Anyone using 2 or more Ice Boxes?

Do these things really work? I know for a fact that 1/4 hp per 1000 watt light wont cut it. More like 1/3 or 1/2 hp each 1000 watt. I'm sick of venting lights and A/C. Wasting so much central a/c to cool my lights and room due to the fact that my portable is sucking all the air out as well as the fan for my lights. If I change over to the Ice Box I will only have to vent the chiller. A ton of A/C saved and $$$$$

Anyone have a setup with 2 or more 1000 watt lights? I heard the lines drip like crazy if the temperature difference of the air and water is too extreme. Some people say you need 2 reservoirs and 2 pumps to make it work. One to hold the return water which is pumped to the chiller and another to take the cold water from the chiller and pump it thru the pipes. Also heard that they have to be run 24/7.

Anyone use these things AND actually like them?

Hotwired said:

Do these things really work? I know for a fact that 1/4 hp per 1000 watt light wont cut it. More like 1/3 or 1/2 hp each 1000 watt. I'm sick of venting lights and A/C. Wasting so much central a/c to cool my lights and room due to the fact that my portable is sucking all the air out as well as the fan for my lights. If I change over to the Ice Box I will only have to vent the chiller. A ton of A/C saved and $$$$$

Anyone have a setup with 2 or more 1000 watt lights? I heard the lines drip like crazy if the temperature difference of the air and water is too extreme. Some people say you need 2 reservoirs and 2 pumps to make it work. One to hold the return water which is pumped to the chiller and another to take the cold water from the chiller and pump it thru the pipes. Also heard that they have to be run 24/7.

Anyone use these things AND actually like them?

Click to expand...

1/4 hp industrial chiller will cool a 1000w. Ur normal 1/4 aquarium chiller wont do it(unless industral). My friend chills 4 1000w off a 1 hp chiller 4 iceboxes 50 gal res . I cant figure out how 2 res would help? explain please. You need a dehumidifier as well but theres no heat at all in the room the plants can touch the lights no burn. No drip from lines but maybe because dehum

So basically an industrial chiller is more powerful?

I've been doing some research on this type of setup and I know for sure my lines will drip. I'm trying to find out what would be good to use to carry the cold water to the Icebox. It would have to be insulated to avoid making a mess.

the 8"ers are better simply because they have more surface area. so go with them... industrial chiller 1/2hp per 1kw... insulate all tubing, mostly 1/2'' and a manifold system for 3 iceboxes plus... it can be done. in a normal basement should work wonders. i also recommend using a deep freezer (chest style) as your res. its 100% insulated! if you plan on getting a hydrogen... consider this one first and use the drain to waste program with this valve its top notch and does'nt waste that much.. the icecap that hydro innovations is putting out makes the efficiency around 90% heat reduction from a propane burner!

Thanks for taking the time to reply G33. I don't want or need CO2. I can't do drain to waste. #1 I pay for water, #2 the water that comes out of my faucet is 85 degrees. No way I could use that.

I really am not having major problems with the system I use now. It's just very inefficient. I use a 5' x 10' tent in a room. Central A/C cools the house. I use a portable a/c at 72 degrees fixed with a box that blows the cold air thru a duct and into the tent. The exhaust goes into the attic. That is problem #1.

I suck air from outside the tent, from the cooled room, thru insulated duct to cool my two 8" reflectors. This is also exhausted into the attic. This is problem #2.

I double clean my air inside the tent with 1 fan sucking from a Can 9000 inside the tent and blowing thru a Can 33 located outside the tent and into the room. The air coming out thru the Can 33 is 78-82 degrees. Smells great and basically has the same temp as the room air. I do this because I don't want another exhaust into my attic. Very clean and no problem here.

Let me explain what is happening with the 2 problems I stated above. All the cool air in the room is getting sucked out and blown into my 100 degree attic. This air is getting sucked back into my house thru various places because of the negative pressure in my house created from the 2 exhaust pipes. This makes my Central A/C work like a dog even when set to 80 degrees.

With my lights taking air from the room and my portable also taking air from the room to cool itself you can see why this is happening. Even if I vented all the hot air from the exhaust outside, instead of the attic, I will still have negative pressure in the house. Either way I will still wind up sucking in extremely hot and humid air from outside. My Central A/C is suffering and I have to change the way I do things. Lose lose situation..........unless someone has a better idea.

My situation: I am not allowed to use a split system. I already have a Central A/C and where I live they wont allow another, and they also don't allow window units. So there goes that plan.

The only solution, at least it seems that way, is to stop exhausting hot air all together, or decrease it by more than half. This is why I like the Icebox. The only air I will have to exhaust will be from the chiller. I would build a box for it and exhaust it right outside. The chiller and rez would sit in the room outside the tent in 80 degree air. My only problems that I can foresee is keeping the rez temps cool and water dripping from my lines.

