Should I flush a new system with Vinegar?
 

I've read that a new WC loop should be flushed with a 50 / 50 mix of distilled vinegar and water to make sure it is clean. I'm prepared to do this if necessary but I wanted to make sure it was worthwhile and wasn't going to do more harm than good. My loop includes a PA 160.1 / Storm waterblock, Laing D5 pump, Swissflow SF800 flowmeter.

Thoughts?

L

I am not sure a "new" loop should be. Wouldn't hurt to run some distilled water through it for a while though to get any larger particles out before they get stuck in the Storm. A used loop or a loop with used parts I could see needing extra cleaning though.

Were did you get the SwissFlowSF800?

A vinegar mixture (or any other solvent or detergent) might get some latent gunk left in the tubing or radiator left by mfg processes. I don't know that I'd run acid through a swissflow flowmeter though.

Direct from the manufacturer.

L

In theory the Swissflow should be able to handle it just fine. Per the website it is "Highly chemical-resistant." www.swissflow.com

Louis

Well, I guess I should have expected a swissflow to be resistant to vinegar. I just remember another fellow who had a swissflow inline and actually drilled it out to get better flow rates in his system.

:eek: Now that is something I WON'T be doing. The swissflow is suppose to be a low restriction flowmeter and there really isn't much to drill out.

L

The Corsair HydroCool WC'ing system recommended flushing is with 50% Distilled White Vinegar mixed with 50% Distilled Water. ;)

The HydroCool uses micro-channels in the cold-block. They are very narrow and long. So, purging out the Storm shouldn't be a problem at all.

The only item to really consider to purge as a new product should only be the radiator. There "could be" left over braze filler or flux from the manufacturing process. Other than than, why subject the other parts in the kit to a cleaning?

Do not use lemon juice concentrate to flush a WC'ing setup. Lemon juice is good for cleaning the copper on the OUTSIDE of the cold-block and base. Lemon juice is NOT good to clean aluminum.

Lemon juice: is a weak solution of citric acid and is a mild bleach, deodorant and cleaning agent.

Distilled White Vinegar: is a dilute solution of acetic acid. It is used as a bleach, disinfectant, deodorant, and anti-mould cleaner.

Do not use salts of any kind in a WC'ing setup. The are very corrosive to the metals.

Do not use ammonia either. It will react badly with copper.

If the vinegar/hot water flushing were to remove some trapped solder or other junk from the rad it could definitely mess up the swissflow or your Storm's performance. What I do is cut my loop to size with the wb, replace the wb with an inline filter, and then fill and run coolant through the loop with inline filter for 24 hours. That should clean out any particulates. Then I drain into a clean bucket, replace the wb, mount it to CPU and fire it up (after a leak test). A UV lamp and some dye can cut the leak testing time to a minimum btw :)

Got it all setup. No hardware installed. Just the loop for leak testing. Seemed fine. 24 hours later I have water all over the floor. :mad: Appears to be leaking between the Swissflow and the PA160.1. I guess not enough teflon tape.

Louis

I had flush 2 setups with 50% vinegar and 50% distilled water. It did get some stuff out. BUT, do not leave it overnight if you're not running the pump, the white residual formed is an even bigger headache.

I flushed it with the 50/50 mixture for an hour and then replaced it with straight distilled water for a second flush. I'd never leave that in the system that long.

My father had one of the first residential central air system back in the 50s - water tower and all. Every year he ran a vinegar and water solution through the "loop" to clean it out. Some methods have been around for a long time. :)

L

Actually I left it for 3 nights, because I totally forgot about it! :cry:

I am not against the method, I am for it in fact. Just don't do it like me.......

Spot,

Wow the flushing agents were left in for 3 nights!

Usually 20 mins would do the job just fine.

I guess something else became more important at the time. I know those things do happen. ;)

Stev