LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I saw one video on YouTube saying that distilled water isn't enough. You should add a couple of capfuls (1 oz?) to your chiller water.

Here is what I got from the video:

1. Use a chiller with a condenser (no radiator)
2. Distilled water
3. 1 oz of bleach
4. Change water every 60 days

Any opinions on the use of bleach? Harmful for the tube or chiller?

Sorry, newbie here. Just realized this forum is for RDWorks. Probably should post this type of question on another site?

I think this is an appropriate question for this forum Dan. Personally, I use RV antifreeze (pink) mixed with distilled water (with a chiller similar to a CW-5000), and I only change it every year unless I see algae growing in it. 60 days sounds like overkill. The key is to prevent the water from seeing daylight so that algae can't grow as easily, so I cover all of my tubes with black cable covers. Distilled water with a little bleach is probably just as good.

Dan Foreman wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 I saw one video on YouTube saying that distilled water isn't enough. You should add a couple of capfuls (1 oz?) to your chiller water.

Here is what I got from the video:

1. Use a chiller with a condenser (no radiator)
2. Distilled water
3. 1 oz of bleach
4. Change water every 60 days

Any opinions on the use of bleach? Harmful for the tube or chiller?

I see that your laser is 130W. At that wattage, yes, a chiller (not a radiator) is required. For my 50W, a bucket of water is fine. I use a bucket with a lid.
Distilled water? Depends on the mineral content of other water sources. My tap water has a low mineral content, so I just use that. In other places, the tap water has a high mineral content, so distilled water is required. The goal is to prevent mineral buildup on the inside of the chiller and the tube.
I add no additives (but my tap water is chlorinated) and change every 6 months.

I use distilled water with just enough antifreeze to add some colour to tell at a glance if there's water in the laser tube or not.

There's enough antifreeze to protect it down to about -10C (laser is in an unheated garage), but not enough to affect the laser.

The reason the manufactures do not recommend additive is because many are corrosive to some of the components in these coolers......they are not built to the same standards as automotive radiators.

A good discussion:

https://atklaser.co.uk/2019/08/17/laser ... d-to-know/