Quote:
Originally posted by Skulemate
Why is it that systems with reserviors are called open systems and inline systems with tee are called closed systems by the majority of people? Personally I think that this is a very messy naming convention... it bugs me almost as much as when people say that their pumps are in "serial". My system is a "closed" system with a reservoir... and the only difference between my system and one with a tee is the fact that I know where my point of zero pressure is.
Sorry folks, but I just had to rant about this for a moment... I'm better now  .
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You're right to rant, everyone has an opinion.
Open means that there is a gap in the loop, as opposed to a closed system (actually called closed loop) where water can flow in either direction without any loss. Unfortunately, that's still not clear enough.
With a res, assuming that it has one intake and one outlet, both must be submerged for the system to form a closed loop: what flows one way, must come back the other way.
There is an easy test: put the res/airtrap/tee at the lowest point in your rig: if air gets in the loop, then it was an open loop. If you don't spill any coolant, then you have a closed loop. (wether the pump is on or off or running in reverse)
Some people mistakenly interpret this "closed loop", as a sealed loop, where everything is enclosed. It's not the same. A sealed loop can still be an open loop, you just won't have a spill/mess, that's all.
Wether it's a res/airtrap or tee, it makes no difference. A tee though must be a closed loop (assuming that there are no other gaps).