Great video. Ive used mayhems twice over about a 10 year period. First time it stripped all the plating off every single fitting in my loop and i had some staining in my blocks, the stripped fittings were black like the inside of your block. Second time(years later) i had it strip the nickel from one of my blocks. All EK parts. Now i just use distilled water, change it every 4 months, zero issues with corrosion or algae. Love the way you did the plumbing on that loop looks fantastic im sure it took some time.

EK in two of their vids recommended against using distilled water in the loop as they say it damages the nickel plating in the blocks via ion exchange. Might be what speeded up your plating damage.

EK also sells their own biocide / corrosion inhibitor combo. I have 2 machines that run EK's clear CryoFuel and one running 1l Thermaltek and 1l Cloud White Cryofuel. All computers have been running for almost a year now. I only managed to get a bit of corrosion in one of the EKWB active backplates while I was running a test loop using distilled water. Once I saw the corrosion build up behind the acryl and started to see copper under the nickel surface, I realized what the problem was. The lesson was learned. Never use distilled water without a good mixture of EK's biocide/corrosion inhibitor.

Ran into this same issue on my 3090 FE Bitspower block with liquid utopia. Everything else was clean, but I had gunk on the block. Thanks for doing this video.

Love this video, I not too many KZfaqrs talk about these things, frustrates me. I want the massive gains from a custom loop system but also want to make it as maintenance friendly as possible, I was thinking of doing water and inhibitors but now you got me thinking of clear premade solutions

Instead of Copper Sulfate I would recommend the Benzalkonium Chloride from pT-Nuke. Else you can just grab the EK CryoFuel CONCENTRATE. Don´t like any premix. Better mix with your own distilled water. Can also recommend to measure the PPM on your distilled water bottles before filling the system. Hopefully you use 1-2 PPM distilled water, if is lower than 1 PPM, that would be far better. Regards

I don't have good experience with the Ek premix fluid. After 9 month of using the transparent liquid without any color in a completely clean system, it ruined the whole loop and all blocks with a weird residue. Ek claimed that the liquid decayed. I disassembled the whole system and had to replace all hard tubes etc. Now I go with the Aquacomputer ultra liquid. Not a huge fan of Ek anymore not just because of this issue but the customer support and part quality is not the best

damn! You just changed my entire build plan!

The only coolant I've never had issues with over the past decade of custom watercooling is Koolance 702. I've tried Mayhems, EK Cryofuel, and Corsair and they have all either gunked up a bit or started yellowing over time. Koolance is the only fluid I've used that stayed clear and allowed me to neglect the loop for several years. Avoid distilled water and just use a quality premix.. and by that I hard recommend Koolance 702. You can literally neglect the loop for 2-3 years before having to do any maintenance.

I think it wise to volume pull all of the air out during the pressure testing phase, to aid in reduction in this.

Sheesh, and here I was fretting about my loop, having cleaned it just now for the first time since building about 2-3 years ago. EK Acrylic top nickel-plated copper blocks, neoprene (ZMT) tubing, Barrow nickel fittings, 2x HWLabs SR2 (brass insides?), and Mayhems Hades Biocide + Inhibitor. I had blasted way too much of both into my distilled water and my blocks have only a little blue staining/precipitate/corrosion, acrylic reservoir has a translucent film but the radiators are a bit worrisome. Tons of blue metal and either precipitate or debris have settled in there. For most of that time my conductivity was in the very non-conductive range. Now that I've filled it again with what is supposed to be the correct mix, my water is conductive as heck, only half as conductive as tap water? Now I don't really know what to do

I have the same Threadripper Velocity block, but its the plexi version. I'm using distilled water as well. Mine is totally fine because i never use crap like biocide. All you need is a tiny bit of silver in the reservoir. Some people say silver will have a reaction with the nickel but it wont. That will only happen if it physically touches the nickel. My block looks almost flawless after running nearly 24/7 for years.

