Draining your hard line tubing setup. Looking for ideas

[Hendrickson]

So I've been messing with soft and hard line tubing setups for several years, but one of the things I feel like I don't have a good grasp on is getting a hard line tubing setup that's easy to drain. I usually drain my systems every 6 months - 1 year, and every time I do, I feel like it's a huge pain trying not to make a mess because the system isn't draining well, and there is still liquid in all the components.

I always have a drain port at the bottom of the loop, usually right below the pump and res, and when I go to drain the loop, it usually drains the res, and that's pretty much it. The rads, most of the tubes, and the blocks are still filled with liquid, and no amount of turning the system on its sides/front/back, or waiting seems to help.

I'm about to redo one of my systems, and I'm looking at adding a rad on the top of the system that has ports on both sides (top and bottom), and use the ports on the top as a pressure release when I'm draining the system. I know this will help at least a little.

Does anyone have some good ideas to solves this issue?

 

[aigomorla]

I never do a 100% hardline for said reasons.
Its very difficult to to do a complete drain.

I do have sections where i purposely use soft tubing so i can plug in my electric duster and force induct air though my system to blow it out.

What i do for draining, is this:

1. I open my drain port and alllow as much water to come out.
2. I pull out the soft tubing and use a plug on the other end.
3. while remembing to keep the draining port open (this is very important otherwise you can rupture your radiator) i attach my metrovac to the soft tubing.
I will not completely seal the tubing at start.... but first lightly cover the nozzle on the metrovac.
You want to lightly apply air though the sealed system, to gently push the water out.
After you got most of the water out you can then completely stuff the nozzle inside the tubing.
You do not want too much pressure in your system for obvious reasons, our LCS was not intended for high pressure.

4. I watch as whatever water is left inside gets shot out either into the res or the draining port.