Do You Have to Maintain Liquid Cooling? Answered!

The computer’s temperature starts to rise as you use them; if you listen to your computer closely, you will find that the fans are humming gently. The sound of the fans can be louder if you are playing games or doing a heavy process, so some prefer cooling systems like liquid cooling to avoid the fans’ noise.

Liquid cooling systems are more efficient in keeping your computer’s temperature low, thus increasing its performance and prolonging its lifespan. However, owners of liquid cooling systems might wonder if they must maintain their liquid cooling regularly.

Do You Have to Maintain Liquid Cooling?

The need for maintaining your liquid cooling system depends on the type of solution you have because not all solutions have to be maintained. If you have an All In One (AIO) liquid cooling solution or the Closed-Loop liquid cooler, you don’t have to maintain it since it’s a sealed cooler.

A sealed cooler means you can’t refill the solution yourself; therefore, you don’t have to maintain it. However, some AIO liquid cooling systems can be user-refillable since the water in the system can evaporate through the tubing; therefore, you need to check your system’s specifications.

The other type of liquid cooling system is the Open-Loop liquid cooler; this type allows you to build the system yourself from scratch. As a result, you will have to maintain the liquid cooling and refill it when needed, most coolants can last up to 12 months, but it’s advised that you do an inspection every six months.

When To Change the Coolant?

You must change your coolant regularly to preserve its benefits, like preventing biological growth, corrosion, and excessive wear on pumps. You should change the coolant at least once a year to maintain its functions and vivid color; however, the period can vary for certain coolants.

For example, the semi-transparent EK-CryoFuel Mystic Fog should be changed and maintained every six months. This is because this coolant contains UV reactive substances which fade faster; therefore, to keep it at its top performance, you need to change it every six months.

However, the EK-CryoFuel Mystic Fog coolant can still work for an entire year even if not changed, and it will continue to perform its functions. The coolants that contain UV additives have different maintenance periods as it depends on the period its UV substances take to fade, which depends on the color and type of the coolant.

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Why Do You Have to Maintain Liquid Cooling?

Heat Transfer – the primary function of your liquid cooling system is that it transfers the heat from the source of heat to the radiator, which cools the heat to the ambient degree. which occurs efficiently and rapidly; however, this is not the only reason you must maintain your liquid cooling.

Protects from Corrosion – EK-CryoFuel is an example of a purpose-made coolant with several particles to perform its different tasks. One of these tasks is the corrosion inhibitor, which inhibits the degrading of metal components through corrosion.

The inhibitor in the coolant is consumed while performing its task; in addition, the more metals you have in your system, the greater the electrical potential is, as a result, the inhibitor is consumed rapidly. If the inhibitor substance is insufficient, corrosion may happen to the exposed metals in your loop.

Inhibits Biological Growth – If you don’t maintain your coolant regularly, there will be a chance of biological growth due to the presence of water. The high-end coolants contain biocides or biological-growth inhibitors, which prevent the growth of microorganisms in the tubing or other liquid cooling parts.

The inhibition of microorganisms like algae results in preventing the appearance of discoloration, clogging of the cooling tubes, and unpleasant odors. Therefore, you need to maintain your liquid cooling, especially if your liquid coolant doesn’t have biological-growth inhibitors.

Decreases Friction in the Pump – the liquid cooling system may contain parts that rotate to perform their function, like the pump motor, which rotates to keep the system temperature low. One of the coolant’s functions is to lubricate these parts, but the coolant is similar to engine oil, where it loses its lubricating power over time which can lead to defects and wear.

Evaporation – the heat in your computer can evaporate the liquid over time through the tubing. This can be easily observed in clear-soft-tubing, where the coolant’s level can drop over time. However, hard-tubing builds don’t face this issue as the evaporation value is negligible.

How To Maintain Your Liquid Cooling?

Maintaining your liquid cooling system will contain several steps, and the first step is the radiator. The fins of the radiator help spread the coolant across the computer, which keeps the computer’s components cool. However, the dust can accumulate over time on the radiator fans, so you need to clean them.

Cleaning your fans will ensure that your radiator will work optimally, keeping your system’s temperature cool. To clean the radiator’s fans, use a paintbrush or compressed air and gently remove any dust accumulated on the blades. The next step in your liquid cooling system is the pump.

The pump is considered the heart of your liquid cooling loop; it’s the component that pumps the distilled water around your computer’s components and keeps them cool. The liquid cooling pump doesn’t need regular maintenance, but it’s advised that you run distilled water through your computer once every year.

This will help you flush your system and keep your loop smooth-looking and clean; in addition, this will help you clean the water block. To clean the water block, you need to disconnect and soak it in a dissolvable solution; the dissolvable solution can be 50/50 distilled water and vinegar solution.

However, if your liquid cooling loop is nickel-plated, you must avoid adding vinegar to your dissolvable solution. The vinegar can destroy the finish of nickel-plated loops; therefore, you should use only distilled water.

How To Flush Your System?

Flushing your system will help you clean the inside of your liquid cooling loop; therefore, it’s advised to perform it once every year. The first step is to drain the coolant into a waste container and replace it with a new coolant. To flush your coolant, it’s advised to use distilled water to minimize the corrosion of the components.

The coolant is the last step to replace it with a new fresh one; it’s recommended to change your coolant once every year. The continuous use of a coolant can lead to air bubbles due to evaporation, which can result in the pollution of the coolant affecting the efficiency and performance of the liquid cooling loop.

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What Are the Benefits of Liquid Cooling?

More Efficient than Air

Liquid cooling systems are more efficient than Air cooling systems because of the high thermal conductivity of water. If you render images and videos or stream graphically intensive games for a living, the chances you are using your reg to the limit are high, in addition to your cooling system.

The extended periods of your system being elevated can hurt it after a year or two, even if you run your system at a safe temperature. Therefore, it’s recommended that you use liquid cooling systems instead of Air ones to prolong your system’s lifespan and ensure they are cooled efficiently.

Higher Overclocking Potential

When you overclock your graphics card or processor, you push them over their limit and run them over their standard clock speeds. More speed means that the component will draw more power, resulting in more heat; therefore, liquid cooling systems are the best option.

Some AIO coolers and kits can manage basic to medium overclocking; however, advanced users prefer to use custom water cooling systems to benefit from their components as much as possible.

Takes Up Less Space

Another advantage of liquid cooling systems is that they take up less space than air cooling systems. If you have a monster RTX graphics card and a high-powered processor, you need to use a bulky air cooling system to keep your reg cool. However, if you are using a liquid cooling system, it will not only cool the system efficiently, but it will also be easy to install and take up a small space.

Aesthetically Pleasing

The last benefit of liquid cooling systems is subjective, as not all people look for the aesthetic side. Liquid cooling systems come with RGB lights, giving them the look of a beautiful fish tank without needing to feed it or clean it every month. Some liquid cooling systems come with coolants that contain UV substances.

The UV substance gives a fantastic look to the system, especially in the dark, the substances fade over time, but they can be easily replaced with a new coolant. Air cooling systems are devoid of any of the mentioned advantages besides the loud noise of their fans.

Conclusion

Liquid cooling systems are more efficient than air cooling systems, look better, and don’t have fans, so there is no noise. However, some types of liquid cooling systems need to be maintained from time to time; others don’t need to be maintained. 

If you have a Closed-Loop or AIO liquid cooling system, you don’t need to maintain them as you can’t refill them; however, some AIO liquid cooling systems can be user-refillable; therefore, you should consult your manufacturer. If you have an Open-loop liquid cooling system, you will need to maintain it at least once a year, and if your coolant has UV additives, you will need to replace it every six months.