Hello all, Im new to owning a 60w Omtech laser, recently changed my setup to fit my space better which is now requiring me to have longer tubing. The chiller is a CW-5200 and the manual states to use just distilled water for operation. So I was wondering if I used Vinyl tubing between the laser input & ouput to the chillers input & outputs, would that have a problem or does it “HAVE” to be silicone tubing as it came with?
Also, Since its a closed loop does it really need any kind of Algaecide? If so what would you recommend.
Based on my experience with chillers in other electronic applications…
Silicone won’t leak anything into the water. Vinyl may, but not sure. Ask yourself, “Why did THEY use more expensive tubing?”
If you add anything to distilled water, it is no longer distilled. Distilled water, and not with antifreeze, is used because distilled water is non-conductive (Google if if you don’t believe me). It is usually used where water and electricity are mixed, which is usually a big NO-NO.
I’m using Silicone tubing on my system… the cost of each are similar, and I prefer the added flexibility of the Silicone. An excellent article on the matter can be found here:
I have a 5202 chiller… I lived in the Phoenix Arizona area in the SW deserts, never really freezes but gets pretty warm. No need for special coolant. I did add 1 drop/3l of coolant of algaecide from the local fish store. Don’t know how anything could grow in just water, but it did…
Moved up to an area it does freeze, replaced the coolant with an OMTech laser coolant. It is similar to automobile antifreeze but doesn’t have the additives the cause it to be conductive. It is poison to animal and it’s sweet tasting… There is one that is mixed has an additive that makes it not poisonous to people and animals but it’s only available from Europe somewhere. Shipping make is costly.
You can get the same thing as OMTech coolant from Amazon, at a substantially lower cost. I think I paid < $40 a gallon from Amazon.
I run both types of tubes on mine and have been a for a long time… I keep the hoses around the tube itself silicon, because they are much more flexible…
The Laser God article by @JMartin is a good reference…
These tubes are excited by high voltage… it, like all other potentials (voltages) will find their way to ground by the least inductive path (equates to least resistance for DC). If the potential is high enough the anode voltage can complete the gap (or jump) to the coolant and make every metal part exposed to the coolant at the hv potential. If the coolant isn’t conductive in any way, this cannot occur in normal operations…
