how to flush out a water cooling radiator?

[BKLounger]

So i got a bunch of old water cooling stuff from a guy who was working on a case mod like two years ago but just gave up and let it sit in his closet. So i started tearing it all apart and i noticed there is alot of built up residue inside of the radiators. Probably old cooling fluid. I was wondering is there a certain technique used to flush out a computer radiator. Just warm water? a certain type of solvent? Air pressure? Any thoughts would help.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Nail polish remover (acetone) should work. Isopropyl alcohol, which is weaker than acetone, should also work.

 

[BKLounger]

should i let the alcohol sit inside the radiator and let it soak and then rinse it out (or my buddy has an air compressor). Should i blow it out after i let the solvent sit for a while.

 

[Walternowi]

Flush it a few times with distilled water, and then with white vinegar. Fill the radiator with vinegar and leave that in overnight. Repeat flushing procedure a few times. For more details, see here. Scroll down to the section on "Cleaning of radiator and waterblocks".

 

[BKLounger]

good info thanks.

 

[SparkyJJO]

look here it is a long read but about halfway down you'll see in big green text "Pre-Installation Procedures" and there is a guide on cleaning and flushing out rads.

Here is the entire watercooling section, and at the top are several stickies with info as well.