Designing my basic water loop... Where do I drain from and how?

[Akagi]

Hi guys, so my plan to get custom watercooling in my PC is well underway, I have my pump/res, I have my radiator, I know what other components I am buying (bar the coolant) and I now know how to fill and leak test etc

Here is a picture of the basic design of my water loop, it is a CPU only loop with a GT Stealth 280 in the top and XSPC 450 in the drive bay area. Pump/res > radiator > block. There is actually a mistake in the mockup though, the green and purple tubes need to enter the pump/res the other way round

How would I go about draining this loop? I cant really figure out a way... Do you think I should put in a drain port somewhere? And do you think I should consider routing things differently?

Cheers guys,

 

[ubersonic]

An easy way would be to put a "T" piece on the purple line and fit a bung to it, depends how much you care about aesthetics.

 

[Akagi]

An easy way would be to put a "T" piece on the purple line and fit a bung to it, depends how much you care about aesthetics.

Hmm... Slightly less easy option?

But thats a possibility. It would probably be above the height of the res though, cos of the tube having to go above the GPU.

 

[andybird123]

if you leave some slack on the tubing, you might be able to slide the res out and dump the fluid out that way, or in combination with the above T-piece suggestion

 

[stuie]

the pump/res is attached at the back is it not? a slightly tidier option would by to use something like a t piece at the back of the res rather than mid loop if you were able to use some high flex tube like you get on a washing machine you could coil it up out of sight and only uncoil when needing to drain

 

[Kei]

Depending on the thread, I'd use the fill port with a piece of tubing attached. Turn case upside down and out it comes, tilting the case to allow it to flow.

 

[andybird123]

the pump/res is attached at the back is it not? a slightly tidier option would by to use something like a t piece at the back of the res rather than mid loop if you were able to use some high flex tube like you get on a washing machine you could coil it up out of sight and only uncoil when needing to drain

I thought that at first too, but if you google, it's not a bay res, it's just a little plexi box with a pump inside it - only has "in" "out" and fill port, all on top of the thing, so moving it out of the bay where it's being kept will be the only way to use the res as a drain...

there is then any number of options on how to get the water out of the res, including a T piece or just undoing a connector

 

[Akagi]

if you leave some slack on the tubing, you might be able to slide the res out and dump the fluid out that way, or in combination with the above T-piece suggestion

Could do, I was hoping to get the tubing looking reasonably neat though for aesthetics, i'll have a think.

the pump/res is attached at the back is it not? a slightly tidier option would by to use something like a t piece at the back of the res rather than mid loop if you were able to use some high flex tube like you get on a washing machine you could coil it up out of sight and only uncoil when needing to drain

It is not attached no, it is a freestanding unit which I happen to be mounting there (unless you have a better suggestion, which I would love to hear)

Depending on the thread, I'd use the fill port with a piece of tubing attached. Turn case upside down and out it comes, tilting the case to allow it to flow.

Ahh thats actually quite a good idea, i'll check to see if a standard fitting fits in the fill port. If so you may be on to something there

I thought that at first too, but if you google, it's not a bay res, it's just a little plexi box with a pump inside it - only has "in" "out" and fill port, all on top of the thing, so moving it out of the bay where it's being kept will be the only way to use the res as a drain...

there is then any number of options on how to get the water out of the res, including a T piece or just undoing a connector

Correct, it is not a bay-res

That is mostly true I suppose, unless the fill port is threaded the same as the in/out ports so I can run some tubing off of it.

 

[Kei]

Most XSPC reservoirs have an M20x1.5mm fill cap thread. You can buy an adaptor that converts this to G1/4".

 

[andybird123]

Could do, I was hoping to get the tubing looking reasonably neat though for aesthetics, i'll have a think.

if you pull the res inwards toward the inside of the case, it should be pretty mobile after that and you can empty it via the side panel

you won't really know until you get it roughly in place with some tubing attached

 

[Akagi]

Most XSPC reservoirs have an M20x1.5mm fill cap thread. You can buy an adaptor that converts this to G1/4".

I dont suppose you could link me to one? I honestly can't find one anywhere (in the UK that is)

 

[Kei]

I'll send you an email now.

 

[Akagi]

I'll send you an email now.

Thanks

*edit* Recieved, thanks Appreciate it
Not sure how I missed them all haha. I even browsed XSPC's site...

I must be bad at internetting