Tuesday, June 14th 2011
EKWB Halts Nickel-Plated Water Block Production
Water-cooling major EK Waterblocks (EKWB) halted the production of nickel-plated copper water blocks. The company received several complaints from users about the nickel plating to be of substandard quality, and corroding away much faster. Nickel plating itself is supposed to work as a corrosion-resistant coating over copper. Nickel plating gives the surface of the block a chrome-like lustrous shine. EKWB, after conducting its own tests, blamed silver coils and copper sulphate additives, anti-algae agents used in public water supply. A weak defense, considering people use distilled water (battery water) in their loops, or coolants that are formulated to be less corrosive than tap water on metallic parts of the loop.
A RRTech forum member conducted a wide range of tests including microscopic imaging of a water block, revealing what he alleges to be substandard quality of nickel plating, rather than corrosion caused by bad coolant. Meanwhile, EKWB halted production and sales of nickel-plated copper water blocks.
In its latest statement, EKWB says: "As EK is looking for lasting solution for nickel plating issue (concerning corrosion because of silver coils and copper sulphate additive) we decided to halt sales of nickel plated products till solution is found and tested. Our resellers were advised to halt sales too. We cannot put users into position, that we replace products and corrosion starts again on new product. Hopefully we will find an answer and tested solution in short while. We will update you as soon as we have any news. However, If customer insists on buying EK nickel block, we offer a customer full 24 month warranty on material, manufacturing and corrosion."
More gory pictures of failing water blocks at the source.
Sources:
RRTech, Bit-Tech
In its latest statement, EKWB says: "As EK is looking for lasting solution for nickel plating issue (concerning corrosion because of silver coils and copper sulphate additive) we decided to halt sales of nickel plated products till solution is found and tested. Our resellers were advised to halt sales too. We cannot put users into position, that we replace products and corrosion starts again on new product. Hopefully we will find an answer and tested solution in short while. We will update you as soon as we have any news. However, If customer insists on buying EK nickel block, we offer a customer full 24 month warranty on material, manufacturing and corrosion."
More gory pictures of failing water blocks at the source.
62 Comments on EKWB Halts Nickel-Plated Water Block Production
Anyways, thanks for the excellent summary of the current situation. Saves a lot of reading for those that aren't interested in the little details and just want to know what's going on.
and its not several complaints, it's more like hundreds.
theres a lot more information about this on ocau and xs forum.
to sum it up: it's a problem thats been known about for months, they say user error, users are saying its poor machining and impurities in the nickel.
also theres a lot of uproar about the duration they claim they'll honor RA because of this.. basically stipulating a date which is a breach of the trade practices act in a few countries.
Gold, Platinum, Iridium, Palladium, Osmium, Silver, Rhodium, Ruthenium
Ek... Their going crazy on their notions. It just can't be Silver coil or PTnuke.. Not if every one uses it on Bitpower/AC/Heatkiller/Swifty/.... and there is no problem..
Like I say on my FB page..
On that whole EK thing..... just buy Watercool. (yeah, made in Germany, with German Laws)
I never was too fond of the much hyped EK, and now, it seems it was good to buy only stuff, that was not of them
(except for my res...the acrylic of it is bad quality, and i already cracked a 25mm tube, without it beeing prone to any forces)
EK just tries to pull their ass from their own crap, and that with the weakest excuses you can think of...laughable.
it's a meme btw
Guess I better take a good look at it.
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Velvet Wafer's head.