5 watercooled pcs running here with various blocks, most are Bykski/Barrow but I have some EKWB/Watercool and Aquacomputer too. All exhibit the same corrosion as this video when using biocide distilled water (The Bykski block was actually the worst but they were all pretty bad after a year) I actually had minimal corrosion without the biocide and just using plain distilled water. I switched the Mayhems X1 Clear in one of my loops as a test and with full EKWB components it's now the cleanest loop without any corrosion. I also tried EKWB Cryofuel clear and that was horrific, it foamed everywhere and left watermarks on all the acrylic clear components. I have now fully switched all loops to the Mayhems X1 but I hear the Aquacomputer Ultra liquid is also good too.

Iv been watercooling my PC for 4+ years using EK Cryofuel "Red" premix solution. Iv taken computer apart twice so far. They did not look anythign near as bad as yours.. tiny bit buildup. However the red liguid did smell horrible.. so i trowed away whatever i could drain out. putting back around 20% back and added some distilled water and filled up with the red solution i had leftover from that bottle(4+ year old).. Iv heard other had bad luck with their product, so it hard to tell if EK solution actually is good.. for me, it worked out good and def. will be using again (I am under processing building new build, this time with EK "blue" premix).

I developed this same issue using the same mayhem biocide years ago. However, on my next build I also developed this same issue when using Mayhem UV Blue without the biocide although it took much longer to develop.

No pastel coolants and no distilled water. I've only used transparent coolant and never had any issues in over 10 years.

Man, I was using all EK stuff, my loop is about 6 years old with acrylic cpu block. My first change of fluid was about 2,5 years from first fill and only thing was a very little red dying of the nickel from ek cryofuel and a bit of gunk (the fluid was more purple than red at this point) which I cleaned, filled and everything looks and works flawlessly to this day. So I can recommemd ek's ready mixture freely

For the past 5 years, I have only ever used R.O. or distilled water with Water Wetter and a 5g silver bar bent into a Z shape and dropped into my reservoir to act as the biocide. For the first 3 years I even had a copper 360 and an aluminum 240 in the system and never did I have a problem with neither my GPU block or my CPU block, and I run my PC 24/7 crunching numbers. I swapped out the aluminum rad for a thicker copper one, but the blocks have always been clean as a whistle. I only replace the water solution once a year.

this lvl of corossion after only 3 years is crazy tbh. I'm using one cpu block (heatkiller IV to be precise) for ca. 6 years a this point and it looks as good as new apart from some minor plating darkening. And this is considering i'm too lazy sometimes to change the coolant and the entire loop is untouched for 2+ years. Alghough i'm using aquacomputer clear coolant instead biocide+water combo. This might be the reason

You may use benzalkonium chloride, it is found in many antiseptics and waterpool cleaning products, also it costs almost nothing

I've used regular ethylene glycole and industrial water (deionized and dimineralized battery water) for my watercooled builds the last 15 years and never had any corrosion or other problems. Regular engine coolant in other words and it's fairly cheap and has all the necessary anti corrosion and biocide properties that is needed. Nickel is fine to.

I've had bad luck with EK blocks in particular. Several times on new builds I've used an EK CPU block and other brands for the GPU like Heatkiller, Alphacool, Corsair, Bykski etc. The EK block is the only component in my loop that develops this corrosion in multiple different builds. Take it as you will but I know what I will be doing with my builds from now on.

So i was planning on adding the AquaComputer Filter to my loop, i think that could really help prevent alot of this gunk buildup. Does anyone else here have an Filter in their waterloop ? if not any reason you not choose for an Filter? or were u unaware filters existed ?

If I recall correctly mayhems also sells inhibitor … you need to use both and not only the biocide and it should be just fine

i would have clean it for sure and not throwing it if the motor was okay.you can use chemicals and let it inside the chemicals for a while then brush it and keep brushing it and break this corrosion finally in a way it would work fine.im doing it right now actually in my cooler,lots of angly things not like yours but close and i made it new,im so happy i did that.i had it for three and half years,its very similar to yours inside,but ok if you have the money to buy a new one then its fully understandable...but you can make it work if you search for cleaning products for copper and much job...nice video!

I've been using Corsair XL8 and my 3090 FE block looks the same as yours did before you cleaned it.

