooling setup or your system. in my minds eye this stuff is considered bare bones preventive maintenance and good common sense.
no, i didn't take it as flaming. all is good. sorry for the lack of clarity on my part.
here, check it
http://www.redlineoil.com/redlineoil/wwti.htm
peace
RSB
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2001
- Location
- Somewhere within 20ft of a gun rack.
Oi, I work at Pep Boys and I wouldn't recommend Water Wetter to anyone. Few of our employees there own/race trucks, and they use ProBlend instead of Water Wetter, they swear by the stuff. Drag strip racing also uses ProBlend, as I'm sure several other organizations use it too.
Since my water system is still incomplete at the moment, I cannot give any test results of ProBlend over Water Wetter. The ProBlend stuff is a little more expensive though, but like I said, our employees at Pep Boys swear by it.
~RT~
Since my water system is still incomplete at the moment, I cannot give any test results of ProBlend over Water Wetter. The ProBlend stuff is a little more expensive though, but like I said, our employees at Pep Boys swear by it.
~RT~
Ok I am at the http://www.pro-blend.com web site and from what I can gather ProBlend is an engine additive, not made for radiators. Am I just not seeing it?
Where can you get Water Wetter online? Cant find it for under $18 with shipping.
Kibler
Where can you get Water Wetter online? Cant find it for under $18 with shipping.
Kibler
OP
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
- Location
- in the garage
- Thread Starter
- #20
I got mine from the L.A.P.D. ...the Los Angeles Performance Division Go to their website and you can find the stuff there for 8 bucks, and shipping is overnight no matter what. Still, a better deal than I found elsewhere.
*Warning* This stuff STINKS!! It's not rotten egg type horrible, but it does smell really bad, if you have an open system and put your nose up to it, it hits you hard. You'll be able to smell it when you enter the room, too, if you put enough of it in, but stop noticing it after a minute or two.
Go to their website and you can find the stuff there for 8 bucks, and shipping is overnight no matter what. Still, a better deal than I found elsewhere.*Warning* This stuff STINKS!! It's not rotten egg type horrible, but it does smell really bad, if you have an open system and put your nose up to it, it hits you hard. You'll be able to smell it when you enter the room, too, if you put enough of it in, but stop noticing it after a minute or two.
