Flushing a new loop

[cavemanoc]

What is the general feeling about flushing a new loop? I am just about to build a CPU/GPU loop in my Enthoo Pro (covered in another thread) and was wondering if it was worth flushing prior to installation. All bits - bar the GPU block - are brand new. I do remember some stories of people flushing out bits of flux and metal in brand new loops - is it worth running a bit of de-ionised / distilled water through it first (could tie it in with the leak test I guess)?

 

[xb8browney]

It can't hurt giving it a flush and it is best practice to do it but it's not something I've ever bothered doing.

 

[cavemanoc]

Cheers - that's what I thought - I've got a couple of bottles of de-ionised lying around, so if nothing else it'll give me an idea how much fluid the loop needs!

 

[Disco_P]

I flushed my rads extensively. Like 20-30 minutes each of running water through them.

It might have been overkill but I've never had any issues, even running the same pastel coolant for 4+ years.

 

[im4gine3]

regardless of whether companies say radiators are clean.. you'd be surprised with the amount of shavings left in them, so theres no harm in giving them a good flush prior looping. In fact, i'd say its good practise to do then whenever you get a new part. Last thing you want is crap flowing through your loop

 

[HoneyBadger]

Yeah, I flush it with deionised water. It’s what I use to fill my loop too.

 

[MikeTimbers]

@cavemanoc if you have any older pumps (Eheim for example) flush your fittings in a bathtub using ordinary tap water. Fill the bath, short tube to join pump to component, run for 30 minutes, swap component, repeat. Don't waste deionised or distilled water. You want simple quantity.

 

[cavemanoc]

Funnily enough I do have an old Eheim kicking about - will do exactly that (although I may run the pump on it's own for a bit as it's probably not the cleanest anymore!)

 

[SpudMaster]

I flush my rads by connecting them to the hose pipe in the garden

 

[Dwarfy]

In my research, I read that distilled vinegar first, then a good bout of distilled water and you're good to go.

 

[Trunkey]

I used a bit of vinegar and some tap water, a lovely pastel blue with some black crap came out of my EK rads, I don't think there quite so grim nowadays but no harm in flushing to get rid of residual flux and stuff.

 

[clone]

Ocuk sells a good cheap 1lt of water for flushing your loop, I would install a in line filter while doing it.

 

[SirConfused]

I used a bit of vinegar and some tap water, a lovely pastel blue with some black crap came out of my EK rads, I don't think there quite so grim nowadays but no harm in flushing to get rid of residual flux and stuff.

The blue is from the stuff they use for leak testing in the factory iirc. It doesn't always get fully cleaned out at the end of the process.

For me, I do the same as others on the thread and flush it with water (I boil it first) 4-5 times through and haven't had any issues with mine over the years.

 

[im4gine3]

Likewise i boil water and fill the rads with a 3:1 ratio of kettle water and white vinegar. Sometimes letting it sit for 10min or so before vigorously shaking it. Do this 2 or 3 times before connecting the rad to my garden hose and fluishing for another 15min or so. Lastly, once that is done, i flush it again couple more times using distilled water.

 

[jorzeh]

I always clean mine out with a flush of deionised water, does no harm and I never use anything but deionised water and a biocide and I've never had a build up or problem even after I left the loop 3 years the CPU block was clear, I've never fancied dyes etc and with RGB these days it's all good.

 

[SierraBuilds]

I would always recommend flushing out a rad as a minimum before use...perhaps my advice is somewhat outdated these days but for the time it takes I still would - just using deionised water.

S