XD3 Air Leak - Experiences?

[if_you_build_it]

Anyone with the XD3 ever air leak test it?

I have a brand new XD3 going into a new water-cooling loop.  The loop is fully connected.  When I air leak test the entire loop, I notice pressure drop after 15 mins, probably noticeable around 30 mins.  I removed the XD3 and just tested everything else in the loop and there is no pressure loss even after waiting hours.

I tested the XD3 on its own by plugging all the ports with these g1/4 caps, and air leak tested it.  I only pressurized to about .3bar and after about 5 hours it had dropped down to ..2 bar on the gauge.  Noticeable pressure drop on the gauge is seen around 20-30 min mark.

The recommendation seems to be that if there is no noticeable pressure loss after 5-15 mins then the device shouldn't leak, but the fact that the XD3 is losing pressure over time and the rest of my loop is air tight has me concerned about putting liquid in it.

Has anyone else seen this with the XD3? 

[DevBiker]

Yes, I had this same issue. Drove me absolutely batty ... it seemed that the XD3 had a leak.

So ... I filled it with coolant and looped it back to itself, outside the case.

No leaks.

Did an air pressure test again and all was golden. I have to wonder if, perhaps, the seals need to be wet? I don't know. I can't explain it.

[if_you_build_it]

9 hours ago, DevBiker said:

Yes, I had this same issue. Drove me absolutely batty ... it seemed that the XD3 had a leak.

So ... I filled it with coolant and looped it back to itself, outside the case.

No leaks.

Did an air pressure test again and all was golden. I have to wonder if, perhaps, the seals need to be wet? I don't know. I can't explain it.

That seems crazy.  I have asked this question on other forums too and most people say in general regardless of the pump/res in the loop, it should not be leaking air.  This is my first water-cooling build so I have no point of reference. 

I want to water leak test it but the fact it cant hold air pressure make me very anxious about doing it with the entire loop in a new PC that has over $2,000 parts in it.  I will probably have to do as you mentioned and test it outside the case to be on the safe side.  Just a pain to have to disconnect it from everything.  Hopefully its not a sign of a cheap product that will fail down the road.

 

[LeDoyen]

Maybe check the plugs and fittings to the pump. Those often can't be screwed in fully because the dry o-rings are a bitch to tighten, they bind to the seal surfaces and don't slide well. If you install them wet, they slide some, and you can screw them properly.

 

[if_you_build_it]

27 minutes ago, LeDoyen said:

Maybe check the plugs and fittings to the pump. Those often can't be screwed in fully because the dry o-rings are a bitch to tighten, they bind to the seal surfaces and don't slide well. If you install them wet, they slide some, and you can screw them properly.

 

When I pressure tested just the XD3, I had removed all fittings and just used G1/4 plugs to seal the ports.  The only fitting on the XD3 was the air leak tester fitting which I know does not leak since it worked when I tested the rest of the loop (minus the XD3).  I will try and get the O-rings wet and install the plugs and retest to see if there is any difference.  Thanks for the advice.

[LeDoyen]

the plugs can have the same problem. Sometimes seals and fittings are easier to install on some parts and not others, depending on the material etc.. it's really random.

I've had trouble installing plugs on my pump/res because the orings stick a lot to acrylic. installing them wet allows to give them a good twist just by hand without forcing.

Now, the XD3 could be leaky too 😛 but the pump is so small, there's not much to go wrong. there's the DDC seal, and the fittings. that should be it.

[if_you_build_it]

Unfortunately, even after wetting the O-rings on the plugs and fittings on the XD3, it still leaks air.

I'm waiting on a drain valve and once I get that I am going to just fill the XD3 with liquid and watch it for water leaks.  Its mounted in the system where if I can do it correctly, it shouldn't leak on, or damage any other components.

Edited June 22, 2022 by if_you_build_it

[if_you_build_it]

I figured I would post an update on the matter just in case it can help anyone else out.

I had opened a ticket with Corsair and they really couldn't advise on anything specific that I hadn't already tried.  They were ready to RMA it, but I honestly didn't want to do that if I didn't need to since I had been already working on this new build for some time.  So I decided to continue testing with liquid:

• I isolated the XD3 and filled it with distilled water and left it for a couple days.  No leaks.
• I created a makeshift loop of the XD3 and some extra tubing with distilled water and ran the pump for about 15-20 mins.  No leaks.
• I drained the XD3, connected it back to the entire loop in the new system.  I filled it with coolant and ran the pump for a few hours.  No leaks.
• It sat overnight w/o the pump running and still no leaks.

So all in all, even though the pump was losing air pressure when testing, it seems to hold liquid just fine.  I've tested it enough with liquid and I'm confident it will not leak on me.

Now I can finally complete the build and enjoy my new PC!

Edited June 28, 2022 by if_you_build_it

[Corsair HP]

Some leak testers will actually loose air out of the actual leak tester. I always have a drain valve in between the leak tester and the loop itself, then I pump it up to the adviced bar and shut off the valve between the loop and leak tester. That way, after some time when I open up the valve again the needle should either have not moved, or move back up to the starting position.