New XSPC Dual Bay D5 Issues.

[ssjwizard]

Ok so I noted before I purchased these that one other user here on these forums had reported a potential problem with the new nylon D5 dual bay reservoir that XSPC has put out. I almost avoided purchasing them, but they fit my stylistic preferences, and I got them combo deal with the pumps from PPCs.

So I ordered three of these units and installed them right away, no issues to report and they are even quieter than I expected they would be!

Now flash forward 6 weeks later. One of the two units has a minor leak which I conclude could be an improperly tightened fitting or something along those lines, so I break it down, clean it, check all my fittings, and replace some of the tubing.

All seems ok but 30 mins after I get it installed its leaking again..... So I pull it down again dry it out overnight, add silicone to anywhere that looks like it could potentially leak and seal it all back up again. Two days later the leaking reappears.

At this point Im fairly certain that the leak is coming from below the top plate and the reservoir body; Just above where the outlet is.

At this point I have now spent a grand total of 10-20 hours of unnecessary labor trying to make this reservoir usable and its not going to happen. I have contacted XSPC directly to see if they have an answer for me, but if they offer anything less than a replacement for me its not going to be a pretty day.

I would caution anyone who is considering buying one of these reservoirs to look at other options, as this apears to be a fairly common problem among these units.

I also dredged up another thread from a few months back where another user reported the same issues HERE


Below is the short message I have sent the for initial contact.

Hello, I currently own 3 of your newer model D5 Dual Bay Reservoirs. However, I am having problems with one of them. This particular res started leaking five or six weeks after installing it. Of course I took this to be user error and have replaced the tubing and fittings attached to the reservoir. After reinstalling and discovering that the leak is still persistent I removed it and added silicone to each of the exposed edges except for the pump clamp ring area. This worked well for a few days but the reservoir has begun leaking again.

Based on my observations the leak appears to be coming from between the top plate and the reservoir body. At this point I would request a replacement unit.

 

[DaaG]

Would you mind linking the unit in question? Thanks in advance.

 

[Boulard83]

Nice to know, thanks

 

[Tzvia]

Yea, I had the same issue with the one I bought mid last December. Mine developed several leaks around the top. Over where the fittings are, the right side as you face it, and along the front top. I noticed this in early February, and as I had heard of others with this issue, a replacement was out of the question and I decided that my time is worth more than messing with the vendor. So I replaced it with the Alphacool Repack double/dual bay as I wanted the option of a second pump if I needed it down the road. Once I had that installed (and it's really nice BTW, but slow to fill but that's a minor issue), I decided to see what had gone so very wrong so quickly with my not so old res.

To me it just looks like bad design. The material warps when warmed. I removed the lid, which was held not just with screws, but a few spots of glue on the sides but it was not enough to stop other areas from leaking as the top warped. In some areas, like the back over the fittings, there is a big distance between screws and no spot for glue. The pressure of the O ring was enough to push the lid up between the screws; I could see the O ring before removing the lid. So I put RTV sealant in the O ring bed and reinstalled the O ring. I then heated up the lid in warm water and flattened it under some books. Then some JB Weld was applied all the way around and the lid reinstalled, and it was left for several days to dry. It was then tested by heating in very hot water, then turning it upside down and filling it partially with very hot water. So I guess it's a spare now.

It will be interesting to see what XSPC says. Hope it turns out well for you.

 

[exia989]

Thats interesting that you are having such problems with that res/pump combo. I'm running the same thing in my rig, haven't had a single leak (that i know of) since i installed it. I've had the entire rig travel across the state and back, and i've removed the entire loop from my rig to cut some holes in it, and have never once had a leak in it. Maybe the ones that people are having issues are just mildly defective, cuz i can't say that I have the same issue in mine

 

[Conumdrum]

Manufacturing changes so could be the manufacturer (not XSPC) trying lesser materials to save a few Yuan. Is yours over 1 year ol?

 

[exia989]

If that is directed at me, the answer is no. I picked up the EX240 kit just after Christmas

 

[Conumdrum]

If that is directed at me, the answer is no. I picked up the EX240 kit just after Christmas

Hmm, yes was for you. Thanks for the input. Could be a bad batch of the top material, not supposed to bend like that, who knows.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Good to know, hopefully they will resolve the issue for you and replace the unit.

 

[ssjwizard]

I purchased mine in the beginning of January, so there good odds they are from the same batch, but probably from the same process. I also have 2 others that are not having issues like this particular one does. Prior to this leak I would have called this one of the best reservoirs I ever used TBH. However, given the fairly common nature of this failure I find it necessary to let people know.

As always its a waiting game, Im sure I wont hear back from XSPC for another few days.

 

[teknic111]

I just built a brand new system using this reservoir. After two weeks water started coming out of the seam between the body and top panel. It looks like the water pushed out whatever glue or silicone the factory used to seal it shut, causing it to spring a leak. Very poor design! I would not advise anyone to buy this unit!

Here's a pic...

https://imgur.com/umpqNYj

Is this the same thing that happened to you?

 

[ssjwizard]

Mine was leaking from the same area. Just above the fittings. Basically right where the lid seals the pump outlet chamber.

I did get a response from XSPC but it was in pretty poor english and very brief. I decided rather than waste weeks of my time shipping it in and getting a new one, I would fix it for good myself.

After a short chat with my brother inlaw who is a PHD chemist about potential options for a glue to use on this reservoir I decided to use a 5 minute epoxy made by locktite. Its called (forgot, will edit later) and designed for use on plastics. I mixed up the entire tube and slathered it every place the O-Ring used to be and around all the edges, and then I screwed the top back on and let it set over night.

Its been up and running for about 36 hours now without an issue.

 

[exia989]

Interesting...after looking at that pic and then checking out mine, in the same area when i shine a light in there i can see some red, which i can only believe is my coolant. However, i see no indications that mine is leaking (at the moment). I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on my res. I'm planning on expanding my loop this summer anyways, might go and get a different res for my system afterall.

 

[ssjwizard]

Mine did not have any blue sealant in it. I did however notice that the O-Ring had been super glued into place, and it apears they tried to do the same thing with the area just above the pump outlet.

The O-Ring in mine is a medium red color. I have no idea what its density was because removing the lid from my reservoir required breaking that superglue seal, and the O-Ring was destroyed in the process.

 

[exia989]

So the o-ring at the top is a red color? Then maybe mine is fine and I'm just being paranoid now

 

[teknic111]

Interesting...after looking at that pic and then checking out mine, in the same area when i shine a light in there i can see some red, which i can only believe is my coolant. However, i see no indications that mine is leaking (at the moment). I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on my res. I'm planning on expanding my loop this summer anyways, might go and get a different res for my system afterall.

It seems you are about to have the same problem. The blue you see in my pic is from my blue coolant i use pushing out the factory glue. Your unit can spring a leak at any time. I would advise you swap it out sooner than later.

 

[ssjwizard]

Well the fact that you can see the O-Ring pretty much means your likely going to develop a leak in the near future. When these came out of the box I could not see the O Ring at all. Strangely I have others that are perfectly fine and still have not shown indications that they are going to fail soon.

 

[exia989]

well unfortunately, im not really in a position to change my res out. It will be at least another month before i would be able to do so. Being in college kinda makes this stuff hard

 

[ssjwizard]

Just keep an eye on it. If you start getting air in the loop you know you have sprung a leak. If you do I recommend simply taking the lid off and epoxying it back on.

 

[exia989]

Sounds like a plan. I thought i noticed a few bubbles in my loop recently, however i did just transport the computer across the state and back a few weeks ago, so it could just be from the car shaking up the coolant and whatnot