The correct method to leak test a loop.

[B N3GATIVE]

This is a thread explaining a simple method of dry testing a loop or reassembled blocks to guarantee watertightness before filling.
The current accepted method of filling and crossing your fingers is,to my mind,unacceptable when for $20-£20 outlay you could have a professional leak tester with all the uncertainty taken out.

The parts list.

1 1/4" BSPP Equal Tee
1 Pressure gauge,1/4" BSPP thread,20 PSI gauge limit is best as it will allow you to see very small pressure drops easily
1 Schrader valve,1/4" BSPP thread.

Assemble like so....

Use PTFE tape on all threads to make a good air seal.

Test the unit with a blanking plug fitted,pump it up to 25 PSI and leave it,any pressure loss means a leak,it HAS to be airtight before use.

I use a Bitspower d plug on the end as I can just screw on side on then push the unit into place rather than screwing the whole thing on.

Attach to your fillport or any port thats free.

Pump it up with a hand pump to around 10-12 PSI.

Any leaks will result in a pressure drop which the gauge will show.

To find those pesky leaks,use a qtip with dish soap or childrens bubble liquid around any suspect fittings,any leaks with blow bubbles allowing for a clean,simple fix rather than having to drain the loop and starting again.

For opened blocks,seal the other ports with blanking plugs and pump up,any pressure loss is indication of a leak.




There,a simple and nigh on fool proof leak test method.

 

[Mynight]

Novel. I've only ever had a leak due to my own stupidity so as long as I've double checked everything I wouldn't bother with something like this.

The systems powered off so worst I'll get is a washed mobo .

 

[B N3GATIVE]

Novel. I've only ever had a leak due to my own stupidity so as long as I've double checked everything I wouldn't bother with something like this.

The systems powered off so worst I'll get is a washed mobo .

That will change if you ever do any hardlining,this becomes invaluable.

 

[Mynight]

I'm not skilled enough for hard line. Wish I had the patience for it .

 

[vsg28]

This holds true for any loop though, hard line or otherwise.

 

[OLDPHART]

A quick and simple way is when the loop is complete, spilt the loop at the best place where you can block one end and blow down the tubing that come off as hard as you can.

If there is a leak you'll sharp know > drop in pressure < this easy method has never failed for me.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

For me it's never been fingers crossed. I attach the pump to a spare PSU and hot wire the the ATX block so that it starts. Nothing else has power. I place white sheets around the joints and the at the bottom of the case. I'll keep an eye for the first 30 minutes then leave for 24 hours. If it leaks, they'll be no damage.

 

[pat_c]

Nice, that covers all the single pumps, but watch out if you have something like a dual DDC 2x 5.2m head, that's nearly 15 psi. Plus give it a 15-20% margin of error above that.

 

[skyripper]

For me it's never been fingers crossed. I attach the pump to a spare PSU and hot wire the the ATX block so that it starts. Nothing else has power. I place white sheets around the joints and the at the bottom of the case. I'll keep an eye for the first 30 minutes then leave for 24 hours. If it leaks, they'll be no damage.

My three builds had this method of leak testing. Wirewrap kitchen roll round every joint, bridge the PSU, run the pump.

Come back later to check all pieces of kitchen roll are dry. If you have coloured coolant its even easier to spot.

I left them in place on my latest build for an hour after running, because sometimes a leak doesn't become apparent until after there is some temperature in the loop.

 

[Cerelia]

This does seem a little OCD when it comes to leak testing...
Then again I only bother with MOnsoon fittings and they're frankly the best, zero leaks ever and the hand tool gives you a firm fitting without any real stress... Hardline or soft..

 

[B N3GATIVE]

A quick and simple way is when the loop is complete, spilt the loop at the best place where you can block one end and blow down the tubing that come off as hard as you can.

If there is a leak you'll sharp know > drop in pressure < this easy method has never failed for me.

But no good for a leaky block or a slow leak......

For me it's never been fingers crossed. I attach the pump to a spare PSU and hot wire the the ATX block so that it starts. Nothing else has power. I place white sheets around the joints and the at the bottom of the case. I'll keep an eye for the first 30 minutes then leave for 24 hours. If it leaks, they'll be no damage.

And if you find a leak,it means a strip down,re fill and hope you fixed it. Then dry all your components out and pray there was no charge in all the caps.
Not ideal at all.

Nice, that covers all the single pumps, but watch out if you have something like a dual DDC 2x 5.2m head, that's nearly 15 psi. Plus give it a 15-20% margin of error above that.

