Plasticizer & general loop clean

[MikeGT2]

Hi,

My loop has gunk in it not long after a refill.

From what I'm seeing around the net. It looks to be Plasticizer.

After speaking to Tom, he recommends using white vinegar to clean the rads.
I come across this guide...


And wondered if this is usual practice and effective?

I know vinegar is an acid and I'm not sure when it comes to cleaning the GPU blocks if flushing with distilled will remove all the vinegar?

Should I submerg blocks in distilled water after cleaning and leave them to soak to remove all the vinegar or will this not be needed?

Also I'm thinking about O rings.. will vinegar not effect rubber?

I've already got some...

SysClean Watercooling High Power Limescale Remover & Cleaning Fluid
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...e-Remover--Cleaning-Fluid--50ml-pid-5741.html

Should I use that on the blocks and vinegar on the rads?
I need to clean 3 rads and two GPU blocks and the res.

So any advice appreciated

 

[andrewmchugh]

use distilled vinegar.

Did you not flush the rad before you used it?

Flush after a good amount with distilled or di water.. otherwise called battery top up (from morrisons)

Also I'm thinking about O rings.. will vinegar not effect rubber?

You generally dismantle the block, so that would be removed anyway.

 

[Goldskis45]

You generally dismantle the block, so that would be removed anyway.

Yeah, If it is that bad a 100% tare-down and clean EVERYTHING is the way to go... otherwise, it will come back pretty quick.

 

[MikeGT2]

So today I bought some toothbrushes and distiller vinegar.

Q1: Do I fill the rads up with vinegar and leave it to sit a while?
What approx time am I looking at for it to have broke down anything in the rad?

Q2: I flush the rads with distiller water and repeat the process with the vinegar until there is nothing else to come out?

Q3: I clean the blocks with vinegar and a toothbrush. Just cleaning and not soaking in vinegar? Then rinse with distilled water.

Q4: I assume the smell of vinegar will linger no matter how well they was rinsed?
Or should it not if stuff has been cleaned correctly?

Thanks

 

[andrewmchugh]

Make a 10% distilled vinegar with distilled water solution.

Here is a good guide > http://www.overclock.net/attachments/4098

 

[MikeGT2]

Hmm, I opened up a koolance 7970 block.
Not sure it is plastercizer.. There is also like an oily feal to this stuff.

That's not plactisizer is it?

 

[andrewmchugh]

Nah thats crap like flux from the Rads. Because you didn't clean them out before you used them?

 

[Goldskis45]

^ probably

 

[MikeGT2]

Nope I never cleaned them.
I stupidly assumed they come clean and pre rinsed.
Specially considering there a mix of koolance and xspc rads.


I tried to clean a gpu block with watered down white vinegar..... It would not move this oily thing,
I tried to soak it.. That did not move it either.

I bought some of that cleaning liquid from special tech.
I have the radiators soaking with that in it, at the min.,. Says 30 mins but I've left it over night.

 

[MikeGT2]

Hey, does flux have a fishy kinda smell to it?

 

[andrewmchugh]

Hey, does flux have a fishy kinda smell to it?

I'm no expert in flux smelling but I don't think it does.

 

[S_I_N]

no flux will be a greenish looking hard substance. plasticizers will have a oily feel to it. it wont hurt to use the vinegar full strength to break that oiliness also hot water wont hurt either. When I flush my system I pour about half the bottle (small one) of the vinegar into about half a gallon of distilled water (warmed up in the micro)(not boiling but hot) hose it up and run it for an hour or so. Then drain it and refill with straight warmed up distilled water and run that for an hour or so. Repeat this step a min of 2 more times. this should get all the vinegar out. Not that a small trace of vinegar will hurt much. I normally replace the tubing for the loops when I do this so I have old clear tubing I get at hardware store for the flushing part, I also use a different pump when I do this flushing out. Just a small 600gph submersible pump. but I hose up rads and flush then do blocks unless I'm tearing down the blocks for a good scrubbing. Which I dont normally do as I've not gotten any growth in my loops before. Replace ur tubing with a good brand to help avoid the plasticizers again. Also use a good anti-bacterial/corrosion inhibitor.