Water Chilling

JoshTheMadTitan

JoshTheMadTitan

Active Member
I am already finding the water in my reservoir is getting a bit warm, 75-80 degrees, not sure if this is a problem, but I am sure, come summer months, it will get hotter.

I looked into some water chillers and they all run in the $300-$400 range, which is well above my budget at this point. Anyone know any home build methods, or cheaper sources of automated water cooling?
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
Just google DIY Water Chiller... I have seen some dudes get a small dorm refrigerator and use the coils to cool water down, dont ask me how but I'm sure its out there.
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
^Slanty said:
Freeze water in plastic bottles in your freezer and add one to the rez every day!;-)
Click to expand...
I did this during my first few grows just go to the store buy a 12 pack of 12 oz water bottles freeze them and use them to cool the water down.
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
Ok dude, I did ALLOT of research on this topic. I started a thread on it here:

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/453857-cheap-effective-diy-water-chiller-2.html

of course as soon as I did, along came two dip fucks that had no idea what they were talking about. One jackass telling me that air was going to effectively cool down the water (ergo: dorm fridge idea), and the other shit for brain (and yes, that dick wad was trolling my threads for a couple months) was going to use some peltier plate thing. LMFAO.

I can tell you this, I spent around $200 total on my DIY chiller. It has the power of a 3/4 HP chiller. It keeps about 70 gallons of water circulating in an undercurrent system in a 83 degree room at 64 degrees by running a total of 15 minutes every hour and a half.

Dehu from craigs list + $50
stainless steel wort chiller $50
tiny pump and hose $20

( I recently added a thermostat control for mine that cost me $60 but it makes it fully automatic and I don't have to worry about programming a timer to produce the right temperature.). I'm telling you, its fucking money!!

If your water temps are that high, you need to do something and do something fast, your are speeding towards a brick wall dude...
 
Mindmelted

Mindmelted

Well-Known Member
JoshTheMadTitan said:
I am already finding the water in my reservoir is getting a bit warm, 75-80 degrees, not sure if this is a problem, but I am sure, come summer months, it will get hotter.

I looked into some water chillers and they all run in the $300-$400 range, which is well above my budget at this point. Anyone know any home build methods, or cheaper sources of automated water cooling?
Click to expand...


What size rez do you have?
 
^Slanty

^Slanty

Active Member
Cheapest, but most labor intensive, is something I stumbled upon when researching liquid cooling for computers. Some guy went through all the trouble to do this for a freaking computer! Depending on where you live and how deep the frost goes, but you can dig a hole outside of your house below the frost line and run copper line in an element shape.(the longer the water has to pass through it will help cool it more efficiently) Drill a small hole through your foundation and run the lines inside to your grow room. Seal the hole. Now, all you have to do is hook up the copper loop into your reservoir/loop. It WILL keep your temps down forever!
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
^^ yeah, do that.


Copper is ideal as well, because as it leaches into your nutrient solution it will slowly kill your plants, thereby eliminating the need to chill the water anymore!!
 
^Slanty

^Slanty

Active Member
Ok.. well maybe copper isn't the ideal thing to use for growing... but the idea is spot on. I honestly can't believe that it would be that much of an issue using copper, but I haven't tried it.
 
sudodaemon

sudodaemon

Well-Known Member
I had water temp problems with my DWC, eventually brought on root rot and killed my plants. After some googling I stumbled upon an article on converting a de-humidifier into a water chiller. I had a dehumidifier that was not being used, had been sitting for 2 years so I cracked it open, bent the evaporator (i think that's the name) down into a bucket the same size as my DWC... I then cut a couple holes in that and in my DWC resevoir... I took a pump from my turtle tank (not being used again) and used a plastic tube that again was not being used lol and I have it pumping the water out of my DWC into the resevoir being chilled by the dehumidifier, and then the water travels back to the DWC... the tubing is coiled up in the water chiller water and the pump is so slow that it effectively chills the water by about 10 degrees. I still have to fine tune a couple things because the dehumidifier can NOT just be left running... It will turn the rez into a solid brick of ice if you kept it running, I accidently left it on over night and when I came back the evaporater was a solid brick of ice... Also, it heats up the room like CRAZY if it's left on too long. If you have proper ventilation then you should be good, or you can just do what I do... have it run for 20-30 minutes, then off for 30 mintues, back on for 30 minutes, then off for an hour, on for 30 minutes, off for another hour... I'm still fine tuning this to where it doesn't heat the room up too much and it effectively cools down the water... Cost me nothing, and it works... just have to fine tune it, but I was in the same boat you were... no money and water temps in the 80's...

