Why do all the water blocks have brass connects?

[Szech]

This is something I noticed, and I'm slightly concerned because I just made two connects for my heater core out of aluminum. I know brass is stronger, but the walls of my connects are pretty thick, so I know they're not going to break or anything.

I had some spare aluminum rods lying around, and I didn't feel like buying any brass.

 

[DE]

Szech (May 10, 2001 07:41 p.m.):
This is something I noticed, and I'm slightly concerned because I just made two connects for my heater core out of aluminum. I know brass is stronger, but the walls of my connects are pretty thick, so I know they're not going to break or anything.

I had some spare aluminum rods lying around, and I didn't feel like buying any brass.

Brass is cheap and common for fittings.

 

[Colin]

You don't want copper and aluminum in the same system. The noble values for brass and copper are so close, it's not a problem. Ditch the aluminum fittings and spend $5 at the hardware store. Here is a link to a galvanic series table. http://www.stusteel.com/galvseri.htm

 

[TechnoFile]

What Colin neglected to do was explain why you want to try to keep your system all copper(or all aluminum, if you have to). When you put those two materieals together and run water through them, they start to corrode. It may take some time, but it could also ruin a water pump(tiny particles floating around).

 

[Colin]

Thanks Reilly. No need to turn your cooling system into a battery!

 

[Szech]

OOooohhh... I see. That makes sense. Just out of curiosity, would purple ice or water wetter help prevent that? I'm encasing the power supply's heatsinks to run water through them, and I know they're aluminum. I guess I could mill some new water blocks out of copper, but I'm low on funds right now.

Also, what about these people who are making water blocks out of aluminum heatsinks and using copper lined radiators? Are they going to be screwed in the near future?

Thanks!

 

[William]

well you will corode just because water will do that. Water Wetter or the purple stuff or anything polar will slow down the corrosion. Even in the same system, you will have ions of the metals floating around.