So you want to do something fun and artistic? Why not build a custom loop water system? What is a custom loop water system? A custom loop water system is a cooling system that uses many assorted products to make a cohesive environment for coolant to flow across the CPU, GPU, and sometimes Memory through contact plates. This guide will cover an important part of owning a custom loop system, the maintenance and cleaning.
Before we get too far let's talk about some information about maintenance. Frequency. We would recommend draining and cleaning the system at least once a year. Why is this important? Over time, deposits or bacteria develop inside the loop. This creates congestion through the smaller parts of the system like the contact plates and radiator lines. This in turn can reduce the ability to cool the system effectively which leads to inferior performance.
Differences in Coolant
The primary difference between our coolants like the T1000 and C1000 has to do with pigmentation and clarity of the fluid. For instance, the T1000 fluid is a mostly clear fluid with some dyes in it. There are some chemicals that try and keep the system clean like antimicrobial additives but it is primarily water. The C1000 on the other hand is a non-clear fluid that relies on pigmentation to deliver its color. The drawback to the T1000 is the fluid is usually not very vibrant but can be adjusted with things like our TT Premium RGB Fittings. The drawback to the C1000 fluid is that the pigmentation can clump up and sometimes clog the system, though not always.
How To Drain the System
The primary and safest way to drain a system is with a drain bottle, that comes with our kits. The drain bottle has a long nozzle on it that will allow you to suction the fluid out little by little. To start this, all you need to do is, while the system is on, remove the fill cap from the pump/reservoir, and begin suctioning it out. You may need to turn off the computer to trap the fluid in the reservoir towards the end. This can take some time depending on how big the fill bottle is.
The other way to drain the system is to use a drain fitting that attaches to the bottom of the reservoir. The drain method is safe and effective, just not as careful as the drain bottle. This would also need to be something you plan for ahead of time because installing the drain port would need to be done at the beginning of your build process.
For this method, you will need to use a power supply jumper that is supplied with our kits, plug that into the 24pin and remove all other cables from the computer, and make sure the power switch on the back of the power supply is in the off position. Take a clean bucket and hold it under the nozzle you installed. Remove the drain plug, and fill the port. This will begin draining the loop. Then, using the jumper you installed before removing the fluid, turn on the power supply with the rocker switch on the back. This will push the fluid out of the system without running the actual hardware.
How to Clean the System
Once the system is drained you will need to flush the system. Using distilled water, fill the entire system you would normally and let that run for a couple of hours. Once it is time, drain the water as you did before. Some hardware like the CPU block may need to be taken apart to clean the fins on the contact plate. Be very careful to take note of how many sealing gaskets there are and where they are located, putting it back together incorrectly could result in leaks. Start by taking a soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrubbing in a single direction, cleaning between the fins. If you need a stiffer bristle move to a medium bristle but do not go past that.
Take the fittings apart to clean off any deposits and make sure the O Rings are still good. Make sure there are no deposits or gunk stuck on the inside of the tubing. Once you have everything flushed out and brushed out, you are ready to fill the system again. We recommend buying new coolant, however, if yours is still clean with no clumps or debris floating, you can use the coolant again.
Best practices for cleaning
Keep a few microfiber towels around to clean up any spills. You can also drape them over other hardware to catch any stray water. Be patient, the system has a lot of fluid in all the hardware and takes some time to drain all the way. Thoroughly check the hardware to make sure there is no fluid left behind. When you are tilting the PC always make sure you have a firm grip on the machine and use level surfaces.