A DIY enthusiast shows on YouTube what happens when you fill a water cooler with cola. The result surprises him. However, he advises against using it as a coolant for an extended period.
A water cooler can be a good method for properly cooling your computer if installed and used correctly. The circuit is usually filled with water.
But a YouTuber wanted to know what happens when you use a different liquid instead of water. His test with cola turned out surprisingly.
Cola in a water cooler is not a good idea in the long run
What did the YouTuber do? mryeester is a tinkerer who showcases entertaining experiments related to PC hardware on his YouTube channel. In one of his recent videos, he demonstrates how well cola serves as a liquid in a water cooler.
In a loose test setup, he fills the sweet soda into the circuit of a water cooler. The cola flows through the hoses into the radiator via the expansion tank with the pump, the heatsink on the processor and back into the tank.
During this, mryeester immediately notices the many small bubbles in the water cooler. These are formed when the carbon dioxide in the cola separates back into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. This always happens when you open a bottle with a carbonated drink, for example.
Why is this a problem? When you open a bottle with carbonation, the pressure inside the bottle immediately drops. The carbon dioxide separates from the water and escapes as a gas. Due to the low pressure, the solubility of CO2 in water decreases.
Through a hose that is not securely attached to the expansion tank, the pressure in the water cooler circuit gradually decreases, and the gas escapes along with a portion of the liquid at the leak.
After the tinkerer resolved the issue, he could continue his test and wanted to find out what temperatures the processor reaches in his test setup.
How hot does the CPU get? Under normal operation, the processor only reaches 30 degrees. According to the YouTuber, the same value can be achieved with regular mineral water.
If the CPU is put under load, the temperature rises to as much as 74 degrees. For him, this is a respectable result. Unfortunately, he does not specify the model used in his video.
Is cola suitable as a coolant? No, definitely not in the long run. Aside from the initial issues with the leaking liquid, no major problems are to be expected due to the short use.
However, if the cola stays in the water cooler circuit for an extended period, serious damage to the internal components is imminent. The soda is sugary and would settle over time in the hoses and the rest of the system.
Furthermore, the cola can attack mechanical components due to its acidity and make, for example, the pump in the expansion tank unusable. For this reason, only (distilled) water should be used.
pablorosada9788 fears what many people believe in the comments:
If the pump of the water cooler is not destroyed by the acid, the sugar in the cola will crystallize out in nearly every conceivable location in the long run, which can ultimately destroy your PC […]
Comment by pablorosada9788 on YouTube
With a water cooler, there are several things to consider to avoid damaging your computer. Another user opted not to use an unusual liquid for their water cooling. Instead, he exposed part of his water cooling to freezing temperatures: User hangs water cooler in the icy winter air, hopes for extreme cooling of his PC – Others warn: ‘Not the best idea’