This pic shows my first run with it... I've since changed out the res on the left to one identical in size to my DWC on the right... I am also eventually going to replace the tubing with a stainless wort chiller.

photo 3.jpg
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
^Slanty said:
Ok.. well maybe copper isn't the ideal thing to use for growing... but the idea is spot on. I honestly can't believe that it would be that much of an issue using copper, but I haven't tried it.
Click to expand...
Copper leaches chemicals trust me.
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
You know what I did guys? I live in AZ too, I used igloo 5 gallon sport coolers, other have used the big ass Igloo Marine coolers from Sams club or your sportsman stores they kept my water very chill for a good 5-7 days. Great for small DWC grows.
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
sudodaemon said:
I had water temp problems with my DWC, eventually brought on root rot and killed my plants. After some googling I stumbled upon an article on converting a de-humidifier into a water chiller. I had a dehumidifier that was not being used, had been sitting for 2 years so I cracked it open, bent the evaporator (i think that's the name) down into a bucket the same size as my DWC... I then cut a couple holes in that and in my DWC resevoir... I took a pump from my turtle tank (not being used again) and used a plastic tube that again was not being used lol and I have it pumping the water out of my DWC into the resevoir being chilled by the dehumidifier, and then the water travels back to the DWC... the tubing is coiled up in the water chiller water and the pump is so slow that it effectively chills the water by about 10 degrees. I still have to fine tune a couple things because the dehumidifier can NOT just be left running... It will turn the rez into a solid brick of ice if you kept it running, I accidently left it on over night and when I came back the evaporater was a solid brick of ice... Also, it heats up the room like CRAZY if it's left on too long. If you have proper ventilation then you should be good, or you can just do what I do... have it run for 20-30 minutes, then off for 30 mintues, back on for 30 minutes, then off for an hour, on for 30 minutes, off for another hour... I'm still fine tuning this to where it doesn't heat the room up too much and it effectively cools down the water... Cost me nothing, and it works... just have to fine tune it, but I was in the same boat you were... no money and water temps in the 80's...

This pic shows my first run with it... I've since changed out the res on the left to one identical in size to my DWC on the right... I am also eventually going to replace the tubing with a stainless wort chiller.

View attachment 2049126
Click to expand...


That is an awesome idea dude!! I wish someone had posted that in this thread... oh wait... I already did LOL


legallyflying said:
Ok dude, I did ALLOT of research on this topic. I started a thread on it here:

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/453857-cheap-effective-diy-water-chiller-2.html

I can tell you this, I spent around $200 total on my DIY chiller. It has the power of a 3/4 HP chiller. It keeps about 70 gallons of water circulating in an undercurrent system in a 83 degree room at 64 degrees by running a total of 15 minutes every hour and a half.

Dehu from craigs list + $50
stainless steel wort chiller $50
tiny pump and hose $20

( I recently added a thermostat control for mine that cost me $60 but it makes it fully automatic and I don't have to worry about programming a timer to produce the right temperature.). I'm telling you, its fucking money!!

If your water temps are that high, you need to do something and do something fast, your are speeding towards a brick wall dude...
Click to expand...
 
^Slanty

^Slanty

Active Member
BeaverHuntr said:
Copper leaches chemicals trust me.
Click to expand...
No need to, when Legallyflying has already said so! I trust his word!

I don't have to worry about this stuff. I fight to keep my res in the correct temp range without having to add a heater to it! :lol:
 
cerberus

cerberus

Well-Known Member
i'm not just avertising a grow thread, i'm also trying to help ;)

https://www.rollitup.org/maine-patients/500519-white-russians-mmj-grow.html

first page has a DIY chiller that uses cold water in a 55rez moved to radiators with a fan blowing over them (modified swamp cooler).. just trying to give the op some ideas..


also @legalflying always wanted to say, love your DIY style bro! keep on keeping on, you threads get trolled a bunch and i don't know why. i tried to rep you again here but to soon. peace
 
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