Coppers Antimicrobial properties

[Joe]

I was watching TV last night and there was a Modern Marvels on about Copper. And they mentioned something I didnt know... that Copper has some serious antimicrobial properties,and on its own can help clean water that travels through it by killing off microbes that try to grow on it.

Learn something new every day!

[unreal]

Thats quite cool actually - so in some ways a copper cpu block will be lower maintenance than my G5... (then again the G5 needs declogging etc usually anyway). Thanks for the insight though

[jaydee]

Wonder if that was ever a factor in using copper pipe for tap water plumbing.

http://www.copper.org/health/papers/...s_disease.html

[Marci]

Most antibiocides etc that I know of feature copper sulphate as one of their main ingredients....

[DVL73]

Does it mean that if you have all-cooper blocks, you can safely run your system with just deionised/distilled water and without any additives (and benefit additionally from better water temp/flow) ?

[AngryAlpaca]

I think this means that someone ought to try.

[BGP Spook]

Originally Posted by DVL73

Does it mean that if you have all-cooper blocks, you can safely run your system with just deionised/distilled water and without any additives (and benefit additionally from better water temp/flow) ?

That is what I have been doing for a year.

[DVL73]

Originally Posted by BGP Spook

That is what I have been doing for a year.

... if we exclude the algae, organic growth and coolant "bling", but what about radiator (corrossion!?), lubricating properties for improved pump life, improved heat transfer, bla bla bla as we've seen as the strong "marketing" points of water replacements and additives ?

Apart from everything else, pure dist water is easily available and cheap! and that was always a great bonus for me.

[phide]

Originally Posted by unreal

Thats quite cool actually - so in some ways a copper cpu block will be lower maintenance than my G5...

I believe silver's antimicrobial properties are a league above copper's, though I could certainly be wrong. There are probably hundreds of products that use some sort of "silver ion" coating and are basically immune to microbial buildup.

I think any loop using only copper and other anodically (is that a word?) similar metals will be pretty much free of algae and other growths assuming that direct sunlight is avoided at all costs.

I've been doing this for a good while with the G5, and it's really no problem at all. Hell, it's even been months since I've done a complete flushing, and I haven't seen any evidence of organic nasties.

[AngryAlpaca]

There are in fact Ag+... socks.

[BGP Spook]

Originally Posted by AngryAlpaca

There are in fact Ag+... socks.

For those serious about fighting foot odor.

[Moto7451]

Originally Posted by DVL73

... if we exclude the algae, organic growth and coolant "bling", but what about radiator (corrossion!?), lubricating properties for improved pump life, improved heat transfer, bla bla bla as we've seen as the strong "marketing" points of water replacements and additives ?

Apart from everything else, pure dist water is easily available and cheap! and that was always a great bonus for me.

You realize that the main ingredient in "water replacements" is water? Stop wasting your money on that crapola. Just get some distilled water and throw hydrex or a proper amount of antifreeze and you'll have the same thing but for less. Its unlikely that any of those coolants have any extra lubrication properties of extend the life of the pump by any measurable amount. Radiator corrosion isn't as huge of a deal as an Aluminum/Copper mixed metal system from what I've seen.

[pH(x)]

Originally Posted by phide

I believe silver's antimicrobial properties are a league above copper's, though I could certainly be wrong. There are probably hundreds of products that use some sort of "silver ion" coating and are basically immune to microbial buildup.

I think any loop using only copper and other anodically (is that a word?) similar metals will be pretty much free of algae and other growths assuming that direct sunlight is avoided at all costs.

I've been doing this for a good while with the G5, and it's really no problem at all. Hell, it's even been months since I've done a complete flushing, and I haven't seen any evidence of organic nasties.

Lovely point, phide.

Silver is higher in anti-microbial properties, though it is important to mention; Silver is the only metal more electrically conductive than copper!

[Senater_Cache]

im still waiting on the announcement of someone plating T fittings or threaded barbs internally with some anti-bacterial silver....:-)

[redleader]

I've been all copper + plain distilled water since late 2002 when I stopped using rubbing alcohol. Works great!

Though after 4 years of being sealed air tight, the system has a fair amount of greenish-yellow copper oxide coating everything. One of these days I guess I should drain and flush it.

[AngryAlpaca]

im still waiting on the announcement of someone plating T fittings or threaded barbs internally with some anti-bacterial silver....:-)

Er... The point of this thread is that we've got antimicrobial barbs, waterblocks, and radiators already.

[pH(x)]

Originally Posted by AngryAlpaca

Er... The point of this thread is that we've got antimicrobial barbs, waterblocks, and radiators already.

But given that, I don't think a high-flow tubing circuit is the optimal place for any bacteria to be growing in the first place

That being said, it wouldn't hurt if you had extra protection