Moving Liquid Cooled systems in Freezing Temps

Hello,

I’m soon to experience this issue with my liquid cooling system (by corsair) and freezing outside temps. I have a 7 hour road trip down state to get back home. I am currently driving a truck and will have a passenger with me, so there will not be any room in the front seat for my computer. I will need to place my computer in the bed of the truck (which has a topper) so it is not exposed to the weather. But the issue is, there is liquid (w/green additive) still in the system. I know for sure this liquid will freeze within the first 20 minutes of being exposed to the elements outside.

 

What I am writing about is what would be the best thing i could do for my system while I’m transporting it?

 

I was thinking along the lines of, draining the system completely, and hooking the hoses back up. There will always be a little water in the pump and radiator & I don’t want the expanding water to crack either one.

 

What would be my best bet to do in this situation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks everyone in advance!

You could put the watercooling unit in a well insulated box or something. That will certainly help a lot!

If the green coolant is anti-freeze based glycol. (The bottle that came with my Corsair Cool kit, is 94 % Glycol, 3 % water, 3 % anti fouling additives.) It shouldn't freeze. If it is a 1 to 3 mixture, which the average Corsair Cool system is ,you should be good to about minus -18*F. A 50/50 mixture is good to -45*F ! Gylcol also raises the boiling point of water; eg: 50/50 mixture boils at 245*F, rather than 212*F.

If you want to drain the system and your pump is at the lowest point, sit it next to the sink, hang the pump out over the sink and cut the tubing next to one of the pump barbs. That way you'll only lose about an inch of tubing and the fluid will drain from the pump and the cut off tubing.

Well since none of the regular warercooling guys have posted in, I'd suggest draining the system then adding in a shot glass of methyl alcohol or automotive antifreeze to the system, distributing it by flipping the pieces upside down a few times, maybe turning the pump on for a brief second This should prevent any remaining water contained in the system from freezing during the 7 hour road trip. Afterward you'll need to flush the cooling system and refill. This is just a suggestion, not sure whether the alcohol or the antifreeze would affect the seals or not, but I doubt it as long as you're not running the system with those ingredients in it.

 

Whoop cancel this post.

go to a local car supply an buy a anti-freeze tester, there is enough in rez to fill tester, this will save the hassles of draining once you know the freeze point of your system.

 

do not use alcohol. if drain use PG low tox anti-freeze to fill

To be on the safe side, my suggestion is to drain the coolant from the system. Your system will be vibrating and rattling around on the bed of the truck and that could cause your water cooling system to develop a leak or rupture in transit causing coolant to spill into the inside of your system. Granted it will not be powered on during the trip, but it would be a rude awakening to open your CPU to find green coolant and residue all over this inside of your case! Also leak test the water cooling system without the system running when you get ready to fire up the system after your trip! Have a safe trip!:biggrin:

To be on the safe side, my suggestion is to drain the coolant from the system. Your system will be vibrating and rattling around on the bed of the truck and that could cause your water cooling system to develop a leak or rupture in transit causing coolant to spill into the inside of your system. Granted it will not be powered on during the trip, but it would be a rude awakening to open your CPU to find green coolant and residue all over this inside of your case! Also leak test the water cooling system without the system running when you get ready to fire up the system after your trip! Have a safe trip!:biggrin:

 

:laughing: if it were made of plastic, but its metal, just wrap it in an old blanket for when you go off roading to the new place;):

Thank you all for your input on the situation. I feel its best that I just drain the system and use some compressed air and try to flush out any extra liquid in the system. Being that ‘m sure the temp outside will be in the negative degree range and I don’t want to purchase an anti-freeze checker, I think blowing the excess water out would be my best bet.

 

Thanks for all the information, it does help!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday*