[SOLVED] trying to drain and flush my liquid cooling loop

[Multibiggity]

I'm trying to drain, flush, and clean my loop but don't have a drain valve, my coolant is getting low and also getting thin. I don't have much experience with liquid cooling, I would be very thankful to get some help with this situation. Need help start to finish!!!

https://imgur.com/9xdQ3ZC

View: https://imgur.com/9xdQ3ZC

 

[rubix_1011]

How long has the loop been in operation? I would be concerned if you have a diminishing coolant level like that.

For draining, easiest way is to disconnect the lowset fitting you can find (looks like on the pump or even off the GPU) and then vent the reservoir, tip and drain all at once.

 

[Multibiggity]

How long has the loop been in operation? I would be concerned if you have a diminishing coolant level like that.

For draining, easiest way is to disconnect the lowset fitting you can find (looks like on the pump or even off the GPU) and then vent the reservoir, tip and drain all at once.

The lowest tube is where the coolant is getting sucked up through the loop basically saying that’s where the loop starts, it’s been in operation for little over a year.

 

[LeiHeJun]

@Multibiggity
Just put a water tank on the way and you'll never need rad and fans.
See your loop has less than 1L coolant. If you use a tank of 20L, temps will rise 20 times less. I use drinking water, transparent. dead silent

 

[Multibiggity]

@LeiHeJun
Thank you for your advice on what I should do I appreciate at it but that didn’t really help me with my problem on trying to drain and flush my system.

 

[Multibiggity]

@rubix_1011 could I possibly just add more coolant without draining and flushing the coolant that’s already in there?

 

[DSzymborski]

@rubix_1011 could I possibly just add more coolant without draining and flushing the coolant that’s already in there?

That's a really terrible idea. You need to do this properly and there's no real non-messy way to do this. I'd get the PSU out of there and one of those long but low food storage containers in there under where that bottom 90 degree turn is.

 

[rubix_1011]

@Multibiggity
Just put a water tank on the way and you'll never need rad and fans.
See your loop has less than 1L coolant. If you use a tank of 20L, temps will rise 20 times less. I use drinking water, transparent. dead silent

That's not a wise idea. Water cannot dissipate thermal energy very well on its own when in a sealed container. Temps would continue to gradually rise. Even with a 20L reservoir, under load for a few hours, that would easily be very, very warm and causing your temps to still be warm.

@LeiHeJun
Thank you for your advice on what I should do I appreciate at it but that didn’t really help me with my problem on trying to drain and flush my system.

I would disagree- it does address your problem, although not the problem of lacking a drain. You'd possibly want to add one if you think you need one - why didn't you add one when you built the loop? However, there isn't much of a way to drain the loop without just disconnecting a fitting, venting the radiator and draining it by tipping.

It does not matter where the fitting is, you aren't going to be running the pump or PC while you drain anyway, so inlet or outlet, doesn't matter.

 

[Multibiggity]

That's not a wise idea. Water cannot dissipate thermal energy very well on its own when in a sealed container. Temps would continue to gradually rise. Even with a 20L reservoir, under load for a few hours, that would easily be very, very warm and causing your temps to still be warm.



I would disagree- it does address your problem, although not the problem of lacking a drain. You'd possibly want to add one if you think you need one - why didn't you add one when you built the loop? However, there isn't much of a way to drain the loop without just disconnecting a fitting, venting the radiator and draining it by tipping.

It does not matter where the fitting is, you aren't going to be running the pump or PC while you drain anyway, so inlet or outlet, doesn't matter.

Alright thank you I appreciate it, I will be trying that right now.

 

[LeiHeJun]

That's not a wise idea. Water cannot dissipate thermal energy very well on its own when in a sealed container. Temps would continue to gradually rise. Even with a 20L reservoir, under load for a few hours, that would easily be very, very warm and causing your temps to still be warm.

I keep the water tank entrance open, the pump is floating inside and tubes go out and in, you can seal the tank which I did for first couple of weeks, but then it started to sweat and dissipation problem. So I left the top open (a circle of 5cm diameter). In summer every month water level drops 1cm (evaporates). Better cover the top with a fabric mesh to keep dust from coming in.

This is it:
https://ibb.co/dD1xtpH

I was using fans initially, but after upgrading to tank, fans+rad+pump+resevoir were dismissed. a smaller pump floats in the tank now. hmm, sometimes when the pc is off, whole water drains to tank. so when you turn on you should increase pump rpm for some seconds. I made an automatic curve to handle that. I marked the tank with a sharpie pen in summer, water level is now 4cm below that line.
https://ibb.co/Nyh5vFp

 

[rubix_1011]

I am assuming the copper coil is used to dissipate heat, which will help, so that is essentially radiating heat if that is the purpose. Most of this is specific on what you are cooling in your loop - for example my 9700k and 2080 running at peak would easily begin to warm that large reservoir in a matter of 1-2 hours of heavy use to where the water temp would continue to rise faster than heat could dissipate.

I do like the DIY approach you've taken so as long as it works well for you, continue to do what you like.

 

[LeiHeJun]

@rubix_1011
I'm not using the coil anymore. By rad I actually meant the coil. that's gone too.
heat dissipation only happens via tank opening, and cpu/gpu blocks.

thank you