Why is periodic maintenance important and how often do you need to change the water? These are questions that most Custom water radiator users wonder and encounter. To answer this question, Biareview would like to send readers an article to explain the uses of coolant and answer the above questions.
Table of Contents
The importance of cooling water
Coolant is an indispensable component in a liquid cooling system. Similar to the oil inside a car engine, the coolant needs to be changed periodically to keep the system stable. Below are the five main roles of coolant in a PC cooling system.
- Heat conduction
The first function, of course, is heat transfer. The fluid transfers heat from the heat absorber (block) to the radiator. Continuously circulating water will move the temperature from hot to cool. This is the most important function and water is also the key to the entire cooling system.
- Protects against corrosion
Unlike distilled water or regular liquids, high-end coolants (such as EK-CryoFuel) contain many specialized ingredients. One of them is the anti-corrosion component, which will prevent corrosion of metal parts: Block, Radiator, fittings, etc. However, this anti-corrosion feature will gradually be lost over time. The more metal in the system, the more electrolytic corrosion occurs. If there is not enough anti-corrosion agent in the water, the flow force will cause corrosion of components. The residue generated from metal corrosion increases and causes blockages in the system.
- Prevent the growth of algae
Where there is water, there is life. The temperature of PC cooling water usually fluctuates between 30-40 degrees and unfortunately, this is also the ideal temperature threshold for algae to grow. Distilled water is completely pure water, so it also has no biological inhibitors. If you simply use distilled water for the cooling system, your PC will easily develop algae and mold after just a short period of use. Surely no one would want to own an extremely expensive machine that emits an unpleasant odor, signs of brown algae, or strange creatures living inside.
So use specialized coolant-containing biological inhibitors such as EK-Cryofuel to prevent the growth of microorganisms.
- Lubricate the pump
When the pump rotates, it will create friction between the shaft and the pump impeller. Friction can wear out parts if not adequately lubricated. Inside specialized coolants, there will be a small amount of lubricant additives. Just like car oil, these active ingredients will gradually lose their lubricating ability over time, so they will also need to be cleaned and water changed periodically.
- Brings aesthetics
With countless colors to choose from, radiator water gives the owner a unique style. In particular, opaque watercolors often give a more striking appearance because of their uniform color. But in return, opaque colors (Solid/pastel) often contain tiny particles that block light to create an opaque color that cannot be seen through. High-quality coolants will have to balance the formula to keep these tiny particles floating without settling to the bottom over time. However, during long-term use, sedimentation will be inevitable, so you will need to maintain and change the water after a period of use.
Another reason to answer the question of why periodic water change maintenance is needed:
Coolant will evaporate slowly during use. This phenomenon occurs most often with transparent hoses, where liquid penetration can be seen over time. Apparatuses that use hard or soft industrial rubber hoses often evaporate through the fittings. When the amount of water is reduced a lot, never add more distilled water because it will reduce the effectiveness and performance of the specialized cooling water.
When to change coolant?
Coolant needs to be changed periodically to ensure its functions such as preventing corrosion, preventing algae, and weakening the pump. To prolong usage time, users should use high-quality coolants such as EK-Cryofuel and change the water after a fixed period, before noticing any strange phenomena with the coolant solution.
How often should the coolant be changed?
Currently, for high-end cooling water lines such as EK-Cryofuel, the manufacturer recommends that users change the water and clean the machine once a year so that the PC achieves maximum heat dissipation performance.