Stopping the Resserator from leaking gases/vapor

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:08 pm

Well, the title says it all.

I cannot figure out why on earth my resserator 1 leaks out nasty smells.

I dont care aboutr the odor as much as the possibility for harmful effects. I have like 5% water wetter in it, and distilled water.

I just plugged up the breather hole with some chewing gum, yeah I know, chewing gum, well it most likely will work. I might go find some silicone rubber in the garage if it doesnt (chewing gum looks cooler and is easier to snap off) I also re-tightened the cap on the thing to a more powerful level.

I hope this works. Any suggestions if it doesnt? Water wetter kinda sux, it should have been great. I know I know,people say I should use Dexcool and hyperlube but I thought dexcool was even MORE toxic than this.

Why is it leaking gases???????

wim · Post by **wim** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:32 pm

maybe your nose is too close to your butt

wim · Post by **wim** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:34 pm

whoops, i meant, how do you know it's the reserator leaking gases?

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon May 09, 2005 8:25 pm

wim wrote:whoops, i meant, how do you know it's the reserator leaking gases?

smells pretty bad like water wetter.

makes me more nervous about chemicals of unnatural origin in the air than anything.

andywww · Post by **andywww** » Mon May 09, 2005 8:49 pm

If the water wetter stinks, maybe you should switch coolant mixtures.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon May 09, 2005 10:21 pm

andywww wrote:If the water wetter stinks, maybe you should switch coolant mixtures.

yeah I am looking into that. I am guessing the dexcool plus hyperlube is my next bet if I cant seem to seal this one up tight enoguh so it doesnt emit vapor.

eLekTRiK · Post by **eLekTRiK** » Mon May 09, 2005 10:29 pm

I just put some duct tape over the hole to close the system. It is easy to remove again if you need to equalize pressure to unscrew the cap.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue May 10, 2005 6:12 am

hey, thats simple. good idea. better than glues.

eander315 · Post by **eander315** » Wed May 11, 2005 7:50 am

Note that the tubing supplied with the Reserator is fairly permiable, and is probably contributing to the smell problem. I would just switch to Zerex Racing Coolant or use the Swiftech additive if it's still a problem. Those additives are better anyway, as they don't contain silicates that precipitate out like Water Wetter does.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:09 pm

eander315 wrote:Note that the tubing supplied with the Reserator is fairly permiable, and is probably contributing to the smell problem. I would just switch to Zerex Racing Coolant or use the Swiftech additive if it's still a problem. Those additives are better anyway, as they don't contain silicates that precipitate out like Water Wetter does.

ah thanks. good point. jeez. I have to swap this weekend. I hope i can find these things.

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri May 13, 2005 6:06 am

I just use distilled water with about 15% of glycole mixed in. Glycole is radiator-fluid, if you didnt know. I didnt when i went out to buy it at the hardware store, i asked for glycole and distilled water and they thought it might be where the car-things are.. After some searching i noticed that radiator-fluid was 98%glycole and the 2% some anti-foam and other additives, quite obvious that it was radiator fluid after i found it, after all it was going to be used in a radiator...

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Fri May 13, 2005 4:54 pm

nici wrote:I just use distilled water with about 15% of glycole mixed in. Glycole is radiator-fluid, if you didnt know. I didnt when i went out to buy it at the hardware store, i asked for glycole and distilled water and they thought it might be where the car-things are.. After some searching i noticed that radiator-fluid was 98%glycole and the 2% some anti-foam and other additives, quite obvious that it was radiator fluid after i found it, after all it was going to be used in a radiator...

anti-freeze in cars is toxic to breath in.

nici · Post by **nici** » Sat May 14, 2005 4:51 am

Heres a wikipedia link for Ethylene Glycol No mentioning of it being dangerous to inhale.

an NSC link for the same stuff
Mentioning its toxic to inhale in particulate form, whatever that means. It also says its completely miscible eith water and many organic liquids.

So what the hell is "particulate form"?

eander315 · Post by **eander315** » Sat May 14, 2005 8:08 am

I believe that means atomized, misted, or otherwise sprayed into the air in the form of tiny droplets. In other words, as long as you don't water your yard with it or drink it, you're in good shape.

I suppose if I had kids (or maybe a dog that might chew on the tubing) I might think twice about using it, but otherwise it's fine.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sat May 14, 2005 11:27 am

nici wrote:Heres a wikipedia link for Ethylene Glycol No mentioning of it being dangerous to inhale.

an NSC link for the same stuff
Mentioning its toxic to inhale in particulate form, whatever that means. It also says its completely miscible eith water and many organic liquids.

So what the hell is "particulate form"?

A particulate is an aerosol, or rather, an emulsion of a liquid or gel into a gas, or normally, the air. like hairspray. It isnt a gas form, but it is 'atomized'
So, ethylen glycol, if shot into a fan system such as a heater of a car, will kill you or damage you.

YAY!
lets tell everyone to use it in water cooling! lets go trust 'pro-cooler' webpages! yAY!

lets get braindamage and pneumonia! YAY!

