Well i got my system up and running for a test run. I used about 5% Zerex and 95% distilled water for my coolant. It began to foam and bubble like crazy. I figured at first that it would work itself out, but after about 6 hours, it was pumping almost all foam. I drained the system and tried again, only to get more foam. Finally, I drained the entire system and ran a fresh gallon of distilled water. With just the distilled water, it didnt foam at all and the pump was quiter without the foam and air bubbles.

Basically, my question is, do I need the Zerex all that much? It only seems to be causing problems. Also, any homemade solutions to algae killing? I had rinsed my resevoir with hot tap water once before filling the system (had a leak) and now im worried that any dried water that was in the resevoir will have microorganisms in it. What do i use to kill them?

You will need some sort of additive. What kind of Zerex is that your using? I would try a different antifreeze. As for algea I would recommend heading to petsmart or any pet store, and picking of a little bottle of algea killer (usually under 5 bucks and it will last a lifetime).

I was using a little bottle of Zerex I ordered from Danger Den when I got my heatercore. As for the algae killer, that sounds like a great idea. I'm going to head to petsmart sometime this afternoon. What kind of antifreeze would you suggest?

I would try the zerex and distilled one more time I run about 7% zerex and the rest water with a few drops of UV dye and algea killer. Try that ratio again and see if it yields the same results. Mine foamed a little but went away when the system was about full. Now it has some little bubbles in the res.


EDIT: just noticed that some water pimps are looking so they should be able to help out greatly. (I hope )

Oddly enough, some antifreeze and additives like Water Wetter with "anti-foaming" agents will cause excessive bubbling in some systems. Usually those with a powerful pump. You've probably got someplace in you're loop that is allowing air to mix with the coolant, a reservoir is the most likely place. Mine does the same thing. I use a bit of plastic filter material between the inlet of the res and where it's likely to hit the trapped air inside the res. By diffusing the in-rush of coolant to the res, my coolant stays crystal clear.

Good advice from Speacialblend218 on the algae killer, but you'll still need protection from galvanic corrosion. So keep some kind of antifreeze or other additive for the coolant.

okay well I just added a small amount of Zerex to the distilled water. Seems to be working ok. The bubbles arent nearly as bad as they were and seem to be disappearing. I only added enough that the water is a very light pink color. Maybe 3rd time is the charm. In response to the pump thing, I'm using a Hydor L35.