The Doobieus Cooler - Home made AC

I know very little about you, but one thing I do know is that you have an ac fan teetering over water, supported by styrofoam in your workspace, and you consider that safe..
I could take that scenario, put Homer in it, and base a Simpsons episode on it..

WOOHOO Bring on the Simpsons. Can I watch the premier viewing? I always like watching Homer get ZAPPED.

born2killspam said:

I know very little about you, but one thing I do know is that you have an ac fan teetering over water, supported by styrofoam in your workspace, and you consider that safe..
I could take that scenario, put Homer in it, and base a Simpsons episode on it..

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Lol Blah Blah Blah

LOL Why cant we all just crack open a huge bag of buds, Kick back and laugh like mother F%*^ERS. hehe
Bring on da RED EYES....

grow4me said:

LOL Why cant we all just crack open a huge bag of buds, Kick back and laugh like mother F%*^ERS. hehe
Bring on da RED EYES....

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I think that is a great idea.

grow4me said:

LOL Why cant we all just crack open a huge bag of buds, Kick back and laugh like mother F%*^ERS. hehe
Bring on da RED EYES....

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MMmmm Black Domina

Hmmmm arrrrrrgggghhh (watering mouth).

grow4me said:

Hmmmm arrrrrrgggghhh (watering mouth).

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Lol Homer Lol

Hey whats up Doobieus!!! Just wanted to say despite all the speculation about the design, I went ahead and built one to cool my grow box.. I'll get some pix up soon.

IMO if you build it carefully, and are generally cautious in your grow space (as you should be) there is absolutely nothing to worry about. All my electrical wires are up off the ground and away from any possible danger if in the event my cooler was to tip over..

I'd like to thank you for the design because with out it my temps would be in the 90's!!! @_@

Peace

magik*420 said:

Hey whats up Doobieus!!! Just wanted to say despite all the speculation about the design, I went ahead and built one to cool my grow box.. I'll get some pix up soon.

IMO if you build it carefully, and are generally cautious in your grow space (as you should be) there is absolutely nothing to worry about. All my electrical wires are up off the ground and away from any possible danger if in the event my cooler was to tip over..

I'd like to thank you for the design because with out it my temps would be in the 90's!!! @_@

Peace

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Hey Magik, glad it's working for you.

Yeah there was a lot of concern about the design, but like you said:

"IMO if you build it carefully, and are generally cautious in your grow space (as you should be) there is absolutely nothing to worry about."

I honestly couldn't of put it better myself.

Doobieus said:

Hey Magik, glad it's working for you.

Yeah there was a lot of concern about the design, but like you said:

"IMO if you build it carefully, and are generally cautious in your grow space (as you should be) there is absolutely nothing to worry about."

I honestly couldn't of put it better myself.

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i love the idea and design of this, although it did cross my mind on the water/electricity in close proximity to each other.
i may use this design next summer but i think i will have a taller box with the fan higher up and further away from the water.

great idea.

dont listen to no1 your idea and build is great i love it! ppl are rejects and hating on you.. i can see that ,that fan isnt goin anywhere unless you push it in the box your self! great job... props!!

greenyield said:

i love the idea and design of this, although it did cross my mind on the water/electricity in close proximity to each other.
i may use this design next summer but i think i will have a taller box with the fan higher up and further away from the water.

great idea.

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This cooler is a budget cooler, that was the cheapest cooler I could find, I'm sure I could have gone bigger with the cooler but I would've had to pay more.

Thanks for the compliments.

crimepays said:

dont listen to no1 your idea and build is great i love it! ppl are rejects and hating on you.. i can see that ,that fan isnt goin anywhere unless you push it in the box your self! great job... props!!

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Thanks Crimepays I appreciate that.

Alright i have been thinking of different ways of cooling my room,

right now with the temps 70 -90(outside) the grow room gets 74-78 with lights off and i have been testing the lights, with lights on it goes up about 10 degrees in the room with the cooltube setup. So thinking that in the summer the outside temps are 85-100 the rooms going to get really hot.

I don't really want to go buy a chiller for this small room and i already went through a few portable ac's so i don't really want to spend 150 or more

So getting idea from all these threads i was thinking of doing something like this.

10' - 3/8 flex copper - buy $15
6' - 3/8 freezer tubing - buy $ 10
pump - already have one
normal Tupperware would work for this - already have allot
mini fridge - already have one

Using the copper i will make the spiral for around the 6'' intake fan opening, then hook that up to the freezer tubing, that runs into the fridge to the pump, in the Tupperware with ice and water ........

..... the fridge should keep the water cold so i do not have to replace the water and add ice all the time. Only thing i do not know is if the pump will work in the cold water in the fridge!!! any one know ???

Trying not to waste time or money but sometimes trial and error is the only way.

