Waterloop Drain point advice

R-TYPE · 7 Mar 2015 at 10:57

Hi all, any good advice for putting a drain point into a loop? Am assembling parts for a new system with a single loop, several rads, CPU and GPU. Have heard its good to design in a drain point from the beginning. What is the best way to do a drain point? Should it presumably be the lowest point? Which fitting is best used?

Thanks

pantbash · 7 Mar 2015 at 12:03

After a few builds I have found a Quick Disconnect is a really usefull thing to have as a drain point. You can just plug in your drain tubing, no leakage and away you go.

Location wise, it did not matter too much for me, as the case was light enough to pick up and rotate to get the fluid out of the drain point.

On thing you could do is put the point next/near to the pump, then you can also use as a fill point.

Mads1 · 7 Mar 2015 at 13:18

Depends on the case and placement of your rads and pumps etc, but it would be ideal to be at the lowest point for gravity to work the fluid out.

murah · 7 Mar 2015 at 13:28

I specced a drain point up in this thread :

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18656040

The config spec'd there goes as follows but I have since changed, so the two compression fittings are not needed (only need 1x)

Tube - compression fitting - T fitting - compression fitting - Tube
....................................male to male
..................................... valve + plug

but you can easily block off one of the T fittings port and connect it direct up to the pump with a male to male fitting totally depends what you want to do

Mine will be connected directly to the pump with a male to male fitting (reservoir sits on the pump) and the T-fitting will connect to the rest of the loop, means I can drain fast if I need to

for ^this you would need this
YOUR BASKET
1 x Aqua Computer Ball Valve Female Thread G 1/4 without Fittings £5.99
1 x XSPC G1/4" T Fitting (Black Chrome) £3.95
1 x XSPC G1/4" to 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD Compression Fitting (Chrome) £3.49
2 x XSPC G1/4" 5mm Male to Male Fitting (Black Chrome) £1.79 (£3.58)
1 x XSPC G1/4" Plug (Chrome) £1.55
Total : £20.83 (includes shipping : £1.90).

Bryan Kortez · 7 Mar 2015 at 13:46

I am currently testing my setup, this is how I have my drain point setup.. Sorry for bad iPhone pic.

The fittings are as followed.

Pump > 5mm male/male > 4 way > 5mm male/male > valve > plug

The 4 way has a compression fitting that goes to the rest of the system and a temp sensor.

R-TYPE · 8 Mar 2015 at 13:19

All thanks so much for the comprehensive and detailed response. What a great forum this is

Looks like I'll go with a 4-way fitting located near the bottom of the loop. Think my pump/res will be high in the loop so may just go for a drain point 'mid-tube' as it were low down in the system. Like the idea of using the 4th outlet of the 4-way as a temp sensor, that's quite clever.

Thinking about the drainage process has also got me questioning which way round I should mount the various rads, particularly the vertical 360 - presumably better to have the in/out ports on this at the bottom of the case as opposed to the top?

Bryan Kortez · 8 Mar 2015 at 14:27

I think which ever way you mount them, you will still get a bit of water sat in there. Unless you tip the case around and try help flow the last few drops out. I've just gone with what looks best, and then when I come to take it apart, I just take it apart in a way I am least likely to get water everywhere.

R-TYPE · 9 Mar 2015 at 22:57

Thanks guys, ordered my bits based on a mix of Murah and Bryan's setups.

boufdover · 10 Mar 2015 at 09:29

+1 for those suggestions - best advice really.

I've only recently delved into water-cooling but it seems that no matter where you put the drain point, always be prepared to tip your case around as there will always be some rogue fluid laying about unexpectedly!

Cenedd · 10 Mar 2015 at 09:56

R-TYPE said:
Thinking about the drainage process has also got me questioning which way round I should mount the various rads, particularly the vertical 360 - presumably better to have the in/out ports on this at the bottom of the case as opposed to the top?

You might as well mount it how ever works best for routing your loop. If mounted vertically with the ports are at the bottom it'll be a pain in the backside to bleed the air out (unless it's one of the few rads with a bleed screw at the other end). If you mount it ports up, draining it will be difficult - although to be honest unless you need to change the fluid completely, you could just leave it filled and then top up afterwards rather than a total refill.

