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Silver Kill coil void warranty?

7K views 92 replies 27 participants last post by  DaveLT 
#1 ·
Hi, will using a silver kill coil with a EK Supramacy plexi copper and EK-FC Titan SE plexi copper void the warranty?
 
#2 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by KukiKat View Post

Hi, will using a silver kill coil with a EK Supramacy plexi copper and EK-FC Titan SE plexi copper void the warranty?
Do you have the Nickle plated waterblocks?

Copper + silver = fine
Copper + nickle = fine
Nickle + silver = nickle corroding

If you have the pure copper waterblock with no nickle plating, I'm fairly certain it does not void the warranty. If, however, you use the nickle plated blocks, silver will corrode the nickle and in extent void the warranty.
 
#4 ·
I have ran silver with just copper blocks just fine for 8 months, just a few weeks ago, I put my silver back in along with my nickel blocks as a temporary measure will until i can put my mayhem's coolant back in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZytheEKS View Post

Do you have the Nickle plated waterblocks?

Nickle + silver = nickle corroding

If you have the pure copper waterblock with no nickle plating, I'm fairly certain it does not void the warranty. If, however, you use the nickle plated blocks, silver will corrode the nickle and in extent void the warranty.
Proof of this? I have read several conflicting things about nickel and silver and most of the time, it is ok to use. It is aluminum is the big no no with copper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KukiKat View Post

I am using only pure copper water blocks, is that what happened with the nickel flacking in the ek blocks a while back?
I was considering using bitspower fittings with my loop, but since their nickel plated i guess i'll find something else.
nope. What was causing EK's nickel to flake was their crap manufacturing process.
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by KukiKat View Post

I am using only pure copper water blocks, is that what happened with the nickel flacking in the ek blocks a while back?
I was considering using bitspower fittings with my loop, but since their nickel plated i guess i'll find something else.
I'd just avoid a kill coil personally. Mayhems Biocide Extreme would be my suggestion for an anti-microbial. Silver does not work if the liquid is at a standstill, so if you go on vacation and your loop is idle, algae will grow.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZytheEKS View Post

I'd just avoid a kill coil personally. Mayhems Biocide Extreme would be my suggestion for an anti-microbial. Silver does not work if the liquid is at a standstill, so if you go on vacation and your loop is idle, algae will grow.
Been using Kill Coil + Distilled Water since I started watercooling. Left my loop idle for 4 months and when I came home everything was still good. I just recently drained my loop that had been running a little over a year and saw nothing wrong with the water or parts.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent_kenshin View Post

I have ran silver with just copper blocks just fine for 8 months, just a few weeks ago, I put my silver back in along with my nickel blocks as a temporary measure will until i can put my mayhem's coolant back in.
Proof of this? I have read several conflicting things about nickel and silver and most of the time, it is ok to use. It is aluminum is the big no no with copper.
nope. What was causing EK's nickel to flake was their crap manufacturing process.
An SEP difference of about .50 will cause corrosion.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/electrode-potential-d_482.html

Science is my proof! Most manufactures of nickle plated waterblocks state that silver in your loop will void the warranty because of this.

You can read some horror stories about nickle + silver in loops online. Some people will claim it's fine to use but science dictates it's not. It may not be like the horror stories you read about, but science dictates it will increase the corrosion rate. I'd imagine deionized water (I.e. non conductive coolant) would slow this down, but every current liquid coolant for computer cooling will eventually become conductive.

Again:
copper + nickle = fine
copper + silver = fine
nickle + silver != fine
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZytheEKS View Post

An SEP difference of about .50 will cause corrosion.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/electrode-potential-d_482.html

Science is my proof! Most manufactures of nickle plated waterblocks state that silver in your loop will void the warranty because of this.

You can read some horror stories about nickle + silver in loops online. Some people will claim it's fine to use but science dictates it's not. It may not be like the horror stories you read about, but science dictates it will increase the corrosion rate. I'd imagine deionized water (I.e. non conductive coolant) would slow this down, but every current liquid coolant for computer cooling will eventually become conductive.

Again:
copper + nickle = fine
copper + silver = fine
nickle + silver != fine
Thanks for linking that. I have silver in my loop with just 1 nickel block which is only a temporary measure until i can get the issues with my pastel coolant figured out.

+1
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent_kenshin View Post

Thanks for linking that. I have silver in my loop with just 1 nickel block which is only a temporary measure until i can get the issues with my pastel coolant figured out.

