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I read many posts about cooling systems but not enough about the actual coolant that goes in them. I have the old Corsair Nautilus 500 external cooling system for my cpu and recently the pump got clogged, which was an easy fix. But i think the coolant created residue inside it.

I am looking for a good coolant and read some bad reviews about the popular Thermaltake one, which should be used only in Thermaltake systems. And read some good reviews about the Feser One Non Conductive Cooling Fluid - 1000 ml - UV Blue which is not so popular.

Any ideas of what coolant I should get to keep my water pump alive just a bit longer ? My cpu usually idle at 40c

Go to the grocery store or pharmacy and get a gallon of distilled water for 2 bucks.

Gotta agree with the above. I'd also suggest a silver kill coil.

Thanks guys. Didn't expect such an easy solution.

Two dissimilar metals sets up a weak current that oxidizes metals. You need distilled water because without minerals water doesn't carry an electrical current. You also want antifreeze for the additives that impede corrosion because distilled water is not perfectly mineral free. But antifreeze does not have the high specific heat water has, so you should do a fitty fitty mix. Those two things ought to keep the system functional for awhile.

i would also like to say deionized demineralized (same as distilled water i think) with silver kill coil is best (no additives at all just the water)

i have had some watercooled systems running for years without any issue with this setup and the components and water are still clean and clear 3+ years later

i would never go any other way imo

You won't find a much better coolant than water due to it's high specific heat capacity. And nothing close for the money distilled water costs. Adding antifreeze (aka, ethylene glycol) and some silver and/or biocide is a good precaution to. The added viscocity of the ethylene glycol can also help a bit to lubricate the pump, which may give it a bit of extra longevity.

I use Dazmode Protector as an additive to distilled water because it's reasonably cheap and does the job. It contains ethylene glycol as well as a few other biocidal chemicals. One $7 bottle is good for a couple of liters - which should last for multiple fills in a closed loop cooler - and you don't have to worry about adding separate additives/silver.

cynan wrote:

You won't find a much better coolant than water due to it's high specific heat capacity.

There's a reason most of us call it "Water Cooling" instead just "Liquid Cooling".

mortifiedPenguin wrote:

cynan wrote:

You won't find a much better coolant than water due to it's high specific heat capacity.

There's a reason most of us call it "Water Cooling" instead just "Liquid Cooling".

According to this chart the only thing better is pure ammonia. That has so much fail written all over it (including the hellish toxicity) that it's a non-starter (though someone will probably try).

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/speci ... d_151.html

Captain Ned wrote:

According to this chart the only thing better is pure ammonia. That has so much fail written all over it (including the hellish toxicity) that it's a non-starter (though someone will probably try).

As you probably know but some of TR's younger demographic may not, ammonia was an early refrigerant. It was not unheard of for a few refrigeration techs to be blinded and burned when accidentally loosening or piercing a pressurized pipe or fitting. There are still some commercial ammonia-based systems in use but special training and protective equipment are required.

ludi wrote:

There are still some commercial systems in use but special training and protective equipment is required.

My sister and her husband run a commercial ice-making plant. The local FD has a special training session there every year due to the volume of anhydrous ammonia.