What type of liquid conducts heat like water but doesn't conduct electricity like water?

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BowDown

Banned
Jun 2, 2000
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I'm going to be building a water cooled 85watt Piltier element setup for my Socket A. I'm going to be using a kit for the most part, but I was wondering if there were any safer alternatives to water?

Does Anti-Freeze work as good as water? Conduct electricy like water? How about mineral oil?

LMK...
 
I

Informant X

Senior member
Jan 18, 2000
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I actually heard manjuice works good...Or was that moloasses? haha ;) j/k

Actually i was wondering this same thing.
 
V

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
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Mineral oil would be your best bet for non-conductivity.

Pure water doesn't conduct electricity worth crap, but it's hard to keep it pure. Antifreeze probably conducts quite well, given the chemicals in solution.

Honestly, though, I'd just use water. Water is cheap, readily available, absorbs heat like a mother, & is easy to deal with (non-toxic, easy to dispose of, easy to clean up, etc.). If you can't make it water-tight, you shouldn't be running a watercooling system.

Just my $0.02...

Viper GTS
 
B

bacillus

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
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plain simple water is going to be your best coolant liquid because of its physical properties!
 
B

BowDown

Banned
Jun 2, 2000
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True... It will be water tight... I'm just taking the extra step against some fault in the craftmaship of the water block, resovor... ;)
 
B

BowDown

Banned
Jun 2, 2000
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Well even with plain water I'm going to have to add a non-crosive additive to it. The water tank is aluminum, and the block is copper.
 
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dkozloski

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Water cooled fire-control radars are cooled with distilled water. Some of these things are in the 10Kw CW range and higher. The system is sealed and in the water circuit are demineralizer cartridges to reduce free ions in the water. Water itself, without the presence of free ions will not conduct electricity, will not cause corrosion, and is quite a good insulator. You must keep everything fastidiously clean.
 
N

Noriaki

Lifer
Jun 3, 2000
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<< Water itself, without the presence of free ions will not conduct electricity, will not cause corrosion, and is quite a good insulator. You must keep everything fastidiously clean. >>

Yeah what he said. It's hard to keep water pure, but if you can then it's exactly what you want.
 
B

Bleep

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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dkozloski is absolutly correct. Insulators are all gauged against PURE water. Just use double distilled water and you will need no anti corrosive additives.
Bleep
 
H

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
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I'm also wondering, because if you cool water past 0 degrees C, it'll freeze and the pumps around here don't move ice. :)
 
M

Mule

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2000
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<< Use freon, if it does manage to leak, it will evaporate before it touches anythin. >>


That's gonna cost you a pretty penny.
 
V

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
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If pure water is an insulater, how would the heat get into it?

Pure water is electrically non-conductive, not thermally.

Viper GTS
 
B

BowDown

Banned
Jun 2, 2000
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What about rubbing alchol? (sp.)

I know it evaporates quick, and is not good around open flames :p, but how would that work?
 
B

BowDown

Banned
Jun 2, 2000
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It will not freeze. The water cooling setup going to be cooling the piltier element not the CPU. It will be pretty warm... and it will get cycled through a radiator to cool the water...
 
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Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
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The rubbing alcohol you can buy at the store is primarily water (95% or so). I suspect it would be very similar to water in performance, probably worse. Alcohol can't absorb as much heat as water can.

Viper GTS
 
D

Dark4ng3l

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2000
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If you put alcohol on your arm it feels cold because it takes all of the heat and evaporates. I doubt it would be as good as water.
 
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