Pressure increase might lead to water leaks.
Pressure increase might lead to water leaks.
My mini itx with alphacool fittings and chrome tubing appears to have experienced a minor leak or burst pipe five times, each in different spots after I fixed them. This only happens once the temperature reaches about 60-65 degrees, which is high—possibly worsened by the small volume I'm using in my loop. I tested it on the psu and didn’t notice any issues after 24 hours. I’m hoping someone has encountered this problem before.
In most cases leaks come from improper installation rather than system pressure issues, unless you're using Eheim high-pressure pumps. Regular water cooling pumps usually can't provide enough pressure to cause pipe bursts. Sometimes O-ring fittings aren't secured tightly enough during installation. It might require an extra 1/4 turn tightening after reaching a firm grip, or hard tubing could develop a hairline crack during bending, which isn't immediately visible.
I’m not emphasizing the pump pressure directly, but rather the force created by the temperature change when the system goes from 30 degrees idle to 65 degrees with air and water expanding inside. This causes my chrome piping to become very hot to the touch clearly. I only notice these problems during overclocking when temperatures reach these levels. Taking this into account, I might opt for a lower overclock setting to keep temperatures manageable and adjust as needed.