I run ek premix on ek and alphacool blocks and my nickel still eroded away over the years. Also some corosion on my block. It did not hinder performance though.

Aquacomputer Double Protect Ultra - great clear one

i have a full ek loop, and i never used distilled water on my waterblock. I used distilled water to flush out my rads and pump when they were new, but only used the ek coolant in my loop. zero corrosion after half a year

Stan I am doing first loop on a 4090 and intel. What would you recommend. Ekwb fuel is good?

I have used Koolance 702 Clear Coolant for years now, and have never had any kind of a problem. My blocks look brand new last time I checked them. Will check again very soon, since I will do a rebuild of my VoodooPC Omen. Yes, I do actually have one of those.

I use just distilled water - and it works fine, but over time I've had twice the issue of nickel / paint being stripped from parts - I've had black and blue elements of reservoir being stripped to bare copper, and I've had plugs on the EK water block show either signs of corrosion or stripping of nickel.. what about using distilled water and a silver coil? Would that help with the corrosion?

I use distilled water with tygon tubing. Maybe a dash of vinegar. Same issue. Maybe we should just stop using water on ek blocks.

Informative video. I certainly understand why buying the volume of pre-mix coolant is cost inhibitive given the amount of coolant you need in your system, but then why at least not buy a concentrate that contains both biocides and corrosion inhibitors? It reduces costs and you will be able to get more coolant with the concentrate. Because ultimately, the costs of replacing those components is going to run you a pretty penny. Or is it merely a decision that if you get 3 years out of the system with little to no maintenance, it's worth ditching the components since you'll be upgrading anyway? I'm sure you're familiar with Singularity Computers. He specializes in designing and building water cooled systems, and now even designs and sells his own components. According to him, using a pre-mix (he only uses Mayhems), his systems last for "years" (he specifically mentioned a system that lasted 8 years) without significant corrosion. You obviously experimented with a number of different types of tubing and cooling techniques, and have spent quite a bit of money on the loop itself, it seems to make sense to spend maybe $80 - $100 on concentrate or a pre-mix to preserve the components for as long as possible, especially if you want low maintenance. If not just for an experiment since if the corrosion does occur again, then you know that the pre-mix or concentrates, aren't worth the money. I would be curious to see the difference.

I´ve been runnig EK own premixed fluid cloud white and I´ve had no issue on the waterblock thats nickel.

Wow. I've always used Koolance fluid in my loops and never had a issue with corrosion or any other problems. Koolance recommends changing their fluids every 2 years. Its a lottle more expensive than just water, but i think in the long run its better.

If you use coolant or mix metals, only go with Innovatek Protect. That's the best coolant ever, you can even use mixed copper + aluminum with it. I ran a big ass aluminum reservoir + copper rad + nickel block 24/7 for over 5yrs on that stuff, it still looked brand new when I upgraded my system. Check it with litmus paper after 6mo, flush it after a year. Easy, your stuff will stay looking new.

did you mean that biocide will cause corrosion? I did use cryofuel clear and there was a lot of residule in bettwen the cold plate and acrylic which made it look really bad. I know in the long run it might protect from corrisions but it just looked so bad all the time even started from day one ( that build up)so I don't see the point using that type of liquid I then switched to distilled water but I'm not sure if I should add biocide or just run pure distilled water , im okay with cleaning out bios just don't want corrsion im my loop which isn't really fixable.

I have the same problem with my Liquid Devi RX 6800 XT block, I use they own liquid coolant EKWB EK-CryoFuel Premix PC Coolant, 1000mL, Acid Green, so is ek poor nickel plating too thin, poor quality from EK.

Have a system that's been running for 13 years on thermeltake fluid everything looks brand new inside. Forget the water bio stuff use premade coolant and the problems will go away.

One Linus once told me to just use distilled water.. looks pristine after a year.

