Question Changing loop. Need assistance with drain port location.

[Ronnie30]

Hey all.

Here's my current loop. When the RTX 3080's are available, I'll be vertically mounting it, adding the GPU added to the loop, and adding another 360mm Rad with fans in a pull configuration. I found this build, which matches the layout of what my loop will look like (more or less).

So I've got 2 questions with this.
1. As I'll be moving my intake to the top of the Res, I'm wondering if I can move my drain port to the bottom intake port on the pump (the one currently leading to my top mounted Rad). For a better look at the layout of my Pump/Res combo, see here. Apart from flow direction, the intake port is also slightly higher than my out-port.

2. The build that I was looking to mimic doesn't have the drain port as the lowest point in their loop. Their front Rad would be the lowest point, and their GPU would be the second lowest. Their drain port is higher but also in between both of the lower points of the loop. I realise that a higher drain port can technically be used, but will require rotating the PC when draining, to move it to the lowest point, but I don't understand how that would be possible in their configuration. I'm guessing they would lay it flat on it's open side, overhanging their table/bench so that the drain port is exposed, with a bucket or something, on the ground beside the table? Can anyone explain how a drain port in that location would work and whether it's worth replicating that layout?

 

[Lutfij]

You're advised on having the drain loop at the lowest point in your loop, it doesn't matter if that loop order or front to back or from top to bottom or inlet to outlet. So long as the drain port is situated at the lowest point, all fluid will evacuate that port once the valve is released.

If you're familiar with cars and how their engines work, the drain port on an engine is always at it's lowerst. Ones that have the drain port at the top...aren't certified to be an engine, so you should start thinking like an engineer if you plan to situate the drain port above the loop...which means you having to rotate the case to evacuate the liquid with the aid of gravity. That's not really a smart thing to do, if you are an engineer(in training).

 

[Ronnie30]

I'm not sure where else I could situate the drain port. With a 360mm rad in the front, the base of the rad will basically be against the base of my case.

Any suggestions based on this build? Note that the front rad does have a cutout in the shroud at the bottom, and actually goes down to the base of the case.

 

[Ronnie30]

Reviving this thread for a follow up idea. Based on a few different builds I've seen on YouTube, I've noticed some people have the drain near the bottom, but not as the lowest part of the loop. What they did, however, was run a length of soft tubing from the drain that is long enough to hang lower than any other part of the loop. I would've assumed the drain valve itself needed to be at the lowest point, but does excess tubing work?

Example can be seen here. The lowest part of the loop would be the front radiator, which goes down into psu/hdd shroud, but the drain valve is further up, attached to the pump/res combo, and extended by soft tubing.