Hydrolux Pro Maintenance

a custom LC loop requires you to change the fluid, flush the blocks and rads, and even change (if you have flex tubing) the tubing at some point in time.  flex tubing has plasticizers (that's what makes it flexible) in it that eventually cause "leeching" (basically the chemical breakdown of the plasticizer) that leaves a cloudy film/white particulates on the inside wall of the tubing.  if/when it breaks free it clogs up water blocks, rads and pumps.  obviously rigid tubing doesn't have this problem.

DS uses medical grade non-DEHP (DEHP plasticizer is the worst culprit) plasticizer tubing from Tygon (probably Tygon E-1000), so it will last longer. 

additionally, different fluid manufacturers use different chemical mixtures with their various types of fluids, some are worse than others and will stain and/or gunk up the blocks/pumps/rads.   the safest fluid to use is probably simple distilled/de-ionized water with a biocide and anti-corrosion additive.  

in any case the answer to the question of how often you should drain and flush your loop is that it can vary depending on the individual conditions the system performs under.  DS will tell you the fluid they use has a shelf life of 3-5 years, but that's not operational life.  it might very well hold up a few years under constant use, but the longer you put off maintenance the more clean up you'll have to do.  if you drain and flush (with distilled water) yearly you should be able to avoid having to do a major cleanup job.  however, let your eyes be the judge.  if you see the fluid start to change color or become cloudy/murky you need to flush and change at minimum.  when you drain the system, if you see a film on the inside of the tubing, replace it.  if you see any particulates floating around in the fluid it's probably a good indication that you need to break the loop down and do a complete cleaning of the blocks/rads/etc.  

any LC config that is closed or semi-closed and marketed as "maintenance free" isn't designed to last.   so whether it's an inexpensive AIO or a Hybrid like the Hydrolux Lite it will either break down and be headed for the trash bin (in the case of AIO's which aren't serviceable) or it can be cleaned up and reused.  you pay for it in one way or the other.    
      

like DST4ME said about general weekly/monthly maintenance with the dust, i blow out my case every week and every month i take the fans off and do a more thorough cleaning.  that's the easy stuff, but really critical to keep the cooling performance up. 

Originally posted by Alex We have a full video here on everything you need to know for HydroLux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owceGZGIWyg Enjoy!

i think it would be nice if you guys did a vid showing how a person would drain, flush, and refill an open loop inside the Aventum 3 (seeing as that's your biggest and most complex system). 

Great I have to agree that would be best give us a link when you have Alex so we can bookmark and refer people to it.

I agree would love to see a HydroLux PRO full maintenance video with flush, rad & tube replacement etc. I will be getting a Bolt 3 with HydroLux PRO soon will be my first liquid cooled system. Like to know all the ins and outs for when the time comes.

Originally posted by bprat22 Just an fyi , although you probably know. ....  The Bolt HydroLux Pro is not the Pro in the other configs, but really the HydroLux Lite in the other configs.     Two different techs with somewhat similar flushing needs, although the manufacturer of the Lite, Pro in the Bolt, recommend a flush every 3 years.  The Lite is the Swiftech H220x or so, a hybrid all-in-one that allows the loop to be broken.

Thank you, good to know Im sure I will be happy compared to what I got now. Just like to be ready and know what I need to do when the time comes for what this puppy set me back I hope to have this one for well over 3 Years.

Edited by Osros - 27 Dec 2016 at 12:17pm

I would also love so see how we can do a full flush on the never Aventum 3 models.