[Amps] water purity/conductivity in water cooled, tube, > amplifiers

[Roger (K8RI)]

We use what we have, what we can afford, and / or what's available.  
That said, brass is one of the poorest metals to use with DI, or 
distilled water.
BUT On the positive side, even with monster QRO amps, their runs are of 
a relatively short duration.  I've seen around 30, 12KW RF generators  
that have shared cooling water running through them 24 X 7.  There was 
the occasional down time for various reasons, but the resistivity was 
only checked on a weekly basis.  24 X 7 That's 168 hours each per week, 
but with 30 that cooling system was receiving 5,040 hours per week.  If 
the water is changed every 20 weeks, that is roughly 100,800 hours per 
water change.  As I remember the water tank was somewhere between 500 
and 1000 gallons
"IF" the amp has only a couple gallons capacity and it runs, say 25 
hours per week, experience tells me that unless there is something 
unusual about the system, "I would expect" the need to change the water 
as once or twice a year. It might go several years.

73 and good luck,
Roger (K8RI)


On 4/23/2018 11:33 PM, Randy wrote:
> On 4/23/2018 9:28 AM, amps-request at contesting.com wrote:
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> I know that really pure water is actually corrosive and will do it's
>> best to gain ions in order to get to some natural level of
>> minerals/contaminants.??? I built the coolers out of several pieces of
>> brass and hard silver brazed it all together.? I know the electrical
>> current will cause an etching or eroding effect of the materials in the
>> cooler, but I used what I had.?? At this point, I have no idea how often
>> I will changing? out the water.? Could be after only 10 hours of use, or
>> it may be 100 hours and the cooler may rot out in no time.
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
> Just wondering out loud... I'd bet some cars have either all-plastic 
> radiators, or, maybe plastic heater cores for the A/C. Maybe that 
> would remove the issues of metal ions from the heat-exchanger. 
> Undoubtedly less efficient at removing heat from the water than metal, 
> but size cures a lot of ills.
>
>
> Randy
> KZ4RV
>
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-- 
Roger (K8RI)


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