I know for a fact I would use a whole lot less electric with the Icebox system because I could get rid of the portable and my Central A/C would only work half as hard as it does now. At least I think it would be better in theory.

Now that you have the facts do you have any suggestions? Thanks

save yourself a buck go with 1/2hp chiller(http://www.selectaquariumsupply.com/servlet/the-29/tradewind,-chiller,-aquarium,-supply,/Detail 1/4 hp per 1000w is fine. If you dont believe get a 3/4 hp dont get 1 hp you just wasting money unless you wanna expand. You can get this foam insulation that goes over you lines so no drips.

Hello,
I am using 3 1000w bulbs running through Fresca Sol Platinums. I like the Fresca Sols over the ice boxes because you don't need a fan at all. The platinums are milled aluminum and are way more industrial then the regular ones and have more light spread. I cool them with a 100gallon reservoir and a 1/4hp chiller. I also use a small 8000 btu ac in the summer months. The water consumes 90% of my heat. My room does not have central air and stays at 78 when its 100 degrees outside. The fact that i don't need a fan at all to cool my lights saves me more $ and the room is virtually silent. In the winter, I just run the lights and chiller with a heater when the lights are off.
Check my sig for details.

I also have a sealed room in which I use co2 so I don't vent my air.

In regards to the dripping of the lines, the heat from the water change over time will cause them to expand. I used teflon tape where the lines meet the nipple for the jackets and hose clamps. After the first day of running the lights, i came around and tightened them. The next day I did the same thing. Works like a charm. Every day I monitor the lines and connection points to stay on top of things.

Thanks for the replies guys.

JB - I can't afford to upgrade to Fresca's. It's hot here year round. I don't want to use A/C at all. I read some of your grow and I noticed you use an A/C when it gets hot. That defeats what I am trying to do. But your grow looks great.

I guess I'll just have to buy the stuff and play with it. The prices of a good commercial chiller is staggering tho. This would be the #1 item that does the cooling so I don't want to make a mistake. I figure I would only need 2 Iceboxes, pvc and plumbing stuff, chiller, rez and pumps (an extra one never hurts to have).

Anything else?

The cost of everything except for the chiller should be around $500. This isn't too bad to start it off. It's the chiller that can cost up to $1500 that will be the killer. I want a chiller that will not only cool the lights but keep the room under 80 during lights on. I keep hearing different stories about chillers but I think most people agree you need a commercial one. Aquarium chillers wont do what I want it to do for my situation. They don't have enough BTU's compared to a commercial chiller. Same HP does not mean same strength when looking at chillers.

From what I have researched I think the people that make this work the best have very good chillers. I really need to find a good plumbing system to move my water back and forth. I know for a fact my lines will sweat so I will pay extra for a good plumbing.

Any plumbers around that have suggestions?

Think about it though, I am using 3 1000k's a 1/4hp aquarium chiller and have no central air around my grow.
I only use the ac because my chiller is only 1/4 hp. 1/2 hp would solve the ac problem for 3,000w. For the cost of 2 frescas, pump, res and a 1/2 hp chiller, the cost would be under $1,500 and should cool even better then mine because it is 1000w less light.

Hello-
We use two iceboxes, one on hood and one free in room w/ 1 1000k Light and a 1/2 hp Ecoplus chillster. It works well, but you still have to use some minor ac and definitely a dehumidifier. This is key. But our next move will be to add a Fresca Sol. Then use the iceboxes for in room ac. I am with Jefferson above. The fans are noisy and constant, but the room is mostly sealed...Also, I agree with the industrial chiller. The Ecoplus will go to res cooling someday.

I have 3 1000watts fresca sols, old ones and new ones and I love them. I put them on light movers also, I never had leaking problems and Im not using any water chillers, just 3-50 gal trash cans filled with RO water. I have them sitting in my bathtub with fans blowing on them and a 6" inline fan sucking air out of the bathroom. I will definetly be upgrading soon to probably a 2hp chiller just so I have extra cooling capacity. I also want to use the 6" iceboxes for my intakes, so that cold air gets blown in by my inline fan thats attached to a carbon filter. I dont use AC now but this summer I will have to unless i get the chiller thats 2500$, but the garden temps would be so easily controllable day/night with an oversized chiller and ice boxes. I even rebuilt an old fresca sol because when you take apart the older white capped ones the seals wont seal up again. I cleaned them and used silicone to seal it up and it works great.

I am running 8 iceboxes with 2,1 hp chillers all of the boxes aRE cooling 17 1000w lights and its running cool at 59-60. keeping my room at a steady 78. .....But wait!!! make sure you insulate your manifold(pvc works the best, 3/4" and 1" out) and add ball valves to every "line-in" ice box you have otherwise its going to sweat badly and you will have to worry about that getting to your lights my friender.

heres a pic of my set up


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