I am trying to place 4 conduits in a 2x2 grid around a monument to make it a base where we can breathe everywhere underwater inside it.

The wiki states that a conduit has an effect distance of 96 blocks when build with 42 blocks (I am using prismarine bricks) in a frame 5x5x5 around the conduit.

When I place the conduits and frames I am getting varying distances. First one cut of at 72. So I broke it and re-placed it exactly the same in the same spot and it then decided to work up to 81 blocks. Broke it and placed it again it worked at 72 blocks again. The fourth time I broke and placed it it worked at 96 blocks.

So I moved onto my second of four conduit placements. I have placed this one 11 times and it only works at either 72 or 81 blocks. so I gave up and placed the other two conduits and they only work at 72 and 81 blocks same as the other.

So I decided to move all four in closer assuming a distance of 72 blocks. So I placed all four of them in these new positions AND NOW ALL 4 WORKED AT 96 BLOCKS!!!!!!

So after a 30 minute break to calm down I came back on, removed all four conduits and placed them back in the original desired locations. AND NOW THEY ALL BLOODY WORK AT 81 BLOCKS EACH!!!!

This is so damn broken! It is so frustrating.

So my friend came online to help and had exactly the same issue. So we created a brand new creative world to see if our world is somehow corrupted? And no surprise, we have the exact same issue as in our survival world, so it is not the world save that is causing the issue.

Both of us are on PS4 and have maxed our simulation distance but this did not help. Another friend on Xbox One joined us and can confirm the same issue when he places the conduits in both the survival and creative worlds.

We even tried placing the blocks in the exact same orientation like you have to with end portals but that made no difference.

The conduit is in a 9x9x9 area with no blocks in-between the frame and the conduit. All blocks are water source blocks including the one the conduit is placed in. The frame is made of 3x 5x5 "rings" of Prismarine Bricks. 3 rings surround the conduit totalling 42 blocks.

Are we doing something wrong or is the game just broken?