Edit: Google - "Nickel plating is easily damaged by acid" I remember reading that biocide should be used together with inhibitor because one is acid, other is base and together they dont mess up the ph. Also heard that nickel (or copper?) is very sensitive to vinegar and causes something like this. Have had a nickel plated GPU block with plexi for 4 months now and atm no signs of corrosion or any discoloration. Dont take my words for granted, because Im yet to take my loop apart for the first time after a long period of usage. The CPU block and fittings are not visible before that and they have been in use for more than a year now. Using both, biocide and inhibitor. But idk which one I used first few months before adding another... >.

I'm having discoloration with my 3090 FE EK block just like yours. I'm using Corsair XL5 clear coolant. I'm using soft tubing and a copper corsair radiator with bitspower brass fittings. I'm also seeing my corsair 10/13 soft tubes discolor after only a week. my reservoir coolant is crystal clear, though. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for the video!

I wonder what a dry ice blast would do that block.

Now I know why they use coloring for the water loop. To hide the corrosion? 😀

80$ vs 400$ in waterblocks... "out of site, out of mind"? bro wtf? a great concentrate will run you no more than 20$. what am i missing here?

you can easily run pure demineralised destilled water in your loop without any chemicals as long as you dont use nickel heatsinks on aluminium radiators

I am using clear EK premix ( so without color ) and my nickel plated waterblocks are clean and there is no corrosion after 3 years and without changing the water.... so i think your biocide, water combo is not so good. I have see some clean and water change videos with clear premixes and never seen this kind of corrosion ( my cpu block is ek and gpu is aquacomputer )

Been running nothing but distilled water and silver kill coils in my rig for over 12 years. In all that time I changed the water twice. Other than some very minor algae growth in the reservoir and clear tubing the system works like a champ. Haven't disassembles the MB or CPU water blocks so I can't comment on corrosion, but the systems been running crystal clear all these years. I've done some reading on additives and my conclusion is adding more chemicals to the mix only complicates the chemical/corrosion issue. I stay away from any additives, just the kill coils and distilled water. Keep in mind exposure to light (especially sunlight) promotes algae growth.

Crazy, I have my setup for 5 years, took it apart and 0 issues, everything looks brand new, idk what happens with other ppl but my blocks looks new ( 2 2080 ti gpu and 1 intel cheap block), and I was using mayhems pastel

can i just use distilled water with no biocide

what about including a filtration systom in the loop?

Try CLR it won't bring the nickel back but it will get the crud out.

I've always used EK pre-mixed fluid and I don't have any of these issues. So which is cheaper? If I'm spending $10K on a build, I don't think a couple bottles of fluid are going to break the bank. I kind of put this in the category of poor maintenance.

Hate to see mine, 5 years without changing fluid and got mold on the inside of the soft tubing. 😳😬

Why would anybody use anything from Mayhems ... after we've been seing for years, what their colors do to blocks.

Distilled water is useless for water-cooling as you need to add anticorrosion + anti alGae. This is why I use reversed osmosis water. And this way when I flush my loop I don't worry about flushing it into the toilet or somewhere else contrary to the one with biocides etc. I do water-cooling since 2001 (with a car heater and aquarium pump as only few CPU block where available with 6mm ID tubing where available)

why u dont use glycerine (like the one in coolant for car) and distilled water? never had a problem with that corrosion in past. there is a special ratio you can find on the internet how to mix it up. glycerine acts like biocide, anti algae and give the pump the needed lubrication to run smooth.

Do not use water based coolant. Use Evans coolant Also do not use dissimilar metals

can t see the point of using anything other than copper inside the circuit,i think the use of diferent metals soon or later leads to corossion.happened to me with an aluminium tank dut i noticde early and removed it.

Koolance 702 coolant lasts a real long time 2 1/2 ,yrs it was still the original blue color with no corrosion or clogs I changed it out anyways but you get your money worth

Its not corrosion.. the nickle is getting strips due to the copper sulfate in the blue colored biocide. The color is blue because of copper sulfate w/o it then its clear/transparent a biocide without copper sulfate wont strip the nickle. The good thing is the copper sulfate in not as harsh as silver kill coil that will definitely strip the nickle forcefully and obviously until bare copper is strip off on an area. While copper sulfate will only slowly strip everything evenly which result in color orange/brownish color and looks copper by viewing on side but still silver color at the front. Again this will not affect the cooling performance. But needs disassembling when most of the strip nickle gets on the waterblock fins to clean it out and remove it

Lol 😂 I love watching all the fails in liquid cooling it further supports my theories over the years and the fact I’m the only one on the planet who makes true coolants!

