Are corsair liquid coolers really maintenance free?

Exploring my options on water cooling, maintenance free sounds pretty good. but is it true? im looking at the corsair hydra series h80. Any input would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

These closed loop coolers are not true watercoolers. If you read the reviews the higher end H80 and H100 are about as good as the higher end air coolers but they are louder and more expensive. If case space is not a problem you are better off with a good air cooler.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5054 [...] reviewed/7

Just make sure to remember to clean out the dust routinely. Even water cooling setups are susceptible to dust build up because they're just a beefed-up air cooling with a water loop.

I agree that the H50's originally had issues however Corsair have sorted out teething problems and the later variants seem to be solid solutions (in the right scenario ofc)
In any system a routine once-over with the air can or similar is a given,
but I find that people who spend good money to have a top line Pc will attend to cleaning more readily, in the same way that custom Bike/car owners will be 'always washing the damn thing'
I disagree on the 'Nothing beat a good old fashioned after market heat sink and fan combo' comment, I would say a halfarsed watercooling attempt is often outperformed by an aircooler,(In which case yes, shouldn't have bothered or made more effort)
but a decent loop should outperform air easily
disclaimer: By decent W/c I don't personally consider all in ones to be decent
Moto

Not at all, I assumed the Op to have the required level of intellect to draw the message from that himself,
Bad water can, and often will be beaten by a good air set up.

I merely disliked the particular stament which I quoted because it is false,
there are cooling solutions out there that will beat a HS and fan,
and again,
*In any system a routine once-over with the air can or similar is a given*
I assumed a certain level of nous from the reader and that most 'enthusiasts' whether water or aircooling will clean their Pc from time to time, as opposed to office Pc's or usual home Pc's (which never get cleaned till they break)

I wasn't picking at you so don't misunderstand my post as an attack,
It wasn't intended as one, and still isn't.
Moto

some things are best left unsaid.