Do not use EKWB 90 degrees fittings!

Spiritwolf · 30 Jan 2022 at 22:14

I’ve had about 15 EKwb 90 degree fittings over the course of 2 years, my build uses it quite heavily for tight bends.

Over the past 3 months I have noticed the coolant level has been dropping very slowly couple of mms per week, I’ve done a leak check but found no obvious leaks.

Today starting it up in the morning and there was a major leak on one of 90 degrees fittings that bricked the motherboard at the cpu socket.

I replaced the drained the loop and replaced the leaky fittings while in the same time replaced some of the badly bent tubes, after fitting 2 other 90 degree fittings immediately started leaking under high flow test. I immediately checked all other fittings and found 8 of the 15 leaks pretty significantly if you wiggle the fitting slightly, the fittings are also fairly loose with a significant play.

I have yet to test other fittings as I have only EKWB fittings, I was lucky by graphics card has not been affected. Please remove these fittings from your PC, or at least do a wiggle test on the fittings regularly.
RIP ASUS Crosshair MB

Before

After (leak testing)

My fittings

bjmnz · 31 Jan 2022 at 13:18

Interesting you should post this. I've got three of these - two a number of years old, and a new one I bought recently almost as a spare. I'm planning to use two of them in an external watercooling loop I'm building. Both of the old ones have a significant 'wobble' in them, and every time I pick them up I think 'I'm not convinced they won't leak'. I'd only used one of them in the past and it had a rigid extension either end so couldn't move which may have meant I got away with it.

For this new system one of them will have tube at one end... I've considered getting them in place then gluing the joint somehow which is not ideal :/

Have you contacted EK at all?

TT158 · 31 Jan 2022 at 14:06

I originally bought these fittings as I liked the look and size, but after wiggling one (system was off), it leaked fluid which was quite a shock!

I replaced them with the EK Quantum fittings, which are a lot chunkier, but at least do not leak. I probably should have sacked EK at that point but I had the tubing and figured that any small variation in that vs fittings of another brand would be less than ideal

Spiritwolf · 31 Jan 2022 at 14:14

I literally discovered this yesterday, have not reached out to EKWB yet, might do in this case.

I have full acrylic before when the leak was discovered, that's why I reverted back to soft tubes to keep things going before I try and figure out a way to proceed.

It might not leak under normal pressure, but try turn the pump on max, then gently move or twist the fitting, the ones that are loose will def start leaking.

When I bought them I remember they were quite tight, but I guess they do not stand up well against heating and cooling cycles very well. I would def not use them in the future, sure they might not leak now, but you never want something that can fail suddenly without warning next very expensive components.

Dempsey22 · 2 Feb 2022 at 13:06

We got an extremely similar setup. P5 case with distro plate etc.

I run all hardline Barrow fittings in my PCs for years. Never once had issue with them.

Spiritwolf · 2 Feb 2022 at 16:28

Dempsey22 said:
We got an extremely similar setup. P5 case with distro plate etc.

I run all hardline Barrow fittings in my PCs for years. Never once had issue with them.

Have you checked whether they become loose over time? the EKWB ones were pretty tight when I fight bought them but I guess the heat cycles loosens the joints causing leak.

D1craig · 2 Feb 2022 at 18:19

I had the exact same leaks with my fittings like that. A little pressure on them (push with your finger while the loop is working) and it squirted out like a jet. The new torque or whatever they are look a hell of a lot more sturdy and trusty.

Them fittings you have used though are the exact same as the fitting used by all brands apart from the new ek ones and the phanteks ones.

luttis · 3 Feb 2022 at 22:41

You see a lot of people using the htc-torque these days, hopefully a good sign nobody has brought any issues up so far.

clone · 5 Feb 2022 at 20:50

I replaced mine a while ago with EK torque fitting as there is no side movement on them they feel so much better in the loop with no flex.

Drumroll · 5 Feb 2022 at 22:45

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-water-blocks-ek-af-extender-rotary-m-m-g1-4-nickel-wc-9hs-ek.html
Had the same issue with two of those.
With the 90 degrees ones, there was some more than necessary play, but no leaks.
Not using custom loop at the moment, but my last loop was ZMT, plenty of planning and some beautiful curves.