Smell of Water-wetter

Nomad2000 · 07-09-2002, 07:37 AM

I work with my PC 8-10 hours daily in my bedroom. So I am afraid to use Water-wetter because of its bad smell. Do I really need it? What for do we use it? What will happen if I use pure distilled water?
Thank everybody

airspirit · 07-09-2002, 08:25 AM

It allows the water to run more slippery (higher GPH) and transfer more heat (always good) as well as preventing algae and corrosion. Unless you want to crack your rig open constantly, you need it or something like it in there to keep things running good.

gmat · 07-09-2002, 08:29 AM

I does smell awful indeed.
Do you have silicon hose ? If yes you'll smell it. If not you won't. (besides - dont leave your airtrap open...)
When testing make sure you're doing it outside your room (in case of a leak...).
You need it to:
- break water surface tension (good for heat transfer)
- prevent corrosion
- kill every life form that would develop otherwise

Water is *never* pure especially after you've handled it and filled your setup (which aint built in clean room environment - microelectronics standard - is it ?)

Nomad2000 · 07-09-2002, 09:24 AM

Maybe there is another component - alcohol, fot example?

gmat · 07-09-2002, 10:34 AM

Pure ethanol mixed at 30% with distilled water is reported to be the optimal coolant for our PCs. Some ppl say it's windshield wiper fluid, though the one i can get has anti-mosquito and soap in addition...
If you're lucky (ie no additive) get it, if you can get pure ethanol get it, otherwise stick to WW.

bigben2k · 07-09-2002, 10:36 AM

You mean Methanol, right?

Nomad2000 · 07-09-2002, 10:53 AM

Russian smirnoff vodka is 37% ethanol. Does it mean that I can use it? True, there is not pure distillated water there.

Nomad2000 · 07-09-2002, 10:58 AM

Really - ethanol or methanol? It is not the same.

bigben2k · 07-09-2002, 11:10 AM

Methanol.

http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...&threadid=2862

airspirit · 07-09-2002, 11:22 AM

You can get 100% denatured alcohol at any college campus chemical supply store. It's like 98% ethanol and 2% methanol (methanol will kill you whereas ethanol is what is in your Budweiser ... they do this to stop students from mixing it with mountain dew and fruit punch). I'd recommend using ethanol if you go with alcohol as it is less likely to KILL you. Heh. You normally can only buy it in 5 gal. bottles, though, which means you'll have a huge supply on hand. The good part is that it normally only costs about $20 per 5 gal. bottle.

edit: I'm not going off of freezing points or any other data to come to that conclusion. I'm going off of sheer toxicity. Methanol can wreak havoc on your liver and can be absorbed transdermally.

MeltMan · 07-09-2002, 12:01 PM

Methanol is the coolant to use for your system. Just dont drink it. Ethanol would probably not do much but get the bacteria drunk. Methanol will kill it as its a nerve toxin.

the creature · 07-09-2002, 12:26 PM

I got WW in my system and the first days the water was a little pink (?), now 1-2 months the water is more brown, is it normal or is the system, eeee corroding?

bigben2k · 07-09-2002, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by the creature
I got WW in my system and the first days the water was a little pink (?), now 1-2 months the water is more brown, is it normal or is the system, eeee corroding?

pink to brown means more green, so yes, that's probably corrosion. What's your rig made up of?

redleader · 07-09-2002, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Methanol is the coolant to use for your system. Just dont drink it. Ethanol would probably not do much but get the bacteria drunk. Methanol will kill it as its a nerve toxin.

Methanol will still get you drunk . . .

Just that is metabolizes into formaldhyde

Ethanol should work t0o. Both are quite lethal to microbs, though you'll need more ethanol then methanol to get the job done.

airspirit · 07-09-2002, 01:25 PM

I dunno, I decided to go with HyperLube. The stuff smells like the deepest pits of hell, but it's a very light neon green (lighter than antifreeze, if that's possible). I chose that so that I could quickly see anything that started to build in my system like algae or corrosion. Absolutely nothing natural can mimic that color.

SonixOS · 07-09-2002, 02:12 PM

tastes bad too.

airspirit · 07-09-2002, 02:35 PM

I sincerely hope you didn't taste that stuff ... I can't imagine, given the reek, what that stuff would taste like. *Shudders*

I have a herd of weasels that try to get into any and every chemical that they can (I don't know what their fascination with poison is) and not even they would go near this stuff it stunk so bad.

the creature · 07-10-2002, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigben2k

pink to brown means more green, so yes, that's probably corrosion. What's your rig made up of?

I have fillt the system with destilled water mixed with WW.

I have copper blocks, my rad is brass and I got T's that is made of brass, but they have a silver-coating to prevent them from corroding, but I don't remember what the name for it is.

I'm going dig a little more to find out what the coating is.

bigben2k · 07-10-2002, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by the creature

I have fillt the system with destilled water mixed with WW.

I have copper blocks, my rad is brass and I got T's that is made of brass, but they have a silver-coating to prevent them from corroding, but I don't remember what the name for it is.