At zero flow.

You will not see that in use,pumps also follow a PQ curve so pressure is not linear.

My three builds had this method of leak testing. Wirewrap kitchen roll round every joint, bridge the PSU, run the pump.

Come back later to check all pieces of kitchen roll are dry. If you have coloured coolant its even easier to spot.

I left them in place on my latest build for an hour after running, because sometimes a leak doesn't become apparent until after there is some temperature in the loop.

Again,wasteful and time consuming.
You can find and fix leaks much faster,with no draining,using air.

This does seem a little OCD when it comes to leak testing...
Then again I only bother with MOnsoon fittings and they're frankly the best, zero leaks ever and the hand tool gives you a firm fitting without any real stress... Hardline or soft..

Monsoon are garbage compared to Bitspower.

I can see many naysayers here and thats fine but I can get a loop commissioned and tested and ready to fill in under an hour,if I get a leak I can fix it in situ immediately and re test without having to dry cards etc out.

 

[Randall8686]

I can see the advantage, However Its not necessary. I recently built my first loop and all i dont was took my time and care when building it. I cant see how you would get a leak if you fit it all correctly? with compression fittings you really do have to get something mighty wrong to get a leak. each to their own however and i think a lot of people will see it as a non essential expense. nice idea and yes it is a very good way to test but i think most people will just use the standard method.

Plus sods law says the fitting you have removed to test will be he one you put back in with a split O-ring and be the one that leaks

 

[B N3GATIVE]

I'm a sponsored builder building several rigs a year,it more than pays for itself for me.

 

[Hagar]

I do not leak test per se. Running the pump long enough to fill the loop and remove most of the air is generally long enough to determine if you have dampness around couplers and seals.

After 20 minutes I connect the power to the mobo and am away. Care when threading and not overtightening the compressions always means I do not get leaks.

 

[Flying_Hellfish]

An interesting idea OP, thanks for that.

I've experienced two leaks ever. One was a rotary fitting that had come slightly undone due to me moving it every which way during assembly (I was able to tighten in situ luckily) - this would have been found early using this method.

The second one was a slow-drip caused by a faulty bayres. The issue was with the screw-cap for the power cable of the pump. It had come free slightly, leaving a very, very small gap. This needed some tape wrapping around it to fix it back in place. That was a an absolute 'mare to fix as the whole thing had to be drained before I could fix it.

 

[Cerelia]

Monsoon are garbage compared to Bitspower.

I can see many naysayers here and thats fine but I can get a loop commissioned and tested and ready to fill in under an hour,if I get a leak I can fix it in situ immediately and re test without having to dry cards etc out.

Never heard of having an opinion? I've never had ANY leaks with Monsoon yet bitspower have had faulty parts which've caused leaks.

Also, is it really a good idea to pump pressureised air into a loop when you're now gonna have to take an age to get those new air pockets out? No its not.

 

[GiraffePencils]

gonna have to take an age to get those new air pockets out? No its not.

From what read this is before fluid was added, so no 'air pockets' as it's full of air already

 

[B N3GATIVE]

From what read this is before fluid was added, so no 'air pockets' as it's full of air already

This.

The whole point of this method is no fluids are needed,hence leaks can be fixed easily.

I can see everybody is obsessed by fittings but they are not the primary reason to leak test. Rads especially are not always watertight for example and you wont just spot any problems with those.

Now,if you want to keep using your coolants as leak detectors then please do so,this thread is not for you.
However,if you want a simple and safe on hardware test method then this is the thread for you.

 

[Toadem]

Would it also be possible to add in an extra T fitting with a blank end that could be used as a testing valve, this way you do not need to disconnect one end of the loop to test you would only need to attach the gauge to the blanked T piece.
The way it is described in the OP suggests disconnecting one end of your loop and therefore leaving you one end you are unable to leak test, so this still gives you a fingers crossed approach to testing the loop even thought its only 1 connection that isnt being tested.

 

[B N3GATIVE]

Would it also be possible to add in an extra T fitting with a blank end that could be used as a testing valve, this way you do not need to disconnect one end of the loop to test you would only need to attach the gauge to the blanked T piece.
The way it is described in the OP suggests disconnecting one end of your loop and therefore leaving you one end you are unable to leak test, so this still gives you a fingers crossed approach to testing the loop even thought its only 1 connection that isnt being tested.

You can just connect it to the fill port,I only had it in the pic like that as the fill port was against the wall.