Distilled Water

[tft]

How well does using distilled water protect against system frying in the case of a leak? I know that distilled is much less conductive than regular water, but I also know its not totally un-condutive. We've all seen the experiment in science class where the light blub wires are put in regular water, and the bulb lights up. Then they're put in distilled, and they don't light. But thats in a tank of water with the wires a few inches apart, not on a computer board with traces a few mm apart.
Is it really worth it to put distilled in your system? Will it just fry it anyway if there's a leak?

 

[stool]

There are never any guarantees, but using any option to increase your chances of success, or possibly limiting a major failure, are always justified. If a couple of bucks worth of distilled water keeps your system from a total crapout from a minor leak, its money well-spent.

 

[CyberFed]

distilled water WILL fry your mobo if it gets wet while its running, it still electicly conductive, many people use it because it helps keep corrsion down of the waterblocks and the best cooling is "pure" water and distilled water is closer to pure water than regular water, but do NOT think it wont fry your board, and if you want to find out well...its all you..

 

[Manticor]

No, distilled water is _NOT_ electrically conductive by nature, but the problem is that it's only really distilled while it's in the plastic bottle. Distilled water contains absolutely no ions in theory--ions are what make tap water conductive. However, once you put distilled water into a metal waterblock/radiator, the water picks up a tiny fraction of ions and is no longer distilled, giving it a chance of being electrically conductive.

stool's definitely right on this one...

If I were you I'd run my pump setup for a few days in a row, while mounted without your PC on OR plugged in. If there's a leak, no worries, just fix it and let everything dry before powering up. Can't really do any harm.

 

[tft]

No leaks in my sys, I've been running it for a while. I was just wondering about the merits of using distilled water. I hear people talking about it like its some type of dielectric fluid, I was just wondering if all the hype is for a good reason. Anyway, I guess, since it will fry in the case of a leak, I'll just stay with tap water.
Thanks for the info guys

 

[Karsta]

Another reason for distilled/deionised water is that tap water contains impurities which deposit on the walls of the cooler. It becomes a problem first after a longer period of time. Here were I live older water lines may have several millimeters thick layer inside them.

 

[Cougar522]

Yes it will help stop corrosion in your setup and yes it will still fry your board if it leaks ;D

 

[DodgeViper]

The idea is to never have a leak. If you use good components and you take caution while putting the system together you will not have a failure. In my system I used 2-ear clamps. These clamps are designed so they cannot be removed. I used Teflon tape to insure all fittings are sealed. I used 1/8” wall Silicon tubing, and finely I used an Eheim pump. Nothing can be 100 percent guaranteed. Why take a chance because you saved $10.00 on a pump, or $5.00 because the tubing was cheaper. Ask yourself how much it’s going to cost to replace the motherboard and CPU and you may find away to buy better equipment and eliminate any future problems.

Oh, and I use 85 percent distilled and 15 percent anti-freeze in a copper system.

 

[Tecumseh]

Even though distilled water starts out as relatively
non-conductive, after it has circulated thru your WB
and radiator for a while it may be as bad as tap water.

DodgeViper, summed it up best: Never have a leak!!!

 

[racecar12]

Use hose clamps and you should never have a problem. If you hose the system turn it off and let it dry. Odds are you will not hurt a thing if it gets wet