The Big Leak WAS my fault… maybe - Flooded PC Repair

DukE...TDvm

5 Mar 2025

When you build your own PC, there's a certain pride that comes with assembling each component by hand. Every screw tightened and cable managed feels like a small victory. But what happens when all that hard work is undone by a catastrophic leak? That's exactly what happened to me, my beloved custom water-cooled PC ended up flooded, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my stomach and a potential financial disaster on my hands.

At first, I wanted to blame the hardware or the manufacturers. Maybe the fittings were faulty, or the tubing had a hidden defect. But as I started disassembling the soggy mess, a nagging thought kept creeping into my mind: What if the leak was actually my fault? In this article, I'll share the full story of how my PC got flooded, the painstaking repair process, and the hard lessons I learned along the way.

The Build: My Pride and Joy

Before the disaster, my PC was my ultimate passion project — a fully custom water-cooled gaming rig built from the ground up. The specs were top-of-the-line:

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4090
RAM: 64GB DDR5
Cooling System: Custom EKWB liquid cooling loop
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL
Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD + 4TB HDD

I spent weeks planning the build, carefully selecting each component to balance performance, aesthetics, and cooling efficiency. The custom loop was the crown jewel, clear hard tubing, bright RGB fittings, and pristine coolant flowing through the blocks. It looked like something straight out of a tech enthusiast's dream.

When everything was finally up and running, I couldn't have been prouder. The system ran whisper-quiet, temperatures stayed icy cool, and the whole setup turned heads whenever friends came over.

The Leak: How It Happened

The trouble started about six months after the initial build. One night, I left the PC running while downloading some large game files. When I woke up the next morning, I walked into my office to find a small puddle of coolant pooled around the base of the case.

At first, I thought it might have been condensation or a minor spill, something easy to clean up. But as I looked closer, I noticed droplets forming along one of the hard tubing fittings near the CPU block. My heart sank.

I immediately shut down the system and disconnected everything. The more I inspected the loop, the more I realized just how bad things were. Coolant had seeped into the GPU block, pooled inside the case, and even dripped onto the motherboard. It was a full-blown disaster.

What Went Wrong?

After a few hours of carefully draining the loop and drying components, I started piecing together what might have caused the leak. The fitting that seemed to be the source was installed at a tricky angle, right where two pieces of hard tubing connected near the CPU block.

Looking back, I remember struggling to get that fitting perfectly aligned during the build. I must have convinced myself that it was tight enough at the time, but clearly, something had been off from the start.

Was the fitting defective? Maybe.
Did I over-tighten it? Possibly.
But the more I thought about it, the more I had to admit... it was probably my fault.

The Repair Process: Step by Painful Step

Fixing a flooded PC isn't just about replacing damaged parts, it's about meticulously cleaning every component, testing for hidden corrosion, and rebuilding everything from scratch. Here's how I tackled the repair process step by step:

Step 1: Disassembly

The first step was breaking down the entire system piece by piece. I removed the GPU, CPU, motherboard, RAM, and every single fitting in the loop. Every part had to be inspected individually to assess the damage.

Step 2: Cleaning

I used 99% isopropyl alcohol and soft brushes to clean every affected component. The motherboard and GPU were the most concerning, coolant had made its way into some of the smaller crevices, and I had to carefully dry everything out without causing further damage.

Step 3: Testing for Shorts

After everything was cleaned, I let the components sit for 48 hours to fully dry. Then came the nerve-wracking part: testing each part separately. I started with the motherboard, plugging it into a spare power supply outside the case. Miraculously, it powered on with no issues.
The GPU was another story. Despite all my cleaning efforts, it refused to boot. That single component alone set me back $1500 — a painful but necessary replacement.

Step 4: Rebuilding the Loop

This time, I triple-checked every fitting, pressure-tested the loop for 24 hours before powering anything on, and used soft tubing instead of hard tubing in the trickier sections. It might not have looked quite as clean, but the added flexibility gave me peace of mind.

What I Learned

As painful as the whole experience was, I learned some hard but valuable lessons along the way:

Pressure Testing Is Non-Negotiable: Always pressure test your loop with distilled water before adding coolant.
Don't Rush the Build: If a fitting feels even slightly off, fix it — no matter how small the issue seems.
Use Leak Detection Fluid: UV-reactive coolant or dye can help you spot small leaks before they become disasters.
Have a Backup Plan: A simple moisture detection alarm inside the case could have saved me hundreds of dollars in damage.

The Final Verdict

Was the big leak my fault? Probably.
Do I regret building a custom water-cooled PC? Not at all.
Despite everything, the satisfaction of running a custom-built system is something you can't replicate with prebuilt machines. The entire experience taught me patience, attention to detail, and the importance of taking responsibility for your own mistakes.

If you're thinking about building your own custom loop, don't let this story scare you away, just learn from my mistakes. With the right precautions and a little extra care, water cooling can be one of the most rewarding parts of PC building.

Conclusion

Building your own PC is a journey full of highs and lows, and sometimes, those lows come with a flood warning. The big leak might have been my fault, but in the end, the repair process made me a better builder. Now, whenever I hear the soft hum of my pump and see those clear tubes flowing with coolant, I know every fitting, every tube, and every component is exactly where it needs to be.

If you're on the fence about custom water cooling, my advice is simple: Take your time, do your research, and always double-check your work. The satisfaction of a perfectly running system makes every drop of sweat — and coolant — worth it.

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