How To Quickly and Easily Drain A Water Cooled PC - EK Tips & Tricks

Are you looking for an easy way to drain and flush coolant from your water cooled PC? Fear not! Matic has got you covered with this helpful tutorial on the different methods for draining and flushing custom loops. Get useful tips and tricks to ensure efficient draining while keeping your system safe, and find out why it's important to plan your loop in advance. Plus, discover the advantages of using a drain valve for hassle-free draining.
Discover useful accessories for loop draining from the video:
Quantum Torque Drain Valves 👉 ek.tech/drain-it
EK Filling/Draining Bottle 👉 ek.tech/bottle
Soft Tubing 👉 ek.tech/soft-tubes
Paper Towels 👉 Available at your local grocery store.
EK is the global leader in developing and manufacturing custom liquid cooling loop products, expanding its portfolio to AIO coolers, plug-and-play gaming PCs, and professional workstations. Visit ekwb.com/ to learn more.

[@juliocorzo3241]

An electric air duster (a Datavac, for example,) can push all air out without introducing bacteria to the loop. In an O11D XL like the same complex loop (but with a vertical GPU), it can push all air out of the loop in seconds. Draining a loop like that manually can take hours. This is the best solution I've found.

[@swizzler8053]

This is the way bro.

[@Bertis87]

How do you do it? I’m having such a hard time draining my loop, and I’ve already damaged something, I just need to get this contaminated coolant out. How do you hook up the data vac to get all the coolant out?

[@lukelei1086]

never tried it before, but I would assume maybe duct tap to create a semi good seal. Just duct tape the tip of the blower to the soft tube and you should be good to go. @@Bertis87

[@chuckgrumble5440]

wrong, it will possibly contaminate with bacteria.

[@eduardclaudiufadgyas3365]

Let us know how you did please!

[@mattl1807]

Id suggest using a DataVac on that tube to blow into rather than your mounth. I used my mouth the first time and had growth within 6 months despite a chemical coolant. The second time around I used a datavac and it can blow harder than I can. I measured the preasure it applies to the loop by attaching my leak checker on another port in the loop. With the drain vavle open and the datavac nozzel in direct contact with the tube, I was seeing a max 0.2 which is well below where EK suggested you pump to for leak checking. So there is no harm to the loop there even though the datavac feels like it blows harder than a leaf blower. Also, like the video suggested, I added a second drain valve mid loop to easily attach the tube for blowing without having to screw around trying to drain a channle in the distro to attach to.

[@Mr.RobotX]

Give me datavac link please ❤

[@JJMDude]

Yeah, I cringed the moment I saw him put his mouth on the tube. "Dude, you're blowing bacteria into your parts! Keep your mouth off it!" Just got the datavac advice today and can't wait to apply it. Last time I drained a hard-to-drain loop, I used the pressure tester pump to displace fluid stuck in the cpu circuit. The datavac is a MUCH more sensible solution, and I love hearing about the pressure readings for peace of mind. I have a front distro that I'd worry about cracking if the pressure were too high.

[@Bertis87]

I’ve done the blow method and each time I get contaminants on the push-in adapters inlet and outlet and the bottom of the distro. I bought the data vac and a new distro,cpu block/gpu block, and I’m going to make sure I dont contaminate anything for the 3rd time now since I have all new components. I did not buy three new radiators though. My build is 3x quantum surface rads with ek-7 matrix in 0-11 D XL

[@TheSchnook]

The sound make this feel like a 90s late night infomercial. Lol

[@_Mike.P]

If you have a problem with blowing into the tube or with holding pressure you can also use the EK loop tester with the hand pump and check-valve.

[@jimitaco1303]

It sounds like somebody was using the EK loop tester on the mic for some reason

[@w3st80]

is that even enough pressure?

[@_Mike.P]

@@w3st80 eventually, yes. Because of the check-valve the pressure builds with every “pump” until the liquid reaches the only exit.

[@Bluelagoonstudios]

That's also a great idea.

[@shotokanads3325]

Thats the great thing about EK Rads, the P360M has an end port, perfect place for a drain valve. I have a Lian Li O11D XL with 3 rads and following a bit of case drilling each Rad has its own drain value, including one on the distro. Great kit EK!

[@daviddesrosiers1946]

I have a dual radiator/CPU loop, no GPU leg in a Lian Li D Evo with the Mana G2 distro plate and I've found that after draining the reservoir, pressurizing the loop to about half a bar with the leak test pump and suddenly releasing the pressure is effective at more fully purging the system for maintenance, or further modification. As we all know, a modder's system is never finished, just at current spec.

