Slight leak from water cooling system

[LordMagnet]

Hello all. Although I've been lurking here for awhile, this is my first post. So please excuse if I have done something incorrect.

I was just installing a water cooling system into a computer (it's a NZXT closed loop system with a small radiator that attaches to a 120mm fan) and I noticed some drops coming out of it. From what I can see it is coming from the radiator, and not from any of the tubes or connection points. It is only a few drops and it seems to leak only when I am moving the tubes around (such as when I was mounting it). No leaks since it's been mounted.

The cooling system is a couple years old at this point, but I haven't experienced it leaking before. I had to custom fabricate mounting this system into this computer case, and I know some screws briefly hit the radiator fins/blades. Could that have caused a leak?

Anyways, so I'm just wondering: Is a little leaking normal? Am I screwed? Should I run the system and see if it leaks any? Should I not even attempt anything, and chuck it? Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Maxx_Power]

That leak is not normal. If you want to determine if the screws were the culprit, you have to take it off the case and look at it with a flashlight. It is very likely, since most of the radiators are built from a fairly brittle metal (except for Swiftech, who uses copper).

You MIGHT be able to refill it and repair it, if the leak is easy to get access to.

Once the leak drains a significant amount of the coolant, your CPU temperatures will skyrocket, and do so very fast. You might risk thermal instabilities, hard freezes, or damage (since the thermal throttling on the chips may not kick in fast enough).

 

[06yfz450ridr]

trying to refill a closed unit is basically impossible without air i mean. either find the leak and silicone or epoxy it or return it

 

[rubix_1011]

Sounds like you had a screw pierce a radiator tube...with a closed loop cooler its not simple to fix and re-fill (but not impossible)....but it's likely just better to just replace the cooler.

 

[Maxx_Power]

trying to refill a closed unit is basically impossible without air i mean. either find the leak and silicone or epoxy it or return it

The air is fine, because all of these rads are designed with a "room" on the top, so when you orient it in the recommended way, the air bubble remains at the top of the rad and will not get into the cooling loop. They are not vacuum sealed to get rid of air.

You CAN refill them, by carefully drilling a TINY hole near the top of the chambers, use a syringe to fill the chamber (not to full, check how many grams there are supposed to be in that loop from the specs, and use 1cc ~= 1gram of coolant). Then sealed the hole with a screw and put silicone over it, or just silicone it shut.

In the early days of closed-loop cooling, people did try this to great results after some of their coolant evaporated (happens anyway).

 

[cats_Paw]

Trying to mod a closed loop is like farting in a small room... its bound to go badly.

I dont advice toying with that unless you totally take it apart the rad from the tubes (thats assuming you have identifeid the leakage correctly).
Personally i Runned my loop for 24 hours before plguing the PC on even if this was my 5th purge/refill.

 

[LordMagnet]

Thanks for all the informative and quick responses, everyone. I just got home and found a puddle under it, so I have no hope for it. I am just going to throw it out, and order a $30 cpu fan. This case is just not radiator friendly (thus the reason for the [terrible] custom mount job). Thanks again.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Thanks for all the informative and quick responses, everyone. I just got home and found a puddle under it, so I have no hope for it. I am just going to throw it out, and order a $30 cpu fan. This case is just not radiator friendly (thus the reason for the [terrible] custom mount job). Thanks again.

I hope it didn't cost you too much... But you are very welcome!