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GENERAL LIQUID COOLING PARTS CLEANING GUIDE
Liquid cooling parts may be disassembled for cleaning
purposes on an occasional basis. Your warranty is not
voided by disassembling of the water block. Only the leak-
free guarantee is void which comes with a factory tested
EK products. An old but soft toothbrush is an excellent
cleaning tool!
1. Cleaning bare copper:
When cleaning bare copper it is
recommended to use slightly acidic cleaning agents which include
the following organic agents:
- (white) vinegar (acetic acid up to 5-10%)
- lemon juice (citric acid up to 5-10%)
Certain food can also be used for cleaning the copper:
- cola (contains phosphorous- and citric acid)
- ketchup or tomato extract (contains acetic- and citric acid)
- mustard (contains acetic acid)
5% vinegar, diluted with 95% water is enough to kill 99.9%
of algae and bacteria that could be present on copper in an
unmaintained cooling loop.
Upon cleaning it is necessary to flush the water blocks with tap
water and then rinse them with distilled water. After rinsing, we
recommend wrapping the water blocks in paper towels until
completely dry. It is nearly impossible to avoid the naturally
occurring copper tarnishing (oxidation) as the oxidation will reoccur
the moment the copper is cleaned.
2. Cleaning nickel plated copper:
When cleaning nickel plated
copper it is forbidden to use any aggressive chemicals (including
vinegar) or rough materials as you may damage the plating and thus
void the warranty. Please also note that due to the presence of dye
additives and other chemicals, the nickel layer may also become
discolored/stained over time. However, the staining is normally
reversible with a simple flush and rinse. Cleaning the nickel plated
copper should consists of these steps:
- flush the nickel plated copper with warm water
- clean the surface using a wet non-abrasive cloth and rinse with clean water
- polish the hardened deposits (such as algae or dirt) from the nickel
plated copper if necessary.
EK recommends the use of asoft, non-abrasive automotive metal
polish cremes. After you’re finished with other cleaning methods, give
the nickel plating a good polish with a non-abrasive metal or chrome
polish. Apply a small amount of polish to a cloth or to the surface of the
nickel. Wipe the entire surface of the nickel with the polish, using small
circular motions, until it looks shiny and clean. Use another clean cloth
to remove the remains of the polishing paste from the surface. Always
rinse with distilled water after you are done with polishing.
3. Cleaning acrylic (plexi) glass tops:
Acrylic will fail prematurely if subjected to even the small
amounts of alcohol, acetone or other aggressive chemicals.
Please do not use anything but warm, soapy water and a toothbrush
to clean the acrylic (plexi) glass water block tops and reservoir tubes.
Using aggressive chemicals will surely void your warranty!
Algae- or dirt deposits may be rubbed out using soft cloth
in combination with warm, soapy water. Rinse with distilled
water after cleaning.