[@MHAAAAANZ]

Well said

[@shoppster300]

Couldnt you just attached the leak tester and push all the coolant out with pressure?

[@swizzler8053]

Thats also possible bro.

[@hinotama.ryuuka]

Idk why he didn't do that, this is way more cheaper/easier/safer than buying another STC fitting, a soft tube and blow it by yourself

[@emperorfloch]

The sound quality of this video is almost as “good” as EK’s quality control lately 😂😂😂

[@shaynerism]

I actually open the top of my reservoir, then use a Shopvac at the drain valve and suck it all out. Works like a charm, and fast.

[@h2ocomputers316]

Good information for folks. Thanks for giving me flashbacks trying to drain 3x radiator Lian-Li builds LOL!

[@DjSpicyO]

You found the hardest possible ways to drain the loop.

[@channtehmann]

Thanks!

[@digismurf]

I have the exact distro plate and case shown in your complex build it looks and works awesome btw, however, I have been putting off draining it, thank you, you have confirmed it will not be quick or easy. 😂

[@GSP-76]

Then you built it wrong... draining a front distro plate is easy.

[@WaikikiSmoke]

@digismurf what distro plate is that?

[@digismurf]

@@WaikikiSmoke looks like my "EK-Quantum Reflection PC-O11D XL D5 PWM D-RGB", it's made for that case so it fits, looks, and functions great!

[@m0rbidm0nk3y]

The trick for blowing air into the loop is such a game changer I was working way harder than I should have to get fluid out of my loop. Now I'm excited to change my coolant. I have a vertical mounted GPU with an active backplate so it should be fun lol

[@drbluewolf]

Even better if you have one of those compu blowers. Goes faster and you don't risk introducing bacteria into the loop.

[@ImOnMy116]

@@drbluewolfCan confirmed those are great!!

[@m0rbidm0nk3y]

@@drbluewolf I was wondering the same thing when he blew into it I thought he was going to use the test pump or something else but I think the coolant probably has some kind of additive in it to prevent that

[@Brickokermis.]

8:30 use a hair dryer, which will easily push out the remaining liquid. Or a Dusters CompuCleaner, which has filtered air.

[@xbabydboiex]

what is the size tubing used for the EK-Quantum drain valve? and do we need another torque fitting cap to use? why arnt these details listed?

[@BigOlBilliam]

I’m surprised that EK suggests people blow into the loop. Like, doesn’t this guarantee you’ll need to completely flush the loop and drain it again in order to make sure it’s clean?

[@saneldomeh92]

It could be suggested to use some sort of a powered device like an electric air duster or similar. But there are couple of issues with that. There can be to much pressure and not everyone has it. Also when you add new proper coolant it does protect your loop from anything you might have blown in.

[@BigOlBilliam]

@@saneldomeh92 I've tried to actually use the EK loop tester as something to push fluid through. That actually worked pretty well, as long as you ensure there are no specks of anything in your pump prior to using it.

[@saneldomeh92]

It does work as long as the tubing is full of coolant, but once the components and tubing get half full and air can "escape" pass the coolant the pump will not provide enough air volume to push the rest out. But it does work in some loop setup so it is a good idea, thank you@@BigOlBilliam

[@jimitaco1303]

Would it help to drain the radiators if a drain port were added to the other end? Or maybe a T fitting with a ball valve to let air in to the top of the system without spilling?

[@RamrodII]

I always use an air pump for the gpu and vertical radiators to get the liquid out of it..

[@wutangclan2051]

What EK fitting do I use to connect the soft-tubing drain hose with the EK Quantum Torque Drain Valve ? or does the soft-tubing connect directly to the EK Quantum Torque Drain Valve ?

[@robmasters3569]

quick question.....could I attach a compressor to the top fill port and blow air through the loop to clear the coolant from the loop? Ignore this question as you've answered my question further on in the video.

[@Gregtech6]

good work Matic :)

[@tommyTV-72]

Thanks i love your channel.

[@generalgrevous2458]

Would a small air pump (electric or hand pump) work with a proper fitting to push the liquid out? I'd buy one!

[@MarcoTechExperience]

I used EKWB EK-CRYOFUEL SOLID AZURE with Pastel Colors. And now my Loop is always cloging, especially in the CPU Block. Is there a solution on getting that Pastel out of the loop?

[@drblitz3092]

Can you use the inlet port for the drain valve?

