Laser Flush Water Time

Community Laser Talk
1

I’ve not read any in-depth notes on changing the distilled water on a regular basis.

I’ve read 3-6 months as a timeframe…fine ..

But is there a ‘flushing’ method to follow? additives ?

It’s been 5 mos. from the first new system fill,
so I figured I would treat the tube to a fresh drink..
But then thought, shouldn’t the chiller/tube/tubing be flushed out as well ???

I have a Monport 130w with built-in chiller.
The built in chiller is a closed system, no open water buckets.
Also I live in Florida, so a cold weather additive is not a concern.

If simple flushing is recommended, then a couple gallons of distilled water should do just fine !
But what about ‘build-up’, in a closed system ? Which could have had
some contamination at first fill from the factory.

Is there an cleaning additive that should be used in the flushing?

This so-called simple task has now sprouted tentacles and reached into the minds dark areas, as most simple tasks can do !

And the Product vendors, say ‘replace every 3-6 mos’ !
Ok assuming average use every day, I can follow that timeline…

Since I have to use a small lift jack to take the machine off the screw down feet and back on the wheels to roll it out from the wall, I want to have all my ducks in the row before I start this ‘simple’ venture !

So my proposed path is:

-Start With a few clean new gallons of distilled water and a bucket.
-Empty the existing water in the system, process still to be determined!
-Fill the system with a clean batch of distilled water and let it run for 10-15 minutes to circulate and flush the fresh water thru the entire system.
-Flush out and remove this cleansing fill and dispose.
-Now fill the ‘clean’ system with a new gallon of distilled water and cap it off for another 6 mos. of run time…

Now.. the process questions still stand, is there an additive for the flushing process that will help scrub out any build up ? Is this needed ?

Is there a final additive to consider that will help keep bacteria build up down ?
if so, is it really needed? Since this is a closed system !

Ok that is the proposed path…
So before I get the laser back on wheels…
If I can ask all the long time pro’s to chime in with their success methods, I appreciate your comments.
Chuck👍

2

Probably a Bad Idea™, if only because you’ll never get all those excess ions out of the plumbing, no matter how much distilled water you flush through.

It seems water + (too many) ions can carry enough of a charge away from the anode end of the tube to cause trouble in the plumbing & pump, with distilled water plus very little else being non-conductive enough to suffice.

I’ve been running a gallon of distilled water plus half a milliliter of algaecide (figured by scaling the dose on the bottle down to a gallon) in a LightObject Q600 chiller for half a year before we moved, refilled when we settled, and a year hence with no sign of alien lifeforms.

Put a tube with a ball valve on the drain port before you jack the machine back in place, so you never need to move it again.

The only way to get all the water out of the laser tube is to stand the laser on end and give it a good shake. Which, in point of fact, is exactly what the movers did on the way down the basement stairs and that tube was empty, but I highly recommend against that.

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Don’t over complicate this…

I ran distilled water in my 5202 chiller using a single drop of algacide from the fish store. Ran about 2 years in the Phoenix area of Arizona.. No chance of it freezing in the garage. I wouldn’t change it out unless there is a reason…

I moved from a 2k ft altitude to a 3.5k altitude, it can now freeze. I changed out the distilled water by tipping the tube up and letting it drain back into the chiller, which has a water drain.

I replaced it with a laser specific coolant from OMTech (well I got it from Amazon), like automotive, but no additives that are used for internal combustion engines. Good to -31F. It’s also has a very high dielectric constant and is toxic to life as we know it.

When I was a kid living near the ocean in So. California, they used to wash the salt off the high voltage wires along the coast with distilled water.

Not cold … just hurricanes :face_with_spiral_eyes:

You can likely get away with distilled water. Since it’s warm I’d add the smallest amount of algacide I could get. My chiller is 6L and I used only 1 drop. I also have clear silicone tubing, so it got plenty of light.

I wouldn’t be changing it unless there is a reason, I get oil, it wears out, but distilled water???

Let us know how it works out.

