It leaked.

[dave343]

While I’m using the system yesterday for a few hours I kept looking at the tank, and notice it’s getting slightly lower. But whatever... I chalked it up to bubbles making there way through the system, which I've read happens so ok. Fast forward a few more hours, it's midnight, I check on the system and now the tank is 2/3 full... hmm, must have been a big bubble right? yes, that must be it ... well, I still didn’t check, I just went to bed.

Well, woke up this morning to a 1/3 full tank. Pulled the panel off and sure enough there’s water on the bottom of the case, but thankfully limited to the front and since all the metal is perforated it just made its way down to the desk.

Yikes... so thankfully is isn’t leaking from a fitting or bend. The leak is on the back where I have the drain port hooked up. The EK DDC 140 res/pump has 3 ports, the main IN came with this silver fitting which recedes into the port. The OUT didn’t, and the other IN where I have the drain hooked up, just had a plug which receded into the port making it flush. So both the OUT and the drain 2nd IN I used fittings which don’t recede all the way into those ports... only the main IN I’m using the provided silver EK fitting. The drain port and the OUT I’m using 8mm extenders, m-f, that screwed in ok but stopped when the ports holes are smaller than the diameter of the extender fitting. I hope that explains it ok. I've attached a picture where you can see both the IN and OUT beside each other and the IN has the provided EK fitting that receeds into it's port, where the OUT I used a 8mm extender. On the back of the pump, the 2nd IN is the 2nd 8mm extender and that one is leaking. See pics.

When I was looking at PPCS and my local Dazmodes, I tried looking for fitting a that would recede into those OUT and 2nd IN ports, just like the provided EK silver fitting, but everything just listed as diameter size. Even under reservoir fittings I couldn’t see anything.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

You got lucky! Losing that much fluid and not having it run over any electrical components is rare.

I always drape a bunch of paper towels around everything whenever I fire up a newly constructed loop. Let it run for a few minutes and then check for leaks. Then let it run for an hour and check again... if good, then run a final overnight check just to be sure.

 

[dave343]

You got lucky! Losing that much fluid and not having it run over any electrical components is rare.

I always drape a bunch of paper towels around everything whenever I fire up a newly constructed loop. Let it run for a few minutes and then check for leaks. Then let it run for an hour and check again... if good, then run a final overnight check just to be sure.

Yeah, I do considering it a lucky leak since it happened where it did... and most of the water just flowed down to the desk. I did leak test the system for about 5hrs, this was Sunday, and then yesterday woke up to a full res tank, so didn't suspect any leaks. Wasn't until yesterday and then this am

 

[THRESHIN]

Very lucky. I once fried a perfectly good motherboard from a leak. Mostly because I was stupid and wanted to turn it on before I had it completely cleaned up.

That stupid mistake forced me to upgrade. It was my old operton 165 system. By the time this happened nobody was making s939 boards anymore or using DDR1.

 

[Nobu]

Koolance has diagrams showing actual dimensions of all their fittings, I think bitspower and ek do too. Barrow probably doesn't, but you can check their website.

The unit (inch, mm, etc) may be off in the corner of the diagram to save space around the drawing.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Hmm, only one thing is certain. Plumbing and electrical components do not mix. Air cooling FTW.

Man, you're right! No wonder water heaters and filters are so dangerous and unreliable!

 

[lopoetve]

You got lucky! Losing that much fluid and not having it run over any electrical components is rare.

I always drape a bunch of paper towels around everything whenever I fire up a newly constructed loop. Let it run for a few minutes and then check for leaks. Then let it run for an hour and check again... if good, then run a final overnight check just to be sure.

I'm trying to track down an ~intermittent~ leak of some kind. Did a 24 hour leak test, no issues. Turned it sideways briefly to catch something that had come loose, no leaks. Did another 24 hour leak test, no leaks.

Ran temp checks/etc for a day, no leaks (fully posted). Good to go.

Fired it up and played some doom, let it go to sleep - 3 days later, small puddle on the bottom. Dried it up - 1 week, no leaks. Even on paper I left in there. Then two days ago... small puddle. It's like it just drops a handful of drops, and then... stops. And it's not temp or pressure. It's a fucking puppy peeing in my shoes. With everything as it is, would be hard for water to get to the electrics - motherboard is a ways away and 4" higher, and it'll hit the holes in the bottom and drop through before then.

 

[lopoetve]

Time to up the viscosity of the fluid, mate.

.

... How?

 

[THRESHIN]

Differential fluid

Just make sure that's a full synthetic gear oil you're using

 

[DWolvin]

But in all seriousness, if you didn't already fix this- just pull the fitting, and check for any burr or grit around the o-ring seal area (between pump body and inner fitting). If nothing, lube the o-ring with a drop of water and turn hand tight plus a quarter turn and retest. I've had that type of leak a few times in my earlier loops, I'd almost bet that's what happened...