Thanks for any input or ideas i am all ears.

Alright since all of you were such a big help lmao

I just went ahead and built my system take 1.



Theres a 6" HydroBooster fan 188cfm in the room sucking air (was not sure if i should put two fans one on the other side of the coil?? more fans more heat right)





Going to save some money and get a bigger pump so i can run both top and bottom coils.











The tape is just for right now, still looking into a better way to hook that up, and the fridge is always cracked opened a little so i used some insulation tape for ducing to try and keep the cold inside.


Trying to figure out a better way for the tubes and plug, i was thinking of drilling a hole in the back of the fridge. still have to look if thats ok to do.


I put in a bigger Res for the water so it can hold more water and huge chuncks of ice



So yea thats what i came up with for my DIY AC, not trying to jack the thread just thought i read you were open to other ideas, so im i, if anyone has feedback good or bad whatever i am all ears.

Alright so lets see if she can do the job, i have had it running for two hours now, last time i checked it was 78 in the room at 10pm 65temp outside it just turned midnight lets go check.

Edit: Alright this sucks it went down to 77, its 72 right by the unit but in the room its still the same didnt help me yet GRRRRRRR. SLEEP TIME fresh start in the morning, somthing better come to me in my dreams. Goodmorning all!!!

Hulk Nugs said:

Alright since all of you were such a big help lmao

I just went ahead and built my system take 1.

Theres a 6" HydroBooster fan 188cfm in the room sucking air (was not sure if i should put two fans one on the other side of the coil?? more fans more heat right)

Going to save some money and get a bigger pump so i can run both top and bottom coils.

The tape is just for right now, still looking into a better way to hook that up, and the fridge is always cracked opened a little so i used some insulation tape for ducing to try and keep the cold inside.

Trying to figure out a better way for the tubes and plug, i was thinking of drilling a hole in the back of the fridge. still have to look if thats ok to do.

I put in a bigger Res for the water so it can hold more water and huge chuncks of ice

So yea thats what i came up with for my DIY AC, not trying to jack the thread just thought i read you were open to other ideas, so im i, if anyone has feedback good or bad whatever i am all ears.

Alright so lets see if she can do the job, i have had it running for two hours now, last time i checked it was 78 in the room at 10pm 65temp outside it just turned midnight lets go check.

Edit: Alright this sucks it went down to 77, its 72 right by the unit but in the room its still the same didnt help me yet GRRRRRRR. SLEEP TIME fresh start in the morning, somthing better come to me in my dreams. Goodmorning all!!!

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Hey Hulk sorry man I just started a new job and haven't been keeping up with this thread as much as I used to .

I think you need either more water to pump through the radiator and a fan specific to the cooling unit. The reason I used a fan on top of the cooler as intake was because the trapped cool air was pushed through the ducting.

Looking at your design you should try and put the radiator and cooling for the fan in the fridge or close to inside anyhow. Have a fan blowing in and some ducting to be outtake so that the cool air can be directed at the hotter spots. Also a bigger res for the water would help too, if you can get copper tubing it'll help keep thing cooler than the plastic.

As far as drilling holes.... Not too sure about that, you might be able to drill through the door safely but anywhere else would be rough because you don't know where the mechanisms/wires are inside the fridge. If the fridge does not have a door, get some wood or sheet metal and fabricate one, just make sure you leave a way to open it so you can change out the res water or refill if needed. A couple bottles of ice would help too.

I was going to do either a mini fridge or freezer tutorial myself, just haven't been able to find a cheap one anywhere yet. Plus I'm in the process of saving/moving out of state so things are a lil' whacky lately.

I'm glad that my cooler got your gears turning dude that's awesome, keep inventing and doing what you're doing Hulk. There's going to be trial and error obviously but I think you got what it takes to be golden.

Hope some of these suggestions help you out some, definitely keep me updated and I will try and keep up with this thread as much as possible.

Hope this helps and sorry if my post is a lil' jumbled lol I'm kind of half awake at the moment.

Edit: Forgot to add, silicone caulking would be a good sealer, and get another tube for the radiator.

Alright i just found out i can drill holes in the mini fridge,Sides and Door.

I put a fan infront of the radiator blowing air through into the 6 inch ducing. Waited a hour and checked the temps it dropped around 6-8 degrees. Changed out the res agian to a big metal pot for cooking hoping the metal would keep the water colder a little longer.

Well around my house it hit above 80 outside and with everything in the Flowerroom running besides the water pumps, like it would if i was growing the temps got up to 100 still in the afternoon grrr. so checked the DIY AC hmmm somthings wrong its not cold, checked the water res luke warm to hmmm it has to be the fridge so i turned down the fridge temp to the lowwest dam everything on that power line(breaker started messing up lights flickering) to much power is my guess with the mini fridge, so now i am worried about all the stuff i still need to plug in, in the veg room, im i going to have enough power .

