What kind of WC disasters have you had?

[Jimbo Mahoney]

Cracked my poly-top D-Tek LRWW.

Guess I tightened it too much.

Slow drip-drip onto my volt-modded (and VERY nice clocking) 9700 non pro

Sold the whole rig in despair.

That must have been MONTHS ago and not even built a new rig yet.

Needless to say, the blocks are ALL metal this time round!

[samualt]

First time, I was trying to mount a DangerDen waterblock (piece of crap) and got mad and jammed it on there and evidently killed the CPU. You can't get to the hose clamps on that model. I use Swiftech only now, and forever. My hoses were too stiff also, now I use only latex like tubing on water block connections.
Then, while still mad I removed that water block by disconnecting the tubes at the block (wrong) and lifting the block out. Spilled water on the memory and killed the memory slots, memory was still good though. I tried everything to dry it but ended up just buying a new board, it was easier.

[maxSaleen]

Galvanic corrosion. My first koolance system was dead in about three months. Haven't screwed with aluminum since (with the exception of two swiftech blocks, though the have been fine). I caught it before it ruined my system, though it could have. There was severe pitting and discoloration on the barbs of an old NB block where the gold plating hadn't taken. Only safe to assume it was happening elswhere.

[Pajax]

Block was leaking water(very slowly). CPU almost lost one of its capacitors because of corrosion. Barton 2500+. After repair everything works again...

[Edge]

New MCW-6000 started spewing from its bottom, soaked the motherboard, and puddled the carpet. Only using one MCP350, so I figure I got a flawed block. I'll give the board a few days to dry out and then we'll see if she POSTs. <expletive>. Karma can be mean. At least I have another block to use while I wait on the RMA (was building multiple systems).

edge

[satanicoo]

You have the power ma man, yes indeed, you have the power...

[LopeDogg]

been running my system for a few months 4 or 5 maybe. its totally silent, completely passively cooled. not one fan in the system. psu, mosfets, cpu, northbridge, hdds, gfx all watercooled, passive radiator, everything home made.
xp1800+ average old system, voodoo3. for internet/office/music/movies use.
im paranoid about the pump failing, i hear it should last longer if i keep it running...?
ive got mbm running set to shut down if the temps go too high.

[JamesAvery22]

I forgot to turn the pump in my external box on once and the wb heated up to the point where it melted the cheapy tygon (NOT r3603, got some other crap for some reason) where it was touching the barbs and made a pinhole leak that wet the CPU and Mobo. Gave it an alcohol bath and should see this week if its dead or not =\

[RedViper]

I've yet to have a show-stopper type problem. You know, the kind that actually ruins HW. My video card got spritzed once, but after I cleaned it up it's worked fine.

[Aronj66]

I was playing a game and noticed my temps were getting alot higher than ever before. My pump was running, no leaks, Rez. was still full, but no turbulance?? back to pump.. yep.. Still running. WTF?? then I noticed a small white rectangle sitting in the rez. The blades in the pump had all broken off and though the shaft was spinning it was not moving any coolant. I found all 3 blades in the coolant when I replaced the pump internals.

[jman1310]

had a MAG 2 that ran fine till i took the system to a LAN party
started a slow drip leak out of the front of the pump but as it was in a rad box it wasn't a probelm

while rebuilding the cooling system a while later, i replaced the o-ring with RTV sealant and it was leak free again for a while

recently started leaking again so i just replaced it with a Eheim 1250
knocked about 15 deg F off my temps

[ricecrispi]

I've had about 3 setups and some switching of WC system

Knocked off vid card resistor chip with hard nylon washer when tighten the block down. Lets just say there wasn't enough clearance and had washers on top of two resistor.
I glued one resistor back on and card worked!!! I ditched the mount on that side.

Then a second resistor got crushed slowly with time and the card failed.
Only way I could see that block working is with a huge rubber washer over nylon washer.

Had a mcw5000 not properly mounted on my athlon xp and had a huge gap. THe cpu shutdown was on so i was okay till I fgured out the problem.

Another time had a L30 shaft break on me. Noticed high CPU temps and I had to shake pump to get it started.

[ljohn787]

Was in the process of putting my system together in a huge rush. I couldn't find a funnel so I couldn't fill the system through the t-line. This morning, I remembered I had a syringe (no, not that kind.. it's without a needle for my guitar humidifier). I filled up the system, turned it on to get the pump going and the water flowing, and then I did the proverbial "OH SH**AKE" as I saw a decent-sized puddle at the bottom of my case. Had no idea where it was coming from, but felt water on the top of the 6800. Found one leak springing from the CPU block. Not sure if it'll still leak so I need to take it out, but the clamps weren't as tight as possible. Not sure if video card is screwed up. If I plug the monitor into it, the monitor knows it's plugged in but shows nothing. I don't see how the motherboard could have gotten screwed up, but I have a long day ahead, maybe even week as I give these components some drying time. I'll be kicking myself for a while after this...

[Gulp35]

Pump Leak/Block Crack the latter doesn't really count as a disaster

It was within 6 months of its completion, when after the W/C loop became infected with some sort of nasty, the impeller housing on my MAG 3 broke (along one of the lines where the plastic injection molding stuff came together) and leaked water onto the unpainted inner surface of my MDF box *which promptly puffed and warped :,(* it could be fixed *and has been fixed*

however when I was leak testing it... the poly to to my cascade cracked and leaked antifreeze and water EVERYWHERE... luckly I was leak testing... (current setup was leak tested for about 72 hours *I was waiting to get a RMA'd MoBo*)

[Triton]

no problems.

