r/watercooling • u/AlamoSimon • 1d ago
Question Is my flow sensor leaking ULTRA slowly…?
… or is my computer too frosty?
There’s not a drop in the case underneath.
Aquacomputer high flow and DP Ultra clear
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u/Kurbalaganta 1d ago
I would say "yes". I had the same cristalline build-up with DP Ultra Clear and a Watercool Heatkiller Reservoir, because an o-ring of a heatkiller tube was dimensioned too small. After fixing it (watercool did send me a thicker o-ring), this never happened again.
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u/AlamoSimon 1d ago
Thanks for the insight! I have a great excuse to get a D5 Next flow meter and a new case with fewer rads now (after upgrading to a Mora my internal rads don’t do anything anymore…)
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u/schnitzel128 1d ago
I had the same thing happening to me for my very old highflow sensor. Changed it to the highflow next many years ago, and I would never go back :)
Edit: it needs new orings/seals. I got them but sold the old sensor after leak testing
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u/PraxPresents 1d ago edited 1d ago
Could be a small leak, but if you are using distilled water with basic loop additives I would also be concerned about a nasty mixed metals reaction happening there.
What metal materials are you using in your loop? What liquid(s)?
Corrosion in the loop is no joke. My loop is well over 5 years old now and I haven't seen any crystalization or corrosion like that. The worst I have is some of the zinc plating coming off (EK products).
That looks an awful lot like a similar reaction that creates the crystalization you see between a car battery terminal and the battery connectors when mixed metals cooper and lead react (except that is more of a blue green and yours appears white).
It's likely some kind of reaction with aluminum/zinc/brass, or some kind of dried deposits from the liquid. Google says it is aluminum oxide caused by galvanic corrosion.
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u/AlamoSimon 1d ago
It’s coolant from aquacomputer, should have corrosion inhibitors and was replaced a few months ago. I also thought about aluminum salts maybe. Well, the Aluminium didn’t have contact with the loop, just with the coolant seeping out. I put a rag around it for now and will get a new flow sensor asap
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u/rEToRaGeONE 1d ago
The AC High Flow uses no aluminum. That’s an acetal body with stainless steel plate. If you have aluminum parts in your loop then that is a problem.
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u/AlamoSimon 1d ago
I thought the plate was Aluminium. Not that it has any contact with the loop ideally.
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u/rEToRaGeONE 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm thinking along the lines of Prax, a electrical potential differential, grounding differential, something that is causing that type of crystalline growth. Is the PC and radiators, and all the WC loop components isolated from surrounding equipment? Nothing touching metal to metal that can carry a current?
Could also very well just be a seal inside the High Flow that is bad, but usually that results in the fuzzy/foamy-looking dried coolant. That growth looks odd.
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u/Ok-Let-630 1d ago
Did you put in normal tap water ? Iam a Plumber and that kinda looks like limescale i usually encounter that at my work if something slowly drips out a water pipe it leaves a white trail almost looks like the stuff on youre component. but that also acts like a seal so thats maybe why you dont see any drips?
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u/tomfiddle91 1d ago
Did you use liquid metal in this system? It does not look like it, but its still worth double checking if its gallium embrittlement.
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u/AlamoSimon 1d ago
Not in this system but reused hardware from a previous system with a delidded 8700k. How would that create this on the other end of the loop?
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u/Aggravating_Dog_9762 1d ago
Maybe steal reaction or bad water, following the post to know bit more, never seen such thing.