PC Coolant for Custom Water Cooling Loop

Michael Collins

Does anyone still build their own custom water cooling loops? Or have the All in One loops taken over?

Try as I may, I can't seem to find anywhere that sells either concentrate or pre-mixed coolant to Ireland for a reasonable price.

I figure either the AIOs have taken over and/or the UK being outside the EU makes these lesser-used items very bad value for us.

Any ideas where I can get some reasonably price e.g. €10 to €20 including delivery, or am I asking too much?

Spear

I just go with distilled water, easily available from my local pharmacy, and add a few drops of Mayhems biocide and anti-corrosive for safety.

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766148#Comment_121766148

I'd be more than happy with that, but haven't been able to find a reasonable price for the biocide/anti-corrosive. Where did you source it from?

Cheers,

MC

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766163#Comment_121766163

At the time (2020), it was just from Amazon. But I checked the old listing and it's no longer there, no idea why.

minitrue

Unless I'm being dumb and missing something my first obvious thought was EK direct and they will charge you just under €20 delivered https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-cryofuel-clear-premix-1000ml

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766171#Comment_121766171

Thanks for checking that, Spear. Yes, that seems to be the way it has gone unfortunately.

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766226#Comment_121766226

For some reason the shipping is minimum €25 for me!

Caseking also have this:

https://www.caseking.de/xspc-ec6-protect-biocide-30ml-wazu-906.html?tplview=desktop

For only around €5, but it's €20 shipping! You'd think 30 ml wouldn't cost that much to ship!

minitrue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767345#Comment_121767345

Sigh, their site is pants :( Once I go through and put in enough (fake/test) address details the shipping suddenly changes from €8.50 to the €25+, sorry. I did go through to the checkout to find the €8.50 shipping in the first place so given it knew Ireland and made me get that far to see it I didn't imagine it was going to change when it was given a Dublin address (if it was the Aran islands or something that might be excusable).

As for Caseking's shipping charge, I'm pretty confident that's just their minimum shipping charge which you might as well think of as a minimum order handling charge. Not good for you here when it's all you want to order but great for those who are ordering a few parts from them and can just add it for €5 (Vs the places that would shout free shipping and charge you €25 for it or the random mediocre looking Amazon UK seller who is asking £11 + another £8 for shipping for the same thing).

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767739#Comment_121767739

I had originally written a post thanking you for finding this when the exact same thing happened to me! Thanks anyway though.

I take your point on the effective minimum order charge. It's just when I get much larger items shipped from China for so little, its hard to believe a 30 ml bottle couldn't be shipped from somewhere in the EU for around €10 - €15 postage charge.

minitrue

There's a trade war of sorts bubbling under about Chinese shipping because essentially (afaiu) they are riding a system not intended for what they are doing because it was designed essentially in a different era and screwing over the likes of An Post who are essentially below cost delivering for them without the expected quid-pro-quo of an equal amount of deliveries going the other way to balance it out.

There's also cost of business differences so the company in the EU which has to pay EU wages for all (from picker to accountant) can't compete. So sure you could get that 30ml from the Amazon UK seller (I'm not recommending them) with a nearly €10 shipping charge, it's just they'll charge you closer to €13 for the product!

Someone might yet turn up with a pointer to somewhere with an ok price after shipping for it on it's own. I did look a little more but didn't find anything.

Tongue stuck through cheek: if you are custom water cooling sure why do you care about the price anyway and if you've got the PC for free but it needs fluid then just chuck in any old water, with a few drops of iodine if you are feeling extravagant and can find it cheaply enough.

smuggler.ie

No knowledge here, but coolant is coolant, isnt it?

Cars need it too - any good? Solar systems use some - any good?

Or is there specific properties that do not comply for PC...

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121768264#Comment_121768264

Kinda. Cars tend to use ethylene glycol as an antifreeze and help cooling, but AIOs tend to use propylene glycol, due to it not killing anything that consumes it. But water alone, combined with heat tends to encourage bio growth, so a few drops of a biocide and an anti corrosive are often added.

After that there's superficial things like dyes/colourings, but I stay away from that, they tend to stain and congeal over time.

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121768264#Comment_121768264

Seemingly some car-specific antifreeze can contain some chemicals that react with the plastic (PVC) tubing, or even with the hard acrylic tubing/pump, which obvious wouldn't be present in the car but very much are present in most computer setups.

Some automotive antifreeze or biocides may work, though, which may be the way I end up going.

Michael Collins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767895#Comment_121767895

OK, so the China comparison was a bit extreme, but generally in the EU shipping something that small and light (concentrate) is often much cheaper. Funny how Amazon UK has literally none of this available.

Ha, I wasn't aware I was part of such a well-off bunch! It's as much about the efficiency of it as it is about the price. I would rather buy it new when I need it, but which these shipping costs its hard to justify that so I could buy in bulk, I suppose, but I'm not sure what the shelf life of these things are.

I still feel there must be a sub €20 option out there somewhere.

The iodine isn't a bad idea though.

deceit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766148#Comment_121766148

If you have nickel plated blocks its a bad idea to use distilled water as it pulls minerals. You'd probably nearly be better off with tap water. I've always had corrosion issues with distilled water until I switched to premade liquids. After the switch I've not had a single block damaged since.

smuggler.ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121768281#Comment_121768281

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121771700#Comment_121771700

Suspected there would be call for " incompatible " plastic or rubber bits.

On one hand i would not like to risk €€€€.99 computer damage, on other - feels like marketing crap. Car cooling system contain variation of plastics,rubber and metal, as well as boiling temp.

Sound like printer ink refill mess - its easy to come-by and its "dirty" cheap :D

I'm not wiser, your judgement after all, but i come across this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRmrKOgmZFs

There could be more different reviews available...

Michael Collins

I went with these guys in the end for approx €20 = €10 for coolant + €10 shipping.

https://ezmodding.com/