Eheim pump going over 4 years strong.

Motherboard and chip was won during the first year of the AMD extreme performance giveaway tour and is also going strong.

[jtroutma]

I voted slow Block leak.

My only real problem that I have had was over the course of 1 1/2 years of moving my pump around while still connected to the water block (bad idea, I know) the poly top of my TC-4 cracked and began a slow, unnoticeable drip onto the video card. On several different occasions, I would be in the middle of a game and the whole system would just lock and would refuse to POST. I would shut the system down and pull the video card out to discover that the whole AGP socket was filled with water and one component would be corroded. Clean out socket, clean up card, scrub off corrosion, dry out socket, and put everything back together and it was good to go for another 2 months or so.

Last time that happend though, the corrosion finally ate through a connector on the back of my R9700Pro and the card wouldnt work anymore. SO, ordered all the parts of my PCI-e system. Luckly, while I was waiting for the new video card to come, I was able to resolder the missing connector and the video card still works (I got extreamly bored )

Moral of the story: will never buy a poly top water block ever again

[MorRa_28]

voted block slow leak.
I had a small leak in my homemade WB that over time left a green/blue crust ( antifreeze )
on my NB-heatzink and on top of my Geforce3, but no apparent damages to the system.
I just tighted the connection upp and wiped of the graphicsboard.
All still up and running

[Voodoo Rufus]

Had one small leak that I caused on my Eheim 1048, and once I had my 50Z stop working because of a loose molex, causing some local boiling in my CPU block.

[slap]

Voted Other problem/not described.

Got green algae buildup this summer, with 5 months old distilled & WW3% mixture.
Must have been contaminated during refilling of T-line, even though I used a bit of cloth
soaked with antialgae toxins as a plug. This stuff took about 2½ weeks to grow.

All lines were coated with a thin green algae-film, so they went into the trashcan.
I didn't even try to manually rinse the hoses, as I would have to clean out both
the algae and the WaterWetter staining, too much job.
Couldn't detect any algae buildup in pump/block/rad, but poured in some of the algaetoxins
anyways.

Cut out some new hoses, rinsed every component with strong disinfectants to kill any existing germs/algae, took a shower, used disinfectants on myself , in order to get the whole assembly process as sterile as possible.

Now my coolant consists of distilled water, 2,5%WW and a few drops of Simazine 0,5%.
I also have got some waterbed anti-algae stashed away, in case I need to use something stronger... It's active compound is Alkylbenzyldimethylammoniumchloride... Extra strong mixture the bottle reads...

[Wang]

I voted multiple incidents!

1.Pump blockage
I replaced an Old Aquaclear powerhead/big res. with a modded Mcp350/small res. (6800U is hooge!) My temps were abnormally high, I opened the res. to find a trickle flow.... Mcp350 got clogged by bits of Radiator crusties that the Aquaclear readily pumped!!

2.Hosebarb leak
I've had very minor drips from "not tight enuff" on both 9500np and the new 6800Ultra!!! drying cured both cards.

3.Radiator fan
One of my YL 120's stopped spinning, peeled-up the sticker, put more lube in, she's spinning like a champ! I was so suprised to find my shamefully cheap fans to be popular for WCing

I finally cracked my WCing open after 21/2 years of running.... Bio nasties, crazy galvanic corrosion re: WW Alu top, and chromed hose barbs. It had no leaks! Thanks to the O-ring sealed barbs.

[stev]

Had them all and L-O-V-E it! Test until failure is really cool!

As for the home PC's, it's not fun at all. I'm all for WC'ing, but only use external WC'ing solutions. Less chances for leaks.

Stev

[pdf27]

Well, I've been running my first watercooled PC for roughly 24 hours now and am starting to suspect I had my first disaster on assembly!
On first assembly of the system, I had a pretty major leak onto the video card (6600GT). Since the system only contained deionised water at the time and I dried the card out thoroughly before using it I wasn't expecting this to be a problem. However, when running using the NVidia drivers (it's a 6600GT) I get white or pink snow in various places on screen. This doesn't appear when using windows standard drivers (although these are chronically slow at refresh rate), and didn't appear before I installed the watercooling. Doesn't appear in Bios either. I've tried running an earlier version of the drivers (66.93) which is supposed to fix this problem, but I either can't get them to work or they don't fix the problem

[dogbait]

When I doused a motherboard with coolant, after switching the machine off, I rinsed it with isopropyl alcohol (try your chemist) to drive as much of the water out as possible. I then dried the board thoroughly with a hair dryer for several hours, and then left it for 24 hours in a very hot room.

Without heat, you would need to let that card dry for a good number of weeks since PCBs are pretty absorbent and water gets in underneath sm components and chips and just won't come out.

[pdf27]

That bad? Quite surprised. I've got tons of IPA (isopropyl alcohol) at work so can easily wash it in the stuff there no problem (even filtered IPA - it's surprising the amount of crud you get in normal IPA).
Edit: thinking about it, is having operated it while the PCB is slightly damp likely to have caused any long-term damage? Can't think of anything myself, but I could be wrong...

[brucoman]

first problem happened last week
cracked a 2-342 rad connection, Iwaki MD-30 pump drained system onto & blew a DH800 mobo, 6800GT vid & PC P&C power supply