R-TYPE · 10 Mar 2015 at 22:42

Cenedd said:
You might as well mount it how ever works best for routing your loop. If mounted vertically with the ports are at the bottom it'll be a pain in the backside to bleed the air out (unless it's one of the few rads with a bleed screw at the other end). If you mount it ports up, draining it will be difficult - although to be honest unless you need to change the fluid completely, you could just leave it filled and then top up afterwards rather than a total refill.

Yeah since my last post was thinking of mounting it midway up the rear of the case, will just rotate case 90 degrees when draining, and location probably works better with loop design. Case would need to be rotated anyway due to vertical 360 rad with ports located at the top (top location aids the bubble removal process apparently when filling the loop)

3t3P · 12 Mar 2015 at 19:38

I found out the hard way, your drain point has to be the very lowest part of the loop.

Anything other than that and it does not drain properly.

When you rig is over 20kg there is only so many ways to shake it around...!

pantbash · 13 Mar 2015 at 13:15

Another advantage with a QDC is that you can open up at the lowest point of the loop, then blow through the coolant.

Since disconencting the QDC essentially turns the loop into a straight through bit of tube.

Cenedd · 13 Mar 2015 at 14:52

Worth pointing out that QDCs block off both ends of the tubing when you disconnect them - usually without letting out enough water to even form a drip. When you plug them in again, however, the do let in a bit of air. Whether that's a problem depends on whether the air gets trapped at any point in your loop.

You can drain from them but you'd need an extra length of pipe with a QDC of opposite gender to connect to one of the 'open' ends. You will also need to allow air in which probably just means opening the fill port on your reservoir.

pantbash · 13 Mar 2015 at 15:30

Cenedd said:
Worth pointing out that QDCs block off both ends of the tubing when you disconnect them - usually without letting out enough water to even form a drip. When you plug them in again, however, the do let in a bit of air. Whether that's a problem depends on whether the air gets trapped at any point in your loop.

You can drain from them but you'd need an extra length of pipe with a QDC of opposite gender to connect to one of the 'open' ends. You will also need to allow air in which probably just means opening the fill port on your reservoir.

Correct.
I used to get around that by just connecting to another pair QDC's connected to a Y piece for filling/bleeding.
(Never had a RES in any of my setups)

As for air intake, I never saw any visible air intake into the tubes. The Koolance QDC's I use seem quite solid and snappy when connecting/disconnecting.

MrMD · 13 Mar 2015 at 16:30

Bryan Kortez said:
I am currently testing my setup, this is how I have my drain point setup.. Sorry for bad iPhone pic.

The fittings are as followed.

Pump > 5mm male/male > 4 way > 5mm male/male > valve > plug

The 4 way has a compression fitting that goes to the rest of the system and a temp sensor.

This looks like great.Deffo gonna add a setup exactly like this soon to my d5/res.I take it doesnt matter if this hooked up to the inlet or outlet ports?

Cenedd · 13 Mar 2015 at 16:35

It's not vital either way.

If you attach it to the inlet of the res, you'll maybe get a better reading of water temperature as it'll read the water returning to the res rather than what's been sitting in the res a while....but after a while, the temperature evens out over the whole loop anyway.

If you attach it to the outlet of the PUMP - or at least after the pump - you can effectively pump the water out when you want to drain. Just don't run the pump dry, it probably won't like it.

R-TYPE · 15 Mar 2015 at 02:41

Bryan Kortez said:
I am currently testing my setup, this is how I have my drain point setup.. Sorry for bad iPhone pic.

The fittings are as followed.

Pump > 5mm male/male > 4 way > 5mm male/male > valve > plug

The 4 way has a compression fitting that goes to the rest of the system and a temp sensor.

Hey Bryan, what temp sensor do you use and what controller/software have you hooked it up to?

russell664 · 15 Mar 2015 at 13:44

As far as i'm aware that is the XSPC LCD temp sensor, so something like this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-206-XS

R-TYPE · 17 Mar 2015 at 03:06

Those QDCs look pretty useful. Not just for assisting in draining the loop but also for being able to close off parts of the loop to remove sections of it. Like removing a radiator assembly without having to fully drain the system.