Need help choosing coolant for custom loop

[Konyalee]

Hello,

I am planning to water cool my system with alphacool blocks and corsair xd5 pump, I want to go for a purple dyed coolant but I haven't done any water cooling in the past and don't know which coolant to choose. Alphacool on their website say their products would get damaged if clear fluids aren't used but they sell premixed dyed coolants too which confused me. Should I go for distilled water with chemicals and dyes (if so which stuff would be okay to mix) or premixed dyed coolants ?

 

[Vya Domus]

I would only use clear fluids because any colored coolant will eventually start clogging the blocks to various degrees, it doesn't matter what manufacturers claim if there are any kind of particles in the fluid they will turn into a sediment and end up in the fins of the blocks.

But if you really insist to use a colored coolant I'd buy a premixed one.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Mayhem XT-1 clear is what I use

Mayhems - XT1 Thermal Performance Series Coolant Concentrate

Mayhems XT1. Mayhems thermal performance focused premium coolant concentrate for water cooled computer systems.

mayhems.store

Good for about two years.

 

[INSTG8R]

I did coloured coolant Red ONCE and never again. Eventually it gunned up my block which was already a pretty restrictive flow block(AC Cuplex Kryos) Also my old pump had a ceramic impeller that was permanently stained Pink. Now I just use EK Cryofuel Clear. On that note I need a fresh bottle and redo my loop. just procrastinating because it’s a pain(Such is the life)

 

[ty_ger]

Do not use distilled water with chemicals. Clear or colored; it don't matter. Don't do it.

Buy a good coolant with all the proper stuff mixed in. Don't play chemist and experiment; unless you want to ruin your purchase.

I use and recommend koolance 702 fluid. Different colors. All good.

Don't flush the loop. Don't use chemical cleaners or vinegar. Just put it together, use a quality coolant like Koolance 702, change the fluid every 2 years (or per manufacturer's recommendation), and have no problems and no clogs and no missing plating after a decade, like me.

 

[Konyalee]

Thanks for the replies. Guess I will go for a clear premix and hope my RGB is enough to make my fluid look colorful

 

[A Computer Guy]

I currently use EK Cryofuel clear. Premix 1L or get 1L concentrate bottle & distilled water. After trying both I lean toward the 1L concentrate bottle & distilled water to minimize the chance of getting a bad premix which happened when I first started a liquid cooling a few years ago. If that happens you can filter out debris with coffee filter before using but I'd recommend getting a new mix instead since there isn't a way of knowing if the mix was bad in other ways than a bad water source. The last 4 bottles I had were fine. The last concentrate I used was a little tinted after mixing the recommended amount of water but otherwise fine. I always keep an extra bottle on hand just in case including for periodic top offs. When I started I think they said change it every 6 months but it's 12 now and it used to have a 2yr shelf life now 4yr. I don't like the smell of it so if you have a micro leak somewhere you can tell.

Before using coolant don't forget to clean out the loop, especially rads, and rinse the loop with distilled water before using the coolant and be careful not to introduce bio contamination into the loop to ensure trouble-free maintenance.

(PSA start) Remember when cleaning no alcohols for plastics/acrylic, no vinegar for nickel plated parts. Also no mixing aluminum with other metals in the loop. (PSA complete)

 

[maxfly]

Use colored tubing with clear coolant.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
My policy is never buy anything with cry in it's name

Besides 1 year use time verses 2 year use time sells it's self you'd think

Mayhams does have one that last 5 years but can't for the life of me think of it's name
One of it's business products they don't advertise on their site because if everyone used it sells of other products wouldn't move

 

[ir_cow]

distilled water.

 

[thesmokingman]

I've been moving to auto coolant 10%-20% mix with distilled. Tired of the crap pc specific coolant.

 

[tabascosauz]

I've been moving to auto coolant 10%-20% mix with distilled. Tired of the crap pc specific coolant.

+1 basically what Cryofuel is anyway, diluted car coolant sold at an extortionate price, so diluting it yourself would achieve the same result

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Antifreeze mixture you have to keep in mind tubing and possible other clashes in products so using just any antifreeze isn't wise.

 

[Outback Bronze]

Hi,
Antifreeze mixture you have to keep in mind tubing and possible other clashes in products so using just any antifreeze isn't wise.

I've had no issues with anti-freeze in close to two decades now. Highly recommended. % of mix up to you.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I've been moving to auto coolant 10%-20% mix with distilled. Tired of the crap pc specific coolant.

Doing the same for years... even mixed metal setups...

 

[xtreemchaos]

just distilled for me, i try to keep all copper with brass fittings.

 

[Shrek]

Anyone ever tried isopropyl alcohol in the water to keep it sterile? as one doesn't really need to stop it freezing.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Anyone ever tried isopropyl alcohol in the water to keep it sterile? as one doesn't really need to stop it freezing.

Can't - tubes and acrylic (maybe gaskets too) will be damaged by the isopropyl alcohol .

 

[mx62]

Anyone ever tried isopropyl alcohol in the water to keep it sterile? as one doesn't really need to stop it freezing.

beware of any acrylic in system, alcohol will lead to microfractures and cloudiness, compromising surface integrity

 

[maxfly]

Anyone ever tried isopropyl alcohol in the water to keep it sterile? as one doesn't really need to stop it freezing.

Isopropyl + plastic/acrylic= brittle and cracks. Particularly in reservoirs. It's much safer to use an anti microbial additive or a coolant with anti microbials in it. Or, some swear by silver in the res.

 

[mx62]

or you can add antibacterial dish soap

 

[ir_cow]

just distilled for me, i try to keep all copper with brass fittings.

Yep. Been using just distilled for years. Swap it out every year. Cost me $1.5 a gal lol

 

[ThrashZone]

I've had no issues with anti-freeze in close to two decades now. Highly recommended. % of mix up to you.

Hi,
Doubt I'd use it again but someone comes out just saying I use ...% antifreeze op should use more than a grain of salt and also ask what type of tubing these people also use as well since they didn't say.
Hell I used delco 10-15% at one time called it my golden shower build
This was with tygon tubing


3/8" ID x 5/8" OD x 1/8" Wall Tygon® S3™ E-3603 Laboratory Tubing | U.S. Plastic Corp.

I use some modmymods tubing atm with xt-1 clear
ModMyMods 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD Flexible PVC Tubing - Crystal Clear (MOD-0003) - 3/8” ID x 5/8” OD Soft Tubing - Tubing ModMyMods.com - PC Watercooling Parts and Accessories

 

[ty_ger]

distilled water.

Never had more problems when I tried that. I used commercial coolant, switched to distilled for a build, had lots of problems, and switched back.
Haven't had any problems with this build using Koolance fluid for a decade, even using supposedly especially terrible EK blocks.

 

[Vya Domus]

or you can add antibacterial dish soap

Don't.

Just use distilled water and 2-3 drops of biocide fi you do not want to buy a premixed fluid.

Never had more problems when I tried that.

It's a bad idea to just use distilled water, you need something that can prevent carp from growing inside the loop.