:smiley_cat:

4

Yea I forgot to mention the algeacide add, they recommend 4 drops in my system… Which I did not do initially, but will be getting some this week…

But to my surprise they also said to put a few drops of DAWN dish soap to help keep the motor ( I assume blades) running fine.
Never heard of this before, but My work with water closed systems is nil’.
So while it sounds ‘ok’, still sounds like this is introducing an agent that would cause buildup… As I dont have DAWN experience, I think I may ignore that step…

I am thinking, maybe just take a look at the water color, top it off, if needed, probably not, and just add a few drops of algeacide and keep an eye on it for another couple months…

I get the water change if you are working from a bucket system, but a closed system should be ok… until the ‘distill’ breaks down, whatever that time frame might be… another question ? how to measure ? does anyone care? :nerd_face:
Maybe I have a ‘meter’ to measurw that :zany_face:..

Maybe install an ultraviolet light next to the length of the las tube for that extra scrubbing power :slight_smile: Ok Over kill again…

Just need to figure out the DAWN factor. ( and they mentioned it by brand name too)

Finally, if you run your laser for 1-2hrs ( actual LASER ON Time) each workday,
that is only 40hrs a month, which for me is on the high side, I may get an hour of actual cutting time each day.. on average… 8-18ma 20-60% power.
I’ll never get to upgrade to tube to a 150w…at this wear rate. :winking_face_with_tongue:

I do need to pull the las machine away from the wall and re-do the 8" air exhaust so I can easily open the back las tube cover for inspection…
(built in spy camera ???) Hmmm another project… and I have one just lying around…

Once again Ed / Jack experience is key, thanks for sharing…
You just saved me some work I believe…

5

UV doesn’t make it through glass, but don’t let me get in the way of what will surely become an interesting shop project. :grin:

Given the number of different Dawn dish detergents, it sure feels like an urban legend. Might have mattered back in the day, but now it’s just another story.

The pump impeller has should have a decent seal between the water side and the motor side, so it’s not clear where the detergent would act. If it’s suppressing pond scum, then algaecide should do the trick. If a few drops is supposed to be a lubricant, I have a couple of really great investment opportunities for you.

Not to worry: the gas mix inside the tube deteriorates even in a closed box on the shelf. It’ll go bad after a few years, no matter what you do or don’t do.

Make sure you have enough wall clearance on the anode end of the machine to accommodate the extension box. :hammer_and_wrench:

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I know UVA can make it thru glass, but not sure if there is any ‘scrubbing’
benefits… `🤓 pipe dreams anyway…

Agree, I would hope they designed the pump for some sort of discomfort in the long run… so no DAWN l unless there is a DAWN expert that chimes in…

Knowing me After a year, I will probably justify the upgrade no matter what,
and I have a great metal shop guy I will have make the tube extension box as it turns out about 8 inches only… so lots of room to expand when needed.. :+1:

Already back from Homedepot this morning… Other home stuff to do !

7

I’d think the last thing you’d want in a coolant is something that creates bubbles, like a detergent. Can’t see any real use, except making bubbles.

I added propylene glycol to my distilled water. It’s feed to milk cows with when Ketosis is suspected. It’s non toxic. Lowers the freezing level of the water and is not conductive… However it slows the flow by nearly 1/2 if used as a 50% mixture with distilled water..

It created lots of tiny bubbles going through the chillers pump, so much so that the coolant was white. I sent Russ Sadler this video about it and he advised it was ok as the bubbles were tiny and didn’t stick to the lasing tube.

Ran using these for about a year, finally upgraded to the OMTech laser coolant they produce..

Some UV passes through glass, particularly UVA, but UVB is mostly blocked.

:smiley_cat:

8

Thanks Jack, both Ed and your insight are invaluable…

I agree with the DAWN, couldn’t really understand the addition, so better side of caution excludes its use…

Distilled water in a closed system should not breakdown, so I struggle to see the need to replace every 6mos as rule of thumb…

Not exposed to light or air or other impurities, expect those already present in the new closed system… should be fine
but a few drops of algeacide is doable…

So as Ed and yourself have opined, I will just do a visual on the water flow color/bubbles/level and if all is sufficient, then just add the algeacide
and call it complete for another 3 mos before inspection again…

If this makes sense…; :+1:

9

Sounds good to me.

:smiley_cat:

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