Best way to drain a WC setup?

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Wicked_Bass

[H]ard|Gawd
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What is the easiest way to drain a watercooling setup?

How much vinegar to distilled water to clean the setup?

Thank you in advance~
 
By doin searches on draining WC set up is from what i understand is from the lowest point from your loop. Gosh i still wonder where in the loop is the lowest point, lol.
 
Thanks I still forget to use search or google. Everyone here knows everything anyway so I just ask!
 
Wicked_Bass said:
What is the easiest way to drain a watercooling setup?

How much vinegar to distilled water to clean the setup?

Thank you in advance~
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Uhh, unmount cpu block, get a bucket, take hose off cpu block, drain :eek:
 
Capt. obvious here.

Drain it outside your case. 100% vinegar for 45min. should do the trick...
 
I may be wrong, but I've heard that 100% vinegar can damage acrylic and fog tubing...I used about 10% vinegar 90% distilled for about an hour and it worked fine. My blocks came out sparkling!
 
headala said:
I may be wrong, but I've heard that 100% vinegar can damage acrylic and fog tubing...I used about 10% vinegar 90% distilled for about an hour and it worked fine. My blocks came out sparkling!
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I use 100% for initial cleaning. Adding 10% later may also work, depending on how dirty your setup is.
 
I think I used about 15-20% vinegar to clean my setup. I let it run overnight because I'd run the loop for a few months after I got it, but never gave it an initial clean. Now there's no crap in the loop :cool:
 
Sorry if I'm thread-jacking here but here is what I gather...

Take the loop out of the case, drain current liquid, then run for some time with vinegar and water mix

That sound about right?
 
comman sence would tell me to shut the system off then unplug it form the wall, then unplug part of the loop and drain... (maybe turn on the pump, or blow on one tube with my mouth... with the other end in a bucket of some kind..)

Experence would tell me to after than run the pump with the 2 open parts of the loop in a bucjety of fresh water (distilled) to clean it out.. then seal it up...
 
When I did it, I left my system running on air while the pump was plugged in. I let the loop circulate in a clean plastic garbage can.
 
Are you using a res? If so, try to remove it from the case and drain from there. If t-line flip the case and let gravity to the job. Don't run the pump to force the water out. The pumps aren't supposed to run while dry.
 
Thanks for the input! I am going to try and remove from case and then drain with gravity!
 
headala said:
No, no, no don't run the pump or have any power going to your computer!! :eek:
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why not? A little dry run wont hurt it... belive me i did it for 2-3 years and never had a problem...
 
Talonz said:
When I did it, I left my system running on air while the pump was plugged in. I let the loop circulate in a clean plastic garbage can.
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Oops, I didn't mean that it was running dry. To clarify, I meant that the system was running on air, (stock air heatsink). I let the system draw from one garbage can to another, one is filled with vinegar/water, the other is empty. Once the entire loop is full of vinegar water, then put both the input and output in the vinegar water garbage can.
 
I've got some smaller, 1/4" tubing that I keep around for just this. I stick the tubing in the resevoir and then siphon the liquid out of the resevoir. Then I tilt the case to move more of the water in the res. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That's the cleanest way I've found so far to drain a system...
 
The actual best way is the one that nobody thinks of when planning a WC setup.


Adding a drain valve at the lowest point of the system.

Same thing happens with automatic transmissions.
You have to disassemble the pan to drain and replace the fluid.

Not saying that people are making mistakes in their loop design - It's just one of those thing that you end up beating yourself up over when you need to do it.

Just like changing tranny fluid and filter - it's a lot less messy after you've installed the $10.00 drain plug kit.

Funny, I don't think that any WC company I've seen offers a drain valve kit.

 
Talonz said:
Upside down T-Line ;)
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Word. Don't see the need in adding an extra point of failure. If you have a t-line, then flip the system over and there's your exit point.
 
Talonz said:
Upside down T-Line ;)
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Elegent solution as an add in!

rohcky said:
Word. Don't see the need in adding an extra point of failure. If you have a t-line, then flip the system over and there's your exit point.
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If you already have more than 8 connections for your WC setup what does 2 more matter.
2 - connections at pump
2 - connections at rez or T-line
2 - connections at CPU water block
2 - connections at radiator.