I'm going dig a little more to find out what the coating is.

Silver coating??? That's your problem right there! The silver is as far off from copper, as aluminium is, but in this case, it'll make the copper corrode!!!

Your T's are probably coated with some kind of stainless alloy, still bad.

See here:
http://www.pemnet.com/design_information/galvanic.html

You should replace those T's with PVC ones.

MeltMan · 07-10-2002, 11:56 AM

Its probably zinc to stop corrosion. Brass is a zinc/copper alloy anyways, so no harm done.

bigben2k · 07-10-2002, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MeltMan
Its probably zinc to stop corrosion. Brass is a zinc/copper alloy anyways, so no harm done.

Except that zinc is even worse than aluminium. Brass would have been much better.

the creature · 07-12-2002, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MeltMan
Its probably zinc to stop corrosion. Brass is a zinc/copper alloy anyways, so no harm done.

Yes, I belive that it is the name for it.

I did ask some in the store, but he who could somting is on his hoolydays. But I belive the objekt (not possible to make a direct conversion from norsk - english) that stops for the water on the ventils is made of stainlees steel.

By the way, are there any diffrense in the cooling capebiletys between one that have corroded and on that hasen't?

gmat · 07-12-2002, 10:53 AM

creature: metal oxydes do *not* conduct heat nearly as well as their non-oxyde counterparts.

the creature · 07-13-2002, 05:08 AM

I drained the system yesterday, and I tok a picture
(sorry for the large size)

As you see, the hose is a little brown...

I belive the hose has taken up some of the chemicals from the WW. The hose would eventualy become stiff and would have started leaking if I had bendt it much (atleast thats what the sales-man said)

The watter was a just little green, not much diffrence from normal watter, so I think the WW have done it's job.

By tha way, I was forced to blow the watter out of the system, shoulden't it have come out by it's own when I opned the ventils after placing one hose over and one under the system? (Having the two T-s)

nemaste · 07-13-2002, 08:46 AM

gmat, i have silicone tubing & WW. i was suspicious of an old pinhole leak, but i'm curious as to why silicone has issues with WW?

some guys i used to fly remote controlled airplanes with mixed their own fuel, which included 100% pure methanol in the ingredients. i know most hobby shops don't carry the stuff, but some do & most could tell you where to find it. if you have a friend into drag-racing, he'll also probably know where to buy pure methanol.

creature, i'm not 100% sure if your zinc coating won't react with the copper eventually. IMHO, i'd ditch the alloy T's & go with polymeric T's. ferric-oxide is green (copper corrosion & WW = brown?:\), so it could be water block corrosion. i'd probably flush the system with DI & replace it with fresh WW solution (or methanol), just like doing regular maintinance on an automobile's cooling system.

i prefer silicone tubing because WW contains chemicals & i'm not a chemist by any means. i know tubing silicone is fairly inert, since i use it on my model airplane fuel systems for 18years (with methanol & nitro-methane, & other very active chemicals at very high temperatures). caveat: from my experience, silicone tubing expands a lot if it is exposed to methanol.

07-09-2002, 07:37 AM	#1
Nomad2000 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 56	Smell of Water-wetter I work with my PC 8-10 hours daily in my bedroom. So I am afraid to use Water-wetter because of its bad smell. Do I really need it? What for do we use it? What will happen if I use pure distilled water? Thank everybody

07-09-2002, 10:36 AM	#6
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	You mean Methanol, right? __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

07-09-2002, 11:10 AM	#9
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	Methanol. http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...&threadid=2862 __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

07-09-2002, 11:22 AM	#10
airspirit Been /.'d... have you? Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Moscow, ID Posts: 1,986	You can get 100% denatured alcohol at any college campus chemical supply store. It's like 98% ethanol and 2% methanol (methanol will kill you whereas ethanol is what is in your Budweiser ... they do this to stop students from mixing it with mountain dew and fruit punch). I'd recommend using ethanol if you go with alcohol as it is less likely to KILL you. Heh. You normally can only buy it in 5 gal. bottles, though, which means you'll have a huge supply on hand. The good part is that it normally only costs about $20 per 5 gal. bottle. edit: I'm not going off of freezing points or any other data to come to that conclusion. I'm going off of sheer toxicity. Methanol can wreak havoc on your liver and can be absorbed transdermally. Last edited by airspirit; 07-09-2002 at 11:25 AM.

07-09-2002, 12:01 PM	#11
MeltMan Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: KS Posts: 374	Methanol is the coolant to use for your system. Just dont drink it. Ethanol would probably not do much but get the bacteria drunk. Methanol will kill it as its a nerve toxin. __________________ MeltMan Lurker Supreme!

07-09-2002, 08:25 AM	#2
airspirit Been /.'d... have you? Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Moscow, ID Posts: 1,986	It allows the water to run more slippery (higher GPH) and transfer more heat (always good) as well as preventing algae and corrosion. Unless you want to crack your rig open constantly, you need it or something like it in there to keep things running good.

