After buying an expensive water cooler, a question must pop up: How long does a liquid cooler last on your PC?
Well, the same question also bugged me a few years back when I bought a liquid cooler for myself.
So I got the answer by using the cooler for a long time and gathering as much information as possible from the internet.
Based on my experience, I will answer all your question regarding water coolers.
Tag along!
See our most recent post on CPU cooler won’t install.
How Long Will Your Liquid Cooler Last?
A well-maintained and well-made water cooler will typically last 3-6 years. However, a custom loop liquid cooler will only last 1-3 years. The custom loop liquid cooler has a shorter lifespan than a closed loop AIO because it requires more maintenance.
However, if your custom loop liquid cooler is properly cleaned and flushed on a regular basis, it can go toe to toe with a closed-loop water cooler.
Though liquid cooler manufacturers claim their pump can last about 70,000 hours, which is just around 8 years.
The duration appears to be longer than I said earlier because it is the maximum value provided by the manufacturer for their product.
So, if you want your cooler to last as long as possible, make sure you’ve taken proper care of your liquid cooler.
Also, check out our separate post on can I start a PC without a CPU cooler.
How Does Liquid Cooling Work in a PC
Using the basic principle of thermodynamics, the water cooler dissipates heat from your computer’s processor.
The heatsink, pump, radiator, tube, and fans are the main components of the liquid cooler. Where heat sinks gather heat, pumps circulate water, radiators collect heat, tubes transmit water, and fans blow away heat from the water.
When a processor generates heat, the heat sink absorbs the heat and transmits the heat through the water using one of the tubes.
After that, the heated water enters the radiator, and the radiator fan dissipates heat from the water.
After cooling off, the water returns to the heatsink by another tube to absorb the processor’s heat again.
In a nutshell, a liquid cooler transfers heat from warmer to cooler objects by circulating water, which is a fundamental concept of thermodynamics.
Here’s a complete guide on how to know if CPU cooler is compatible with Motherboard.
How To Tell If Your Cooler Needs Maintenance
The transparent tube makes it simple to determine whether your open-loop water cooler needs maintenance.
If your water looks discolored or cloudy, you need to change the liquid of your water cooler immediately.
Since some liquids are transparent, you may not notice if they are cloudy or faded. In these cases, you must monitor the temperature of your CPU to see whether your liquid cooler requires maintenance.
When you notice that the temperature is higher than you had anticipated, you should change the liquid in your open-loop cooler; however, if you have an AIO, you must change the entire cooler.
Additionally, watch out for leaks. A leak may occur in extremely rare instances. Due to the numerous joints in an open loop water cooler, leaks can occur.
However, compared to an open loop cooler, the likelihood of a liquid leak is much lower with a closed loop cooler.
Therefore, you must be cautious of leaks. Any liquid spilling from your cooler indicates that it needs servicing.
Check out our recent article on do you need a CPU cooler.
How To Extend the Life of Your Liquid Cooler
The key to increasing the lifespan of your water cooler is regular maintenance. With the exception of the radiator and fan, everything on an AIO cooler is sealed up, making maintenance incredibly simple.
You just need to clean an AIO’s radiator and fans because those are the only two components that aren’t sealed.
On the other hand, with a custom cooler, you must drain all of the liquid, dispose of it, and replace it on a yearly basis because coolant loses effectiveness with time and may become hazy or discolored.
So, for both functional and cosmetic reasons, yearly flushes are the greatest method to keep the system in good working order.
Apart from draining the system, you should clean the cylinder, fans, radiators, and any associated components to help your liquid cooler last longer.
FAQs
Does liquid cooling last forever?
The close loop cooler will not last forever because any component can fail at any time, and these components are not replaceable. On the other hand, a custom cooler can last indefinitely—as long as you’re ready to replace parts as needed.
How often should you change your liquid cooling PC?
In order to prevent particulate buildup and guarantee excellent thermal performance, I advise changing the fluid in your bespoke cooling system once every 12 months.
Is liquid cooling silent?
Although they are not completely silent, liquid coolers are usually significantly quieter than air coolers, especially when they are under load.
Conclusion
How long your liquid cooler will last on your computer entirely depends on how well you maintain it.
I hope that by going through this post, you have received your desired answers and will use the information to maintain your water cooler properly.
Feel free to leave a comment or inquiry below.
