refrdgerated water cooler tower as a chiller?

OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
Has anyone seen any previous DIY's on how to turn a water cooler like this into a water chiller?


I just picked up something like this super cheap and I'm going to try it, but I don't even know what it looks like inside or what kind of power it may have.

I didn't buy this brand, the one I have looks like it has more cooling power than a mini fridge just looking at the coils and the weight of it so might have enough power to do the job. I need something to equal 1/2hp chiller but 1/4hp would do for now. I thought this might be easier to mod than a window a/c based diy chiller just because it's sort of already made for a similar purpose.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-2532854-0248644?asin=B0018MWCTG&AFID=Performics_Google Product Listing Ads&LNM=Primary&ref=tgt_adv_XASD0001
 
R

rascal

Active Member
OregonMeds said:
Has anyone seen any previous DIY's on how to turn a water cooler like this into a water chiller?


I just picked up something like this super cheap and I'm going to try it, but I don't even know what it looks like inside or what kind of power it may have.

I didn't buy this brand, the one I have looks like it has more cooling power than a mini fridge just looking at the coils and the weight of it so might have enough power to do the job. I need something to equal 1/2hp chiller but 1/4hp would do for now. I thought this might be easier to mod than a window a/c based diy chiller just because it's sort of already made for a similar purpose. bunp lol im trying to do the exact same thing im sarring at it right now
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http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/191-2532854-0248644?asin=B0018MWCTG&AFID=Performics_Google Product Listing Ads&LNM=Primary&ref=tgt_adv_XASD0001
Click to expand...
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OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
Yes after further research all you need to make it work is plug the drains, unhook the hot part, yank it all out and throw it away then buy 1/4 or 1/2hp chiller.

But I'll use it for another project.
 
OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
After I looked more into the thing the compressor is only rated 1/16th to 1/20th of a hp or so, so I gave up the idea. It is possible, you'd get maybe 20 degree drop on 50 gallons of water but that's just not enough for my needs.

Here is a how to:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=33123

I would have used a hard plastic spray like truck bed spray to cover the coils, it would transfer heat better than the soft plasti-dip.

Best case scenario as a drop in chiller it may equal a 1/10th hp remote. (Drop in is more efficient.)
 
wonderblunder

wonderblunder

Well-Known Member
I am loving the vertical grow, I think the yield is going to be there. I found everything I am looking for the next grow, and decided on vertical 1k HPS ballasts. Gonna run 2 rooms with a flip flop box.
How is your grow going? Hope you are feeling well. Thanks for all your previous help. Water cooler, Not sure if its even worth tearing apart as it works great!
 
OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
I'm still rounding up the last equipment I need to switch to those med patient bin vertical hydro trees. I'm totally sick of dirt and figured it's time to go balls to the wall. I need to run a lot of wattage in lights but all at the same time, I wish a flop made sense for me but it doesn't. Maybe for a couple veg lights though...

I've been back and forth on if I can manage the extra power bill for open bulbs and a/c or not. I think I'm going to have to settle on using cooltubes even though I really seriously don't want to use them.

Still working on finding a chiller. Not sure I want to mess with diy but if I have too I'll mod a window a/c. You can make as powerful a chiller as you like from one of them and grab them cheap off craigslist or whatever. In fact I have a spare 5kbtu window unit and that would do the job.

This is the plan, just a couple of these guys:


My health has been better lately just because of looking forward to the new grow style.
 
notpatient

notpatient

Well-Known Member
how are you going to mod out the 5kbtu A/C unit? put a radiator in front of it ?? frame it in with sheet metal and port to the ??? Im in the market at the moment and DO NOT want to spent 3 grand on a chiller with a 90 warranty thats just retarded I was thinking of using a deep freezer with a rez inside and a and another rez outside to keep temps right
BTW those are monsters and really I would be very affraid of what you consider to be balls to the walls
 
notpatient

notpatient

Well-Known Member
so the last few weeks Ive been putting together the deep freezer idea to work and it failed after 24 hours I have 6 1k's and I kinda put to much faith into it . Im sure I got a big enough freezer it is a 24cf electrolux brand new unit with 2 big holes in it . I really put it together on this one built an awesome manifold like hydro innovatios suggests but no show for the freezer my guess is it had to work just a little to hard and could not keep up. I will say this Ive kept all parts and after this run I purchase a 3-4 horse water chiller and hopefully there design will work for me
 
K

King Green

Member
wonderblunder said:
I am loving the vertical grow, I think the yield is going to be there. I found everything I am looking for the next grow, and decided on vertical 1k HPS ballasts. Gonna run 2 rooms with a flip flop box.
How is your grow going? Hope you are feeling well. Thanks for all your previous help. Water cooler, Not sure if its even worth tearing apart as it works great!
Click to expand...
Vertical grow?
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
I made a pretty good chiller out of a water cooler. Doing DWC in Rubbermaid tubs I had a small fountain pump in the tub running the nutes thru 3/8" line with about 15ft of it coiled up in the cooler tank. Filled the tank with auto anti-freeze to cut back evaporation or freezing water in there. Would get too cold for the 50L tub so put a timer on the cooler to run 15min on 30 off while the lights were on and then 15on and 45 off in the dark to maintain 65 - 68F in the tub. I'm pretty sure it could work with a small RDWC system if everything has some silver bubblewrap insulation or similar around it.

Chill02.jpg

A little plastic mosquito screen hot-glued to the pump to keep roots out.

Chill03.jpg

Wrapped the tank with wall insulation. Used it around a tub too held on with baling wire.

Chill05.jpg

I haven't used it for a few years as I'm not currently doing DWC but may dust it off and run some one of these days. Did over a dozen tubs with it tho. I tried the timer on the pump at first but had the line freeze up at the bottom and stop the flow.

:peace:
 
K

King Green

Member
OldMedUser said:
I made a pretty good chiller out of a water cooler. Doing DWC in Rubbermaid tubs I had a small fountain pump in the tub running the nutes thru 3/8" line with about 15ft of it coiled up in the cooler tank. Filled the tank with auto anti-freeze to cut back evaporation or freezing water in there. Would get too cold for the 50L tub so put a timer on the cooler to run 15min on 30 off while the lights were on and then 15on and 45 off in the dark to maintain 65 - 68F in the tub. I'm pretty sure it could work with a small RDWC system if everything has some silver bubblewrap insulation or similar around it.

View attachment 5221053

A little plastic mosquito screen hot-glued to the pump to keep roots out.

View attachment 5221054

Wrapped the tank with wall insulation. Used it around a tub too held on with baling wire.

View attachment 5221056

I haven't used it for a few years as I'm not currently doing DWC but may dust it off and run some one of these days. Did over a dozen tubs with it tho. I tried the timer on the pump at first but had the line freeze up at the bottom and stop the flow.

:peace:
Click to expand...
Thanks man
 
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