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My two cents worth...
As long as there is no aluminum or galavnized components, you could safely use a diluted inhibited sulfamic acid descaler for flushing, followed by a water flush and filling with an inhibited coolant. An inhibited sulfamic acid is safe for carbon steel, copper, brass, stainless steel and almost all plastics. If it is too dilute, the inhibition won't work and it will take too long, so follow the vendor's directions. A household descaler (e.g., CLR) can substitute if the materials are compatible. A 20:1 dilution of normal vinegar (5% acetic acid) to give a 0.25% acetic acid solution can also work but it takes longer and you need to be really thorough with the water flush afterwards. If the LED/laser cooling block itself is partly blocked with scale, you will need a way to pulse the flow through it (after flushing the loose stuff) such as with a syringe pulsed by hand. That will force fresh fluid through the smallest channels.
I used both CLR and acetic acid in my systems, and, so far at least, haven't broken one.
Most manufacturers recommend against distilled water because the dissolved CO2 is slightly corrosive. If the unit has dissimilar metals touching (bad design), you will need an inhibited low conductivity coolant and will need to change it occasionally. If any of the tubing is plastic and allows light through, you will also need an appropriate algicide in the formulation.
Andrew Eisenhawer
Sent from my Samsung device over Bell's LTE network.
-------- Original message --------
From: Michael Giacomelli <
[hidden email]>
Date: 08-23-2015 12:27 PM (GMT-08:00)
To:
[hidden email]
Subject: cleaning laser chillers
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We have a few old laser chillers (thermotek, Coherent) that haven't
been used in some time. I changed out the tubing (which had become
quite foul) and the chillers themselves seem to be working, but theres
probably a lot of corrosion still in the internals of the laser heat
exchangers and the chillers themselves. Certainly a lot came out when
flushing.
What do people use to flush these out? Google turns up everything
from acetic acid to H2O2 and bleach, but I'm a little hesitant to try
those.
Michael
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