I am beginning to think that 99% of people who participate in these forums and in pro-cooling have no conception of how dangerous their suggestions are.

andywww · Post by **andywww** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:20 pm

Incidentally, if by water wetter you mean the stuff by "Red Line", there's a caution on their website: "Do not open a cooling system while hot"

http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/17.pdf

Heh- rather sketchy safety information.

nici · Post by **nici** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:38 pm

Life is dangerous

But seriously, if i wouldnt have the tiny hole at the top blocked would the stuff actually be dangerous? 10-15% of 2,5l in the system is ethylen glycole.

And i dont read any "pro-cooling" forums, this is the only forum i read regularly..

I´ve thought about getting the Swiftech additive thing, its the only reasonably priced additive i have found considering i need 2,5liters of coolant. I would need 2 or 3 bottles of the swiftech stuff for 5€ each.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:41 am

well i gota say....

this stuff has to go. It is WONDERFUL stuff. It just doesnt belong next to humans. Blocking the top hole hasnt killed the evolution of gas from the thing. I think its leaking in tiny amounts that are VERY noticable from the tubing like that smart person suggested.

Too bad, I have to figure out what to use now. I might have to order something fancy.

eLekTRiK · Post by **eLekTRiK** » Sun May 15, 2005 3:11 am

I'm using HydrX (the Swiftech stuff).

The nice thing about it is that it is green, so even if something was growing in my water I wouldn't know the difference.

You may be able to buy the HydrX bottles with a quantity discount. I think I got 5 bottles for ~$15.

nici · Post by **nici** » Sun May 15, 2005 6:23 am

Ok, ill order some of the HydrX along with some nicer tubing

If im not too lazy, ill do some serious modding with the case anyway.. But im probably too lazy

Youll se it in the gallery if im not too lazy..

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sun May 15, 2005 8:33 am

eLekTRiK wrote:I'm using HydrX (the Swiftech stuff).

The nice thing about it is that it is green, so even if something was growing in my water I wouldn't know the difference.

You may be able to buy the HydrX bottles with a quantity discount. I think I got 5 bottles for ~$15.

well, for certain, algae hates green water! it causes only light that cannot be absorbed (readily) to hit the plant, ponds use green dye for this purpose!

2 oz is $1.85 US bucko'z. JEEZ I have a LARGE reserator tube that needed.... hm... 2/3's of a Gallon to fill......... ouchies....

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Sun May 15, 2005 10:00 am

You might try propylene glycol as opposed to ethylene glycol. ethylene glycol is well known for its toxic properties. Propylene glycol however is so safe that it can saftly be injested and is found in many food products like any liquigel captsules, food dyes, etc. Propylene glycol is used to prevent water from freezing in RVs and boats plumbing while they are stored for the winter. You can find it under the name marine antifreeze.

nici · Post by **nici** » Sun May 15, 2005 10:25 am

One bottle of the swiftech stuff is enough for 1 litre of water, so its not that expensive after all.. The other alternatives were "ready to use" liquid at 9€/litre, and UV-reactive additive for 15€ for a tiny bottle enough for 300ml or so

Thanks for the marine antifreeze advice, but i already ordered the HydrX, and that should most definately work like its supposed to.. If the shop doesnt have it in stock though, i might go for the marine antifreeze.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sun May 15, 2005 10:28 am

nici wrote:One bottle of the swiftech stuff is enough for 1 litre of water, so its not that expensive after all.. The other alternatives were "ready to use" liquid at 9€/litre, and UV-reactive additive for 15€ for a tiny bottle enough for 300ml or so

Thanks for the marine antifreeze advice, but i already ordered the HydrX, and that should most definately work like its supposed to.. If the shop doesnt have it in stock though, i might go for the marine antifreeze.

is hydrx safe??

nici answer my pm as well, by the way.

I need something that is safe. Fluid XP+ seems either a complete HOAX or a complete PERFECTION.

a or b? who knows. I would just want to know that it would be good in an aluminum/plastic/silicon tubing.

eander315 · Post by **eander315** » Mon May 16, 2005 6:24 pm

BillA (from Swiftech, the makers of HydrX) posted on ProCooling that ethylene glycol is the active ingredient in Hydrx:

HydrX is 5% ethylene glycol, which is then diluted 17:1 as the WCing coolant mixture

In the same thread, pHaestus (a chemist) points out that he uses propylene glycol (instead of ethylene glycol) from his lab because:

environmental friendliness and no toxicity to children/pets are the benefits; not performance.