And that's just for the simplist possible system you could build.

So, I guess that you don't like the idea of adding chipset water blocks or VGA water blocks or water flow meters or in-line water temp sensors or any of that other really cool stuff. That could add TWO more points of possible failure for each item you added!

And don't forget, when you flip a system over, you have to have a way to allow AIR to enter the system so that the water can drain more quickly.
With a Fillport T-line at the top and a drain T-line at the bottom this would happen a lot faster.

 
How would you seal the bottom t-line? getting fillports from DD are expensive. im getting one today for my t-line but i dont wanna get another for another t-line.
 
DangerIsGo said:
How would you seal the bottom t-line? getting fillports from DD are expensive. im getting one today for my t-line but i dont wanna get another for another t-line.
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If you don't care about how it looks, get brass compression or barbed fittings from lowes or home depot. You can get a fitting called a petcock valve that will screw right into a normal NPT threaded fitting for what ever size you need. you can even get a petcock with a barb on it for attaching a drain line to.

$11.95 is expensive to you, for a water cooling setup?????

http://www.dangerdenstore.com/product.php?productid=56&cat=33&page=1

But I wouldn't want a fillport because I couldn't attach a drain line for it.
Go to Lowes and look in the plumbing section.

 
Dangerden fillports are copper/brass (outer bit) and aluminum (center) for great corrosion fun!
 
Bbq said:
Dangerden fillports are copper/brass (outer bit) and aluminum (center) for great corrosion fun!
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Do you own one? The center is brass.
 
rodsfree said:
$11.95 is expensive to you, for a water cooling setup?????
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yes actually, for a little piece of metal that you could prob pick up somewhere for $5

Also, does ANYONE know where I could get one of them syringes that DD uses so I dont have to order one from them?
 
I own one of those fillports. Mine is brass>aluminum.

And, an AA battery will plug a 1/2". Keep that in mind for you ghetto riggers out there.
 
Bbq said:
And, an AA battery will plug a 1/2". Keep that in mind for you ghetto riggers out there.
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Oh boy...

tongue.gif
 
willie92 said:
I've got some smaller, 1/4" tubing that I keep around for just this. I stick the tubing in the resevoir and then siphon the liquid out of the resevoir. Then I tilt the case to move more of the water in the res. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That's the cleanest way I've found so far to drain a system...
Click to expand...


QFT.

I do the same thing. Sucks if you have a heavy machine though.
 
domoMKIV said:
theres always the delrin alternative.

http://www.petrastechshop.com/madeficap.html
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I like that! If i just waited and saw your post i woulda saved myself some money but oh well, too late now, its already shipped. Maybe I can sell it. Depends on how this looks. Also, does anyone know where I can get a large syringe like DD uses? i cannot find one ANYWHERE. its driving me insane as i dont want to spend $10 on a $2 item.
 
Exterior Ras
One thing I can say about exterior ras is that it makes draining fun! All you do is disconnect the hose from the ras, the drain, disconnect tube from pump, drain again and you are pretty much done draining.

Interior Ras
Didn't use one but I am sure someone here will tell you

T lines
Drain from the T wait a minute as late effect coolant will come out from other parts of the loop. Disconnect T, drain the rest and your pretty much done.
 
rodsfree said:
The only question is "What is Min order Quantity?"

First pricebreak is at #250.

That'd be a lot of syringes if min order was 50!
LOL

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use one and then the rest can be for stocking stuffers at christmas :D
 
Why not just use some of those high flow quick disconnects that mcmaster sells? Have the quick disconnect right after the exit from the pump and when your ready to drain just disconnect and then plug in another quick disconnect that is connected to a short line of tubing that runs to a container of some sort. Turn the pump on briefly and let the pump do the work for you. Should take a matter of mins and no chance for any spills / leakage. Only downside is you'd have to purchase to sets of quick disconnects but they really aren't that expensive compared to normal water cooling products.
 
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