First custom loop, looking for feedback

Apache14

Apache14

Apache14

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Joined
8 Oct 2013
Posts
868
Hello All,


I have just put together my 1st custom loop, I chose hard tubing as it does look very ... very nice. I am looking at some feedback / advise into improving the loop further.

Some notes :-

1) I'v ran the loop for 20min with some distilled water and there are no leaks :D
2) After that I drained the water and will re-run a fill / flush / drain tomorrow
3) I know the pipe running from the CPU block to the rad looks funky (ran out of tube and had to make do with what I had left)
4) When draining water seems to get "stuck" in the rad -> pump pipe (any ideas on how to drain that ?)

Some things i'm pretty happy with

1) the radiator -> pump pipe kicks out and around the top of the reservoir and then down into the pump (was a pain to bend but worked out quite well)
2) the pump -> drain port -> CPU block pip looks very neat in person :D
3) Again it didn't leak :D


So yeah .... any thoughts / advice would be great :D


z9hGFoo.jpg
 
Only alternative i can offer to aid drainage would be ;

Flip the radiator 180 degrees ( so ports at bottom )

Flip the CPU block 180 degrees ( so EK badge top )

Place drain port at the bottom and let mavity do the work ( remember to loosen the fill cap when draining )

5eo6uW4.png
 
With the loop being the way it is at the moment only way youre going to get it out is to turn the case on a side or top even, as already said you need the drain at the lowest point. Be careful to make sure that the pump is tight enough with the mount and also that the top is secure on the res as i can't imagine you would like that over the rest of the system.

Having built my first system without a designated drain port I know the pain it is without a drain plug in a good place. I would strongly recommend what brizzles has said to do, but i can't tell what type of case you have. If you could get us a photo of the complete front it it'll be easier to see if you have the space for what is suggested?
 
This highlights the importance of research. You should have had the rad the other way round and then you could have done what Brizzles has said and have the drain port on the bottom. As mentioned, the only way you're draining that loop currently is to turn your case upside down.

Don't mean to criticise, but as you have noted yourself, your bends are rather funky... worth getting some extra tubing and getting that right if you can, but if it doesn't bother you then fair enough. I mean, it works and if there's no leaks then ultimately that's the most important thing, but it could certainly be better aesthetically speaking.

20 minutes really isn't long enough for a proper leak test though. I'd always let it run for a few hours at least, as if you have a tiny little nick in an o-ring and a micro drip resulting from that, you won't notice it in 20 minutes.
 
romeooscarbravo said:
With the loop being the way it is at the moment only way youre going to get it out is to turn the case on a side or top even, as already said you need the drain at the lowest point. Be careful to make sure that the pump is tight enough with the mount and also that the top is secure on the res as i can't imagine you would like that over the rest of the system.

Having built my first system without a designated drain port I know the pain it is without a drain plug in a good place. I would strongly recommend what brizzles has said to do, but i can't tell what type of case you have. If you could get us a photo of the complete front it it'll be easier to see if you have the space for what is suggested?
Click to expand...

Thanks, the case is an S340 (glass version), really I have set it up this way to be compact and allow access to everything (RAM / 24 pin plug / full GPU length). The drain port does work pretty well, with some tilting back and forward (to remove air locks) all of the pipes will drain fine. Leaving only the res, I am pretty happy with that :)

But when vega finally gets here I will place the drain lower (bottom of the GPU block)
 
Legend said:
This highlights the importance of research. You should have had the rad the other way round and then you could have done what Brizzles has said and have the drain port on the bottom. As mentioned, the only way you're draining that loop currently is to turn your case upside down.

Don't mean to criticise, but as you have noted yourself, your bends are rather funky... worth getting some extra tubing and getting that right if you can, but if it doesn't bother you then fair enough. I mean, it works and if there's no leaks then ultimately that's the most important thing, but it could certainly be better.

20 minutes really isn't long enough for a proper leak test though. I'd always let it run for a few hours at least, as if you have a tiny little nick in an o-ring and a micro drip resulting from that, you won't notice it in 20 minutes.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input :)

I knew that the radiator wouldn't drain properly, the issue it was more the pipe from the radiator to the pump wouldn't drain (it should as the drain port is lower than that and the fill port was open). I can live with the radiator not draining without inverting the case :)

Yeah bends i guess are down to practice (both the bends themselves and measuring). Overall I'm pretty happy as a first build ... two of the pipes loop pretty cool in person just that back pipe that annoys me ;) (Will replace them after I get some more time / tube)

And 20min was just for a quick test and flush (seemed to get more stuff that way vs filling / shaking the rad). Did that 3 times and now its been running for 9h with no leaks :)


Edit : Thing I like most is how well the 3D printed pump bracket that I designed turned out. Really solid in ABS and droops a lot less than the EK one :) (tho the main rubber ring mount for the pump has a fair bit of give in it that causes some droop)
 
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