I am hoping buy turning the temp back to what it was in the fridge,i should not have to worry about the power and with the holes drilled and sealed for the lines i wont have a leak for the cold air to get out so the water should keep cool now, and the system should work cross fingers. I will only run the DIY AC (if i can get it to work) when lights are on so the pump gets a break and does not over work itself.

This is whats going on in my head haha i just sit here and type everything that comes across my mind so some stuff might not make since but in away it does to me .

Open to any ideas, just brain storming over here

oh yea on my water tubes i am using 1/4 hose clamps with silicone for water tight.

Hulk Nugs said:

Alright i just found out i can drill holes in the mini fridge,Sides and Door.

I put a fan infront of the radiator blowing air through into the 6 inch ducing. Waited a hour and checked the temps it dropped around 6-8 degrees. Changed out the res agian to a big metal pot for cooking hoping the metal would keep the water colder a little longer.

Well around my house it hit above 80 outside and with everything in the Flowerroom running besides the water pumps, like it would if i was growing the temps got up to 100 still in the afternoon grrr. so checked the DIY AC hmmm somthings wrong its not cold, checked the water res luke warm to hmmm it has to be the fridge so i turned down the fridge temp to the lowwest dam everything on that power line(breaker started messing up lights flickering) to much power is my guess with the mini fridge, so now i am worried about all the stuff i still need to plug in, in the veg room, im i going to have enough power .

I am hoping buy turning the temp back to what it was in the fridge,i should not have to worry about the power and with the holes drilled and sealed for the lines i wont have a leak for the cold air to get out so the water should keep cool now, and the system should work cross fingers. I will only run the DIY AC (if i can get it to work) when lights are on so the pump gets a break and does not over work itself.

This is whats going on in my head haha i just sit here and type everything that comes across my mind so some stuff might not make since but in away it does to me .

Open to any ideas, just brain storming over here

oh yea on my water tubes i am using 1/4 hose clamps with silicone for water tight.

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I have to admit I'm gonna need a couple days or so to brain storm a bit.

Here's what I got for now though....

If you can drill two 4in to 6in holes, then you probably can get a can fan secure/caulk it in for intake on the bottom and connect/caulk ducting to the other hole to the 6in intake fan you have and keep the fridge outside of the grow room/area. That way you don't get the extra heat the mini fridge may put off and the cooling should work at that point.

Hope this helps I'll keep thinking.

Doobieus said:

I have to admit I'm gonna need a couple days or so to brain storm a bit.

Here's what I got for now though....

If you can drill two 4in to 6in holes, then you probably can get a can fan secure/caulk it in for intake on the bottom and connect/caulk ducting to the other hole to the 6in intake fan you have and keep the fridge outside of the grow room/area. That way you don't get the extra heat the mini fridge may put off and the cooling should work at that point.

Hope this helps I'll keep thinking.

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So your saying to use the cold air inside the fridge and push that throught the ducing into the room ??? I would then have the same problem i am having now the cold air needs to stay inside the fridge to make the fridge worth it, or the frost starts building up bad in the small freezer and water(humidity) inside the fridge is all over. I am only using the fridge to keep my water cold and for the ice bottles i am using to last longer. The fridge is out of the room to keep temps down.


Going to keep the same setup just trying to get the tubes and plug out of the door way so it can close tight. and the water will get ice cold in the air tight fridge, that runs through my radiator.

Debating on 1, 1" big hole i can just put all the tubes and plugs through then getting a wire hole closer (if you know what i mean) to seal around the tubes/plug. Or i can just Drill 3, 1/4" holes one for each tube and plug then use grommets to seal the hole/tube/wire. what would you go with ?

Hulk Nugs said:

So your saying to use the cold air inside the fridge and push that throught the ducing into the room ??? I would then have the same problem i am having now the cold air needs to stay inside the fridge to make the fridge worth it, or the frost starts building up bad in the small freezer and water(humidity) inside the fridge is all over. I am only using the fridge to keep my water cold and for the ice bottles i am using to last longer. The fridge is out of the room to keep temps down.


Going to keep the same setup just trying to get the tubes and plug out of the door way so it can close tight. and the water will get ice cold in the air tight fridge, that runs through my radiator.

Debating on 1, 1" big hole i can just put all the tubes and plugs through then getting a wire hole closer (if you know what i mean) to seal around the tubes/plug. Or i can just Drill 3, 1/4" holes one for each tube and plug then use grommets to seal the hole/tube/wire. what would you go with ?

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Ahhh ok gotcha now dude, I'd go with the 3 separate holes because if you do ever have to maintain the hoses then it'll be easier to pull one instead of having to deal with all 3.

Sounds like you're real close to getting things solid. Keep it up dude and keep me updated for sure.