07-09-2002, 08:29 AM	#3
gmat Thermophile Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: France Posts: 1,221	I does smell awful indeed. Do you have silicon hose ? If yes you'll smell it. If not you won't. (besides - dont leave your airtrap open...) When testing make sure you're doing it outside your room (in case of a leak...). You need it to: - break water surface tension (good for heat transfer) - prevent corrosion - kill every life form that would develop otherwise Water is never pure especially after you've handled it and filled your setup (which aint built in clean room environment - microelectronics standard - is it ?)

07-09-2002, 09:24 AM	#4
Nomad2000 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 56	Maybe there is another component - alcohol, fot example?

07-09-2002, 10:34 AM	#5
gmat Thermophile Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: France Posts: 1,221	Pure ethanol mixed at 30% with distilled water is reported to be the optimal coolant for our PCs. Some ppl say it's windshield wiper fluid, though the one i can get has anti-mosquito and soap in addition... If you're lucky (ie no additive) get it, if you can get pure ethanol get it, otherwise stick to WW.

07-09-2002, 10:53 AM	#7
Nomad2000 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 56	Russian smirnoff vodka is 37% ethanol. Does it mean that I can use it? True, there is not pure distillated water there.

07-09-2002, 10:58 AM	#8
Nomad2000 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 56	Really - ethanol or methanol? It is not the same.

07-09-2002, 12:26 PM	#12
the creature Cooling Savant Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Norway Posts: 108	I got WW in my system and the first days the water was a little pink (?), now 1-2 months the water is more brown, is it normal or is the system, eeee corroding?

07-09-2002, 01:25 PM	#15
airspirit Been /.'d... have you? Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Moscow, ID Posts: 1,986	I dunno, I decided to go with HyperLube. The stuff smells like the deepest pits of hell, but it's a very light neon green (lighter than antifreeze, if that's possible). I chose that so that I could quickly see anything that started to build in my system like algae or corrosion. Absolutely nothing natural can mimic that color.

07-09-2002, 02:12 PM	#16
SonixOS Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 282	tastes bad too. __________________ -sonix- ======================= Antec SX830 Abit KR7A-133 MSI Geforce3 Ti200 VT128 TV-IN and TV-OUT Sound Blaster Audigy Linksys LNE100 V2.0 Toshiba DVD Drive 40x/16x IBM Deskstar 60GXP 60gig Watercooled http://www.sonixnet.tk =======================

07-09-2002, 02:35 PM	#17
airspirit Been /.'d... have you? Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Moscow, ID Posts: 1,986	I sincerely hope you didn't taste that stuff ... I can't imagine, given the reek, what that stuff would taste like. Shudders I have a herd of weasels that try to get into any and every chemical that they can (I don't know what their fascination with poison is) and not even they would go near this stuff it stunk so bad.

07-10-2002, 11:56 AM	#20
MeltMan Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: KS Posts: 374	Its probably zinc to stop corrosion. Brass is a zinc/copper alloy anyways, so no harm done. __________________ MeltMan Lurker Supreme!

07-12-2002, 10:53 AM	#23
gmat Thermophile Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: France Posts: 1,221	creature: metal oxydes do not conduct heat nearly as well as their non-oxyde counterparts.

07-13-2002, 05:08 AM	#24
the creature Cooling Savant Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Norway Posts: 108	I drained the system yesterday, and I tok a picture (sorry for the large size) As you see, the hose is a little brown... I belive the hose has taken up some of the chemicals from the WW. The hose would eventualy become stiff and would have started leaking if I had bendt it much (atleast thats what the sales-man said) The watter was a just little green, not much diffrence from normal watter, so I think the WW have done it's job. By tha way, I was forced to blow the watter out of the system, shoulden't it have come out by it's own when I opned the ventils after placing one hose over and one under the system? (Having the two T-s) Last edited by the creature; 07-13-2002 at 05:11 AM.

07-13-2002, 08:46 AM	#25
nemaste Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: CA Posts: 78	gmat, i have silicone tubing & WW. i was suspicious of an old pinhole leak, but i'm curious as to why silicone has issues with WW? some guys i used to fly remote controlled airplanes with mixed their own fuel, which included 100% pure methanol in the ingredients. i know most hobby shops don't carry the stuff, but some do & most could tell you where to find it. if you have a friend into drag-racing, he'll also probably know where to buy pure methanol. creature, i'm not 100% sure if your zinc coating won't react with the copper eventually. IMHO, i'd ditch the alloy T's & go with polymeric T's. ferric-oxide is green (copper corrosion & WW = brown?:\), so it could be water block corrosion. i'd probably flush the system with DI & replace it with fresh WW solution (or methanol), just like doing regular maintinance on an automobile's cooling system. i prefer silicone tubing because WW contains chemicals & i'm not a chemist by any means. i know tubing silicone is fairly inert, since i use it on my model airplane fuel systems for 18years (with methanol & nitro-methane, & other very active chemicals at very high temperatures). caveat: from my experience, silicone tubing expands a lot if it is exposed to methanol. __________________ StrongShockModz

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