The lowest point on the loop

[alexkyriak]

Might be overthinking this, but, in my current work in progress build, I ensured my bottom rad - one of three - has an underside port which I am using as the ‘lowest’ point on the loop.

But, one of the three rads is vertically mounted with both of it’s two ports located at the top. So this rad will represent the part of the loop that is undrainable without basically turning the case upside down.

I know there are ways to flush out old fluid by replacing it with new, by cycling fresh fluid through the loop over a few turns. But this is intensive as a workflow.

Maybe I should have got a cross flow type for this vertical rad…

Any thoughts on this? I know I probably won’t be the first with this issue. Thanks guys

 

[VersionMonkey]

I only built my first custom loop this year, so don't have a lot of experience to share; but I found that I still have to tilt and turn the case over to empty my front radiator that has the ports at the bottom.

Like you say, another cross-flow might have helped in your case, but some turning over is probably necessary to a greater or lesser extent for any loop layout.

 

[SirConfused]

A drain port is mostly just to make life easier, the goal isn't to get 100% of the fluid out of the loop in 1 go. The port will mean you can easily get a chunk of the fluid out to the point where when you start disconnecting tubes you won't have to have the case held at a specific angle with a bowl underneath to try and avoid it all going on your components! (or worse yet, having to use a squeezy fill bottle to drain the loop...)

You'll nearly always have to fully dismantle the loop for maintenance, I'd personally say it's not worth the effort and cost to try and engineer that out, unless you're made of money and absolutely hate the concept of taking your rads out of the case ever again.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Yeah I would have used a X flow/cross flow radiator
Just rearranged mine to install my new fans
And similar idea but my vertical rad has 1 extra port at the bottom
I added a second ball valve to that front rad
Would have T pieced it into the bottom rad ball valve but was Xmas
And typically was short by 1 X 90 degree fitting lol
Yes you may not get 100% out of a loop but with 2 top ports there will be
A fair amount of liquid still in there

 

[Drumroll]

A drain port is mostly just to make life easier, the goal isn't to get 100% of the fluid out of the loop in 1 go. The port will mean you can easily get a chunk of the fluid out to the point where when you start disconnecting tubes you won't have to have the case held at a specific angle with a bowl underneath to try and avoid it all going on your components! (or worse yet, having to use a squeezy fill bottle to drain the loop...)

You'll nearly always have to fully dismantle the loop for maintenance, I'd personally say it's not worth the effort and cost to try and engineer that out, unless you're made of money and absolutely hate the concept of taking your rads out of the case ever again.

True.
Some rads with multiports like the Alphacool XT and thicker helps as the opposite port to the one being used can be used as a drain port, but as well pointed by @SirConfused , the idea is to drain some or (ideally) mos of the coolant, but never managed to drain all of it. Blocks and even the pump/reservoir will require some turning around to drain, anyway.

 

[Bubo]

If you have a rad which will not drain by itself, like you have with the ports at the top, then simply drain the system via the drain port as normal, without tilting or anything, then once you've got as much out that will drop out normally remove the tube which is connected to the inlet of the rad from the upstream component, e.g. if the loop goes from cpu out to rad in, then remove it from the cpu, then just blow into the tube. The fluid in the rad will then be forced back into the res etc and then to wherever the drain port is. If you have hardline tubes then you can probably still do it if you carefully remove the tube going into the rad inlet and fit a temporary bit of flexy tube to blow into. Use common sense if it looks like there is trapped fluid elsewhere after the initial drain which could be blown out of the open cpu out port, then if this is the case simply connect another temporary flexy tube to the cpu out and let it dangle into your drain bucket.

Edit: Remember NOT to suck.