[@Amfibios]

when you use a loop cleaner, do you need to take every bit out of the loop before you can add the coolant? because even after all this, the build with the side radiator and the blue coolant still had quite a bit left inside. it would be a pain in the ass to pressure test... clean the loop.... disassemble to empty the loop completely.... pressure test again.... add coolant

[@ifyc576]

Can you use an air compressor to drain and fill as needed? No need to use mouth?

[@paulvalente4140]

Guys I appreciate this video but,using an air duster is the way to go, everytime

[@m5902]

i think you also could use a pressure test pump to pump the remaining fluid to the resevoir. So you dont have to tilt the pc. I mean pressure should do the trick to push every thing out, it was just i idea that came up in my mind. what do you think?

[@AimanTamimi]

I got the exact lian li case with distro plate, the weight is too much to handle! You must be training to be able to tilt it with 1 hand safely!

[@MiddleofKnowhere]

what about added bacteria from blowing into it? i suppose that's what the system prep stuff is for, to help clear that out.

[@tibielias]

Just use quick connectors between all components, the time and money you invest designing the loop with those pays off every time you need to drain / clean / fill the loop or swap a component without doing any of the former.

[@saneldomeh92]

not all like the QDCs in their loop :/

[@tibielias]

@@saneldomeh92 man, these abbreviations. I've found 14 definitions and none of them have anything to do with water loops. Right, what's QDC?

[@Arek_1]

@@tibielias Quick disconnects.

[@tibielias]

@@Arek_1 this is probably the 3rd term that I read which refers to the same thing. We have quick connectors, connect adapters and quick disconnectors. There has to be more out there 😅

[@HawkFest]

Can I use the EKWB Leak Tester to blow air in, so that it pushes the liquid out, or would it be too much of a hassle (is it powerful enough for this)?

[@IsleyNumber1]

Can I recommend you fellas add the drain valve to your configurator (if using a distro plate)? I just made my loop last month, and never thought to add one. I'm just going to crack open the bottom fill port over the sink and hope for the best.

[@MongoSlade84]

How did it go?

[@IsleyNumber1]

@@MongoSlade84 it was fine. Had to clean the case (and the sink) a bit with paper towels. EK cryo fuel doesn't smell great and I bet you don't want to get it anywhere near your food. But it cleans up easily (because it's so soluable)

[@captainpunch2671]

How did he connect the tubing

[@hasyidanparamananda]

For the complex build, why not open another port on radiator and make it drain port? The EKWB radiator non crossflow should have like 5 port right? 1 on side and 4 on other side.

[@h2ocomputers316]

Many ports but accessing them isn't always so simple or guaranteed. You also need a port adapter on that port to attach the drain valve to or it will leak coolant everywhere ;)

[@hasyidanparamananda]

@@h2ocomputers316 Ah yeah, I was thinking to make hole on the back for bottom radiator and put drain near there... but well after seeing he open the front glass, i was thinking why not just open one on the front hahaha

[@jeffstrains4014]

I am working on piecing together another revisor and pump, I think you can just pump new fluid in and skip a lot of the pain @@hasyidanparamananda

[@Let_The_World_Burn]

Thank you for this video, it has helped extremely well in making my decision not to water cool a reality lol.

[@toomuch4em]

Dont recommend putting your mouth on a tube and blowing into the loop. Get a electric duster and blow air into the tube that way. Not only does it blow more air than you could but its probably not going to potentially blow spit and whatever else into the loop.

[@Rashimotosan]

Audio seems fine to me? Not sure what people are complaining about. Music is a smidge louder but I can hear him.

[@aldaricJohnes]

Don't blow air with your mouth in the loop. Over 12y I did that once, and that was the only time I had shiats in my loop in the next 6 months even though I was using growth inhibitors. Best way to contaminate your loop.

[@Mr.RobotX]

Can we use leak tester for air? Also we dont breathe out. Leak tester help us? After to breathe my ear gone bad

[@hichamlrazwani9201]

❤❤❤

[@yooanto9465]

I'm new to water cooling but can somebody answer me? I have 13900k and 13700k. which better whole cooling system or AIO from Ek?? Second is there any warranty? and how many years it last? Thanks

[@DarthChewie]

A custom loop will give better cooling performance than any AIO, but a custom loop will also be much more expensive than an AIO. That being said, better cooling (ie. lower CPU temperatures) doesn't provide better performance unless your CPU was thermal throttling with an AIO or air cooler. From a cooling performance standpoint, a custom loop really only provides extra CPU performance if you specifically need the thermal headroom, perhaps for overclocking or running very heavy multi-core workloads that use too much power for an AIO or air cooler to handle. A well-built and well-maintained loop should last the entire lifespan of the computer. Because you are new to water cooling, just remember that any coolant / water leaking can result in damaged or dead components, so even if the water cooling hardware (CPU block, Pump / Reservoir, Tubing, Radiators) are all in working condition, there is still a risk to other PC components if the loop is not built properly. I don't know what warranties EK (or any other water cooling brand) offers on their products, but I'd assume it's listed on their website.