Just use demineralized water without biocide. doing fine here after one year.

Just like a car needs cooling maintenance

The worst thing to do is to take the block off the loop and not clean and properly dry it

Lol, your nickle water block is going to start looking like the Titanic (post sinking*)

It is like a car. When you have money to build a whole water system, you should be able to replace new water blocks after 2~3 years of usage.

I used distilled water and a biocide. my blocks still look brand new only difference I dont use overpriced ek blocks. dont believe me try it yourself Heatkiller blocks was what i used.

You shouldn't run distilled water without some kind of corrosion inhibitor. Distilled water has no ph buffering ability as all minerals have been removed and the water can change ph very easily and become acidic. This combined with dissimilar metals in the system is a bad idea.

Why do people add stuff to distilled water 🤦. It’s not distilled water if you add stuff to it. I only used distilled and I have zeros issues. You essentially have “sand” constantly scrubbing away your plating. I repeat adding anything to distilled makes it not distilled water.

It’s not a chunk of nickel it’s nickel plated copper

it requires some skills to bend those pipes

This has nothing to do with the liquid you are using. Both systems you displayed that have the same issue are using stainless steel with copper/nickle parts. Mixing metals will accelerate galvanic corrosion process. Either switch to copper tubing or use other acrylic or PMMA/PETG and that corrosion problem will go away

I just dismantled my custom loop with ekwb parts and fluids. cryofuel to be exact. 3 years without maintanence... zero corrosion.... lol youre doing it wrong people. Edit. Also wear rubber/latex gloves cover hair and use mask. fill loop in cleaned room without dust hanging around, rinse all the parts before you put them into the loop. THE more careful youre you can get 5years + lifetime from Custom loop without maintanence Easily and if loop is airtight.

what the hell man, I have the same cpu block, but with plexiglass.. 2 years or more, and I had some pieces of corrosion that came from a rad that I didn't flush before first use, and then took it a part and brushed away the loose pieces, other then that, it looks completely new, been using only ek-cryofuel clear the whole time. you are doing something completely wrong mate, sry. tubes are ZMT (black rubber) Thanks for the video, of showing how not to watercool :D

You problem is EK sub par nickel plating. You guys blindly trust too much on EK quality. They are good, but they have their flaws that happens too often to my taste. I've used chinese GPU blocks from non watercooler boutique brands such as Bykski and Barrow, and never had this nickel plating corrosion issue, and all that I use is just distilled water with biological inhibitors.

The fact that none of these companies even know how to utilize their own products in coolant systems is beyond me

Lol 😂 you wanna see a 3.5 yr old ek waterblock same one except acrylic top it’s literally spotless and I’ve change my coolant 2 times in almost four years

99% no focus on the things you are showing, except lovely face :)

You can’t use copper sulphate on nickel plating lol

LOL, don't do this. its Ugly. but ima do it anyways

I mean, you basically have a grasp on what is going on here... So anytime you have 2 different metals in a water loop, electromigration occurs and will cause minor issues. We elctroplate in the same way. 2 metals plus an electric field = electroplating, after all. Nickle, aluminum, silver, etc... usually bad for the loop since you will be using copper for the rads at the very least (and if not... then you should). This will cause electromigration. If you have a pure copper loop? This won't happen Honestly, cost/performance you want to use copper for everything anyways. With more people adopting liquid metal thermal solution (Galum), people making water blocks and heatsinks started electroplating their copper with nickel... As nickel doesn't react with galium. As galium is a diffusion barrier. That said... If we merely just used pure copper parts, and didn't use liquid metal thermal solutions, we would get better temperatures anyways... Also... You can likely clean that water block up by just soaking it in vinegar/salt with a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide in it.