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noob with a leak

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splat

splat

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Joined
Apr 6, 2002
i got a kit for free so I decided to try watercooling for the first time. the kit came with spring/pinch type hose clamps. i was running leak free for about 24hrs but then i noticed my screen going a little haywire and the computer finally shut itself off. i opened the case and noticed a puddle on top of the vidcard. i tried to clean it up but it looks like it made its way to the front side of the card and to the core. So a new card was delivered today. I reset the clamp on the leaky barb two days ago and it's been sitting idle fine with no leak. Installed the new card, fired up the computer and after a few minutes I touched the end of the hose and felt water.

so. what's my next move? is there a way to put a new clamp on without draining/dismantling?
 
Zipties! If you know where the leak is, and it is because of the clamp, that should work without removing everything :)

Or, if you have some small worm drive clamps, you could dismantle the clamp, loop it around then re-assemble it.
 
zipties i have, excellent idea!

edit: so far so good, knock on wood.
 
Last edited:
always, ALWAYS leak test with everything installed and no power going to the pc. When you installed the clamp and it leak tested fine, then moved the block around to mount it to the card, it pulled something loose or changed the way everything was compressing on the nipple. Always put the loop in place and jump the PSU off....
 
you can install most plumbing worm drive clamps without dismantling the loop btw, just depends on how tight the space is.
 
i would get a worm clamp. zipties would be my last resort, then again before i judge them i guess i should try them. i am going by what others say.
 
Agreed Spawn. Zips might be enough. Worm screwdrive clamps are by design better, I'll go with the better, my new rig it sure would be easier to use 7/16 and zips, but no chances for me.
 
of course if you are building a brand new loop from scratch then it doesn't make sense to use zipties...but if you need a quick dirty fix, then it seems to have fixed my problem.
 
nope. zip ties seem to be holding. i put two on; one on each side of the metal clamp.
 
I don't know what size hose you are using, but when using 1/2"ID hose on 1/2" barbs, I won't use anything less than either plastic or worm drive clamps. With 7/16"ID tubing over Bitspower barbs, double clamps is all that is needed. If I had a spring clamp leak, I wouldn't trust zip ties to make it the long haul. I personally would get a worm drive or plastic clamp on there. I can buy the plastic clamps here at a local ACE hardware. They cost too much, but if I just need one, it can save ordering and waiting for shipping. A plastic clamp will slip right over as well.
 
i use zip ties on systems with absolutely no problems and have had them on one system im looking at right now for the past 4 years, and that is just one example.

all you have to do is make sure you use some common sense.
ive never had any leaks and i have built more systems than you can possibly imagine.
 
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