+1
What issues are you having with pastel o_O
 
#14 ·
Even if it did void the warranty, which is likely not the case, you wouldn't have to tell them what you had in the loop. Biocide extreme is what I got since I couldn't find a kill coil around here for the life of me. Either should do the job just as well.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by KukiKat View Post

Would brass also be affected by this? or not since it is an alloy of copper and zinc.
If I recall correctly brass has an SEP difference of around .01, but may very depending on the alloy....... It takes an SEP difference of about .50 to make a difference, if I recall correctly.

You should be fine with brass. The vast majority of radiators use brass liquid chambers these days, so if it caused issues you would see it happen... well, thousands of times a day. Seeing as how you see radiators with brass tubes, and copper waterblocks, well everywhere, and NEVER see anything about them causing corrosion, you can be assured there is no problem.
biggrin.gif
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZytheEKS View Post

Do you have the Nickle plated waterblocks?

Copper + silver = fine
Copper + nickle = fine
Nickle + silver = nickle corroding
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZytheEKS View Post

An SEP difference of about .50 will cause corrosion.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/electrode-potential-d_482.html

Science is my proof! Most manufactures of nickle plated waterblocks state that silver in your loop will void the warranty because of this.

You can read some horror stories about nickle + silver in loops online. Some people will claim it's fine to use but science dictates it's not. It may not be like the horror stories you read about, but science dictates it will increase the corrosion rate. I'd imagine deionized water (I.e. non conductive coolant) would slow this down, but every current liquid coolant for computer cooling will eventually become conductive.

Again:
copper + nickle = fine
copper + silver = fine
nickle + silver != fine
so which one is it professor.
biggrin.gif


and by what that chart says copper and nickel; copper and silver are pushing the limits of .5 SEP

all metals will corrode, some slower than others, especially when electricity is around.
thumb.gif
 
#24 ·
OK people let me help explain how corrosion works and what happened with those EK blocks.

How does Corrison work?
Galvanic Corrosion occurs when 2 different metals and an electrolyte interact

What will corrode?
The metal that is lower on the chart. AKA the nickel Block.

When will it corrode?
It depends on their separation(Check the Chart). It may take a very long time, it may occur in 6 months. Depends on the two metals involved. The more metals you mix can have an impact as well.

How Do you solve this?
Corrosive inhibitors!

I Repeat:
IF YOU ADD A CORROSION INHIBITOR YOU WILL NOT CORRODE.

Other things to factor in when making your loop:
Material your fittings are made of
Material your radiator is made of.
What is in your coolant

Aluminum/Steel are BAD juju for your loop.

So moral of the story? Nickel Blocks, silver kill coils will works just fine as long as you add a corrosive inhibitor.

EDIT: Loop Maintenance

Almost forgot about that. You MUST change out your mix periodically. Atleast twice a year. Chemicals in the mix lose effectiveness as they work to keep your loop clean and free of corrosion/bacteria.
 
#25 ·
...
Quote:
IF YOU ADD A CORROSION INHIBITOR YOU WILL NOT CORRODE.
False. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrosion_inhibitor
They slow down the reaction, delaying the inevitable; but you'll probably replace your hardware and thus your blocks in 4-5 years anyway...

Quote:
Aluminum/Steel are BAD juju for your loop.
All D5 water pumps have steel contact with the water to keep cool... There are _many_ different steel alloys.

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind is proximity and the fact that you need a complete circuit. That's why the bad nickel-plating on copper was so bad awhile back with EK: the nickel and copper was microscopically next to each other in full contact with each other and with the coolant. If you have a brass fitting screwed into a copper block, the most likely place to get corrosion is right where the two meet.

There are also a bunch of other things to consider like the resistance of particular metals to corrosion, the average temperature of the water, the amount of electrolyte in the water (most coolants start out non-conductive and gain ions at varying rates), etc. The real moral of the story is to just do your homework, give it a go, and if you run into trouble figure out where the problem occurred. If you want to be preemptive, you can use corrosion inhibitor additives, try to reduce the amount of different metals, etc.

I personally decided to use PT Nuke PHN, which aside from a biocide, also acts as a surfactant and a mild corrosion inhibitor, but you cannot use dye with it or mostly any other kind of additive, so it's not good for most people. All of my blocks also have acetal tops on them, so the fittings are never in direct contact with any other type of metal.
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrocutor View Post

...
Snip
I can tell you with corrosion inhibitors you wont see corrosion in a WC loop. I guarantee it. Unless you do something stupid like filling up your loop and then never changing it or using an aluminum radiator.

I worked in the CCI hanger for 6 years and have much experience with Corrosion Control. Most planes would make it all the way to depot before seeing corrosion, unless stationed at places like Kadena/McDill which have high concentrations of salt in the air, that mixed with rain is a corrosion nightmare.

Personally I wouldn't use nickel in a WC Loop. I would stick to Copper and brass.
 
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