[@yooanto9465]

Thank you so much for detail answer. I'm thinking to build one soon maybe ask Good pc shop around my place to help me. Thank you again@@DarthChewie

[@d3lsl0w]

Why did they not use the drain ports on the front/bottom of the distroplate?

[@saneldomeh92]

there was already a drain valve on the back installed so it would not make much difference.

[@d3lsl0w]

@@saneldomeh92 the drain valve on distro front sits a lot lower than the one in the back. Just strange, being that EKs own literature says to use that port.

[@saneldomeh92]

I is just a matter of ease of use as You would need to install a drain valve on the front. On the back it is already installed because the sides can then be closed. It certainly can get the last drop out from the front, but as you are tilting the case you will do the same at the back anyway. If you do not have any drain valve installed, then the front is preferred yes @@d3lsl0w

[@nickscheuring6287]

Couldn’t you just use the leak tester via the fill port to apply pressure then open the drain vale to release the coolant ? Similar to bleeding brakes on a vehicle…

[@eliadbu]

The old ball valve was much better; it's sad that you got rid of it completely.

[@Sjbjo]

How about developing a machine that will blow the air

[@AdvanceRGB]

omg the audio

[@guillaumejoop6437]

I'm definitely buying an air blower cause there's no way my smoker lungs can achieve that

[@Bluelagoonstudios]

I have a small compressor (oil free air), with a regulating valve, which is also 1/4 thread, and it blows out very easy all coolant. And there isn't any (false) air between the compressor and the input port. And I do this on a sink, in the kitchen, a bottle can be filled very quickly, and if you have the drain valve placed on the left side of the distribution plate, you could be too late. About the drain, I would never put a drain on that side. It's very inconvenient at that place. I think they forgot about the drain and putted it there. Not so smart.

[@TheBenzKid]

Please don't blow into your loop. You are just contaminating your loop with biologics that are in your mouth/saliva. Use an electronic computer duster instead for the best results, works great for me with my 3x 480mm radiators.

[@EmoEmu]

RIP lapel mic

[@TolaGarf]

Sound is absolutely shot to hell

[@HugoVanArt]

Uff, the sound… guys, you can do better than this 😂

[@efovex]

Mic gain set to 9001 😂

[@Molmen07]

Haha mic wasn't cooled

[@HugoVanArt]

@@Molmen07 maybe mic needs to be drained too *kappa*

[@harisjaved1379]

Ok, bro! The audio makes this unwatchable!

[@DirtRider999]

Me tits.

[@openperspective5423]

2:58 turn of pc first 💀

[@cdee2101]

1st again....

[@emil8367]

Ok, for these kind of experiments it's ok, but in my opinion the components should be designed to not have to shake the case and blow air manually ! 🙂 Guys, it is possible to do it better ! Also instead of attaching permanently tubes to the eg CPU water block or GPU water block it should be possible to plug and out, instead of each time when we clean it have to have break all !!! It is now not cheap but why in this case it can be better ? Ahh, right , you think we will pay all the time for a new parts, tubes etc. You will earn more then. Simple as that .... or maybe I'm wrong ? You seem to be cool and decent and I hope I'm wrong that this is not about money !

[@fairycat]

That is unpleasant part of water-cooling...

[@ivanhaylezov8806]

It is good those guys are doing training and educational vids, but their Customer support is really pathetic. I have not received any feedback from them for more than a week already... this is bullshit! And i did a 1500+ EUR PO....sounds nice, huh ?

[@92GTIDrew]

So glad they are making pointless poor audio videos, instead of fixing their direct die kits. "shake my head"

[@HollywoodEDC]

Moral of the story. Distro Plates look cool but absolutely suck for draining and maintenance. Tube reservoirs will always be superior in every aspect.

[@guillaumejoop6437]

I'm definitely buying an air blower cause there's no way my smoker lungs can achieve that