Lets put aside for the moment questions of toxicity, and address the problem of smell. Water Wetter stinks. It smells like wet dog. Ethylene glycol has a sickly-sweet chemical smell. I haven't had the chance to smell propylene glycol, Purple Ice, Zerex Racing Coolant, or any of the other additives sometimes used in water cooling systems, but lets assume the worst and say they aren't pleasant. Because many people here are using a Reserator (aluminum) with copper parts in their cooling loop, we will assume the concentration (and thus smell) of additive will be somewhat high. Instead of throwing the whole system out the window because of the smell, just toss the blue Zalman tubing and replace it with something that's less permeable. Clear tubing is generally far less porus than the blue stuff, which means it will allow less coolant smell to escape. You can use the fancy stuff like Tygon or Clearflex, or you can just go to your local hardware store and ask for some clear tubing (make sure you know what size you need, both inner and outer diameter). Note that the fittings that come with the Reserator will not work well with many kinds of tubing, so you might want to buy a short length to test fit before making a larger financial commitment.

All-copper loops require far less anticorrosive, as the galvanic potential is much lower. Eliminating the dissimilar metals from your loop will allow you to use a less-smelly coolant mixture.

I should also add that dyes and UV additives introduce tiny particles into your coolant, which might stain your clear tubing, or worse, contribute to pump wear and premature failure. I don't believe anyone has any hard evidence of this, but personally I don't want to test it with my pump.

Having said all of that, I should mention that I cannot see how it would be possible to atomize the coolant in your computer to the point where it would become dangerous. If you believe otherwise, please explain or even demonstrate. The main danger as far as toxicity goes would be to small children or pets who might chew on the tubing and injest the coolant when the tube breaks. In the absence of children or pets, I cannot see how ethylene glycol poses a danger to anyone.

Now for something completely off topic: The value of the advice here or at ProCooling is directly related to how critically you read, and your own participation in the discussions. I firmly believe that about 99% of the people who post in online discussions about water cooling are simply regurgitating something they read somewhere else, without researching or testing the information. As a forum participant, that means most of us should be highly skeptical of any advice that is not backed with documentation or real-life testing. There are only a handful of people currently posting in water cooling forums around the net that can be trusted to test their theories and base their comments only on proven fact. Everyone else should be questioned at least briefly when presenting information that may affect the performance and longeviy of your water cooling hardware. Theories and speculation are fine as long as they are presented as such.

Wow that's a long post

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:31 pm

er i duno.

ethylene glycol = nope for me.

that chemist phaestus guy is really knowledgeable dood.

nici · Post by **nici** » Tue May 17, 2005 4:47 am

Seems like i have an "easy" system, aluminium blocks(the GPU block is just anodized to copper color) and not transparent tubes--> no light for the coolant. Ok so the CPU block has gold-plating, but i wouldnt think that makes much of a difference for the negative?

Also, from that thread, it seems like Propylene Glycol would be a pretty good option.. The HydrX will be here tomorrow though, heres me thinking if i should abandon it and just go for Propylene Glycol? I think ill just go with the HydrX anyway.. Though it contains 5% Ethylene Glycol according to that thread, so ill have to dispose of it as described below, again.

Now i just have to get rid of the Ethylene Glycol, ill have to disassemle the system and take it downstairs to the garage and pour the coolant into a small container i have for nasty stuff like used oils... And some day i have to pay to get rid of all that sheit.

I think this is the major advantage of Propylene Glycol over the Ethylene variant, you can just flush it down the toilet without feeling bad about it

Any advice? Propylene Glycol or HydrX? Though i did order clear PUR-tubing for the inside of the computer because of the nice green color of HydrX, instead of the blue or black tubing i first thought about...

I will still use the original tubing between the case and the reserator, because it is highly flexible but still very sturdy and doesnt pinch easily.. I will also remove the pump from the res, and put it inside the case.. I have the adapter required for this

Hopefully it will be quieter... If not, i probably have to enclose the damn pump in something, like submerge it in concrete or something..

Maybe im completely bonkers, but that actually sounds reasonable.. Its only a 10€ pump, wich hardly dissipates any heat, so it should be fine, if not then who cares its 10€ for a new Compact 300 pump or 30€ for an Eheim 1046.

eander315 · Post by **eander315** » Tue May 17, 2005 7:01 am

I would just use the HydrX that you ordered. As I posted previously, I don't think it's a risk to anyone's health unless you have small children or pets.

If you're still concerned about it, or just prefer not to use HydrX for some other reason, find some propylene glycol and try that. I personally haven't ever tried to even find it, let alone use it, so I can't offer much information in that regard. You could post a question about it over at ProCooling and see if Phaestus or someone else answers. Someone mentioned that it's the active ingredient in Marine antifreeze, and I recall reading somewhere that there is a motorcycle coolant made by Silkolene (sp?) that uses propylene glycol. I don't think anyone on this forum uses it, though I could be wrong.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:04 am

heres something to consider:
if one uses propylene glycol....

and it's edible yet non nutrative....

doesnt harm humans besides in large quantity or touching mucous membranes at high concentrations.....

Wouldnt there be a chance for some massive bio-growth in it??

if not, tell me so/how/why and such.

such an infinite topic it seems!

nici · Post by **nici** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:17 am

Yeah... Ill just use the HydrX, at least its supposed to be used in computer water-cooling and it should work..