can one "make" a custom closed loop? - Page 2

Originally Posted by Zero4549 

Getting the air out is a good start, but it wont stop your water from slowly evaporating out.
At the very least you are going to need some very thick, non porous tubing, and you're going to want to epoxy all the joints/

Originally Posted by TB13 

It can be done and it is quite easy. I don't know why people are telling you to use special parts because it really doesn't matter. I recently made a closed loop with a gutted H40 as my block, a MCP355 as my pump, the original H40 rad, some cheap tubing from Ace Hardware, and a couple of 1/4id barbs for the pump. I set it all up then dipped two ends of the tubing in a small container of distilled water and bleed the air out, when no more air bubbles came out, I connected the tubing under the water and wallaha, closed loop. Check out my thread Here for more info, temps, and pictures.

Originally Posted by Zero4549 

Key word: recently. Come back in a couple years and tell me how it's still working without being refilled, then we'll talk.

Originally Posted by TB13 

I understand it will have to be refilled just like a normal loop, but its not like it is hard to refill it. I know OP stated that he didn't ever want to refill it, but thats not realistic, its going to have to be refilled. If you set it up using normal fittings, you can pull it apart maybe twice a year, clean it, and refill it, its no big deal.

Originally Posted by opt33 

When you buy a custom water cooling kit, the main difference is they use norprene tubing, and they did the bleeding for you. Norprene tubing has water transmission rate about 12X less than tygon 3603 tubing for example, but will still slowly lose coolant over the years. And after a few years, air pockets will develop in the kits, and the waterblock pins will slowly get clogged, so they will lose a few C in performance. So after 4-5 years, only way to get back the performance with a kit, is to clean waterblock, and with difficulty bleed air back out.
With a custom built loop (they are also just as closed if you use same ugly norprene tubing) and with a reservoir of 150 mls, you could run it the same 4-5 years without maintenance, and it would lose less performance since although waterblock would still clog some, the air would be in reservoir where does not affect performance.
So both custom loops and "closed" kits are closed loops. Most people dont use norprene or worry about little liquid loss, since reservoir takes care of it. I let mine go 2 years before with only 0.5C loss in performance from some crud on waterblock. Have seen people go much longer.
Bottom line, a kit that is not meant to be maintained, has no different maintenance requirements than a custom loop with norprene. The lack of reservoir or easy to remove fittings simply makes the kit more difficult to bleed, and more difficult to maintain, hence people are less likely to do so.
So basically your trying to take a custom loop, and give it the same disadvantage of premade kits, ie inconvenient maintenance and refilling. Why?