Major h2o leak!!! HELP!!!!

[mustangman]

I ran a twenty four hour leak test on my new Gemini high flow and everything seemed cool. I removed my old block and put in the new one and fired up the pumps and disaster struck.! The center barb turned into a geiser. I have water all over my mobo and cards. I have done my best to dry everything with lint free towels but things are still a little damp what shoud I do other than not fire it up for a while? I took the block out and looded at it and it appears that the barb somehow unscrewed partially from the plexi top. What type of epoxy should I use to seal the plastic barb back into the plexi top? HELP!!!!

 

[overdoze]

The barb on gemini block are suppose to be a little loose. Mine is too although I have no leak after the fix. If you tighten the barb too much it will create leak beween the copper block and the mica top. Are you sure it comes from there?. Or does it comes from the side?

I would use teflon tape or some sillcon seal if the leak is from the barb. If it leak from the side loosen the barb a little and tighten the cap a little.

 

[mustangman]

Yeah I'm positive it is cominf from the barb. I could see it coming from there I already checked to see for exactly where the leak was. Any advice for drying the system out other than what I have already done?

 

[overdoze]

Use the vacumm to clean your mobo from debris if you have some.
did you use distill water? If not wash your wet mobo and cards with distill water and dry it with a dryer. Carefull do not use too high temp setting. You could also use a house fan to dry it (much safer)

 

[mustangman]

Unfortunately I didn't use the good stuff this time. I used tap water! I normally use r/o water but I didn't have enough to fill the bong the r/o system has been running double duty the past couple days and hasn't caught up yet.

 

[mustangman]

I have some pvc cement, do you think that would be ok to use? I haven't really ever dealt with these plastic barbs before all the other blocks I've messed with have had brass barbs. So I don't know what is safe to use with the plastic barbs and I can't find my teflon tape.
You said that you would also try silicone sealant, do you think that marine goop would hold? I have a fresh tube of that.

 

[overdoze]

ok then. wash them with distill water then dry it, then vacumm it make sure it is not wet before powerup

 

[mustangman]

Thanks for the advice! I will start the rest of my clean up as soon as I get another cup of coffee.

 

[killernos]

I advise you to just let everything set out and air dry. I worked tech support and had a lady think her computer insides were "dirty" so she took out all the cards and washed them in a dishwasher and let them dry and it all worked fine. I would also take the cpu out to let the socket dry out.

 

[f155mph]

"I advise you to just let everything set out and air dry. I worked tech support and had a lady think her computer insides were "dirty" so she took out all the cards and washed them in a dishwasher and let them dry and it all worked fine. I would also take the cpu out to let the socket dry out."

That is funny!!!

 

[Cougar522]

they must be tougher than we suspect!

 

[mustangman]

I ended up putting a window fans next to the board after thinking about things for a little bit. I was dead tired when it happened and couldn't think straight.
Thanks for all the help!
That kinda sounds like something my mom would do if she saw dust bunnies in her comp. I better find a way to seal that box up so she can't get in and look at it.
Me: Mom why does your computer smell like lemons?
Mom: Oh, it had dust in it so I got out the pledge and dusted out the inside.
I think you may have just said something that will cause me to have nightmares the rest of my life!!

 

[Maximus Nickus]

Put it in a Towel leave it on a warmish (NOT HOT) radiator for 3 days. You will be 100% safe.

Just don't use a hairdryer! The heat can damage components even at a fair distance and on lower settings.


Good Luck,
M_N

 

[Pepsi]

Air dry it.
I had a similar blow up and just carfully soaked up the water with a lint free towel and let it sit for two three days I it worked fine. I'd avoid using heat (not that it won't work) it's kind of risky.
If it's possible ditch the plastic and go to brass, it sounds like the threads could be stripped. I'd take it down to the local hardware store and at least replace the fitting there are tons of good thread sealants also ask them to help you with that too.
Ramble ramble
Stay Dry
Pepsi

 

[pudgy-duck]

I agree with Pepsi. Replace the top with either brass or copper flat stock, and use brass barbs and solder it all on. You can get 2 inch wide brass flat stock at Ace Harware. I have experimented enough with Plexi and Lexan tops to know that I would never put a water block with a plastic top in my computer. I was thinking of buying a Gemini, but only if Peter would make me one with a copper top and metal barbs. I would even pay extra for it. Now the DD Maze 3 will have a plastic top. I think we will hear a lot more stories like this one until the plastic top craze is over. Because after the hose comes off the water block, you only have a few inches until the case side. So, you are making a bend in the tubing very close to the barbs, and with nylon barbs in threaded plastic, the side stress on the barbs will eventually cause problems.

Just my .02

Mustangman, just out of curiosity. During your 24 hr leak test, was the tubing coming straight off the water block with no bend near the barbs, like a bench test outside the computer, then when installed in the computer was there now a bend in the tubing close to the water block? Also, were you using Vinyl tubing or Silicone tubing? Silicone tubing is flexible enough that you can make a bend without causing too much side stress on the barb. You have to be real careful how you route vinyl tubing, it can put a lot of stress on not only your barbs, but also the entire water block. I have seen vinyl tubing put so much stress on a water block, that the WB wouldn't sit flat on the cpu die.

Blah, Blah. Sorry I was so windy.
Pudge

 

[mustangman]

I agree with Pepsi. Replace the top with either brass or copper flat stock, and use brass barbs and solder it all on. You can get 2 inch wide brass flat stock at Ace Harware. I have experimented enough with Plexi and Lexan tops to know that I would never put a water block with a plastic top in my computer. I was thinking of buying a Gemini, but only if Peter would make me one with a copper top and metal barbs. I would even pay extra for it. Now the DD Maze 3 will have a plastic top. I think we will hear a lot more stories like this one until the plastic top craze is over. Because after the hose comes off the water block, you only have a few inches until the case side. So, you are making a bend in he tubing very close to the barbs, and with nylon barbs in threaded plastic, the side stress on the barbs will eventually cause problems.

Just my .02

Mustangman, just out of curiosity. During your 24 hr leak test, was the tubing coming straight off the water block with no bend near the barbs like a bench test outside the computer, then when installed in the computer was there was a bend in the tubing close to the water block?


Pudge

I did the leak test outside of my case with only a slight bend to the tubing. I always set up my leak tests outside of my case and try to get the bends and so forth as close as possible to what they are in the case. This time I didn't put enough effort into simulatnig the case environment though. I think I got to excited about the new block and rushed to much doing the test setup.

 

[mustangman]

I got the system up and running again and it seems to be fine except that I can't get my last oc of 1848 now. Oh well at least it works. I think my psu might have taken a little bit of a hit though because my +5 and 3.3 are running lower than what they were before. They were bad before but are even worse now.
I think I need to lap my gemini again though because my idle temps still suck, [email protected].
Thanks for all the help.