Importance of the reservoir
Importance of the reservoir
Reservoirs lack cooling features since most are made from plexi, acrylic, or plastic, meaning the difference in size only slightly extends warm-up time and allows more coolant retention. You can indeed operate a loop without one at all.
The reservoir's primary role is to offer a location where bubbles gather once they become unstuck from surrounding areas in the circuit. Bigger reservoirs are mostly used for aesthetic purposes when employing colored liquids or additives, helping speed up and simplify the initial flush by allowing more fluid to be added gradually while preparing an empty loop.