DIY Rez Cooler?

[Greenherb]

Hello People!

Just registered on this fine forum after just reading for a while now.

I have done a couple of grows earlier, but now I have decided to try DWC.

After two weeks and the summer starting here in Norway, my rezwater is getting hot. I have read about phylis(?) and I dont want it!

So, I was thinking of ways to cool down without spending too much
(I already blasted my budget on my custom box!!), and came up with a couple of ideas.
One is offcourse to install a fan blowing over the water surface,
the other is what you see in the linked picture.

My question is if anybody have tried this..?? How efficient is it?

I have to stress that I do not want anything that makes a lot of noise!
A PC fan at about 20-30db is ok... but not a "fridge-sound".
I also cant spare much space in my humble growbox...

Sincerly
The Greenherb

 

[jrsaces]

Re: DIY Rez Cooler...?

Welcome Green...

Unfortunately I was not able to check out the photos in your link as I need to "sign in" to view.

I posted a good way to keep temps down in your reservoir titled "DIY cooler reservoir"....It just might help you out.

 

[Greenherb]

storewith.com doesnt seem to work, so I uploaded it to 420:

I have mounted a fan in my rez lid, and it cools the water about 5 degrees C. Thats more than I hoped for.
I have also ordered some aluminium tubes to test out my design, will post images on that later

 

[ChopBro]

You can freeze some 1 liter bottles or 2 liters, depending on size of res., you may have to use a couple to bring down temps.
this works for me

 

[DJ McFinnigan]

Nice idea and so bloody simple that anyone can make this. In essence, this is a heatsink that you would find on any computer's CPU. Copper will work better than aluminium, but aluminium is cheaper and thus better for doing some R&D before you take the pludge and build something even more efficant and $$$.

 

[Hiker]

Nice idea and so bloody simple that anyone can make this. In essence, this is a heatsink that you would find on any computer's CPU. Copper will work better than aluminium, but aluminium is cheaper and thus better for doing some R&D before you take the pludge and build something even more efficant and $$$.

I believe the copper will react with the nutrient solution depending on what you're using. It can also be toxic to the plant, but I think it has to come in contact with it. I don't know that the copper will dissolve into the res. I just know it will react with some nutrient ingredients. That might make Al the winner on material choice for this application.

Very clever idea though! I wonder if the OP ever made one? This thread is pretty old.

 

[Red1966]

Copper and aluminum are toxic to plants. The nutes will eat up both metals. Have to use stainless. A computer fan will not generate enough pressure to push air thru those tubes if they're in the water.

 

[Skybound]

In preparation for a grow box design that I never got to build, I picked up 2 of these little 6" radiators from Amazom for about $15 each. i had planned to either use them for air cooling or res cooling. Since this topic is DIY res cooling, I'll share my idea for that application. What I plan is to get a small rated GPH inline pump and create a closed loop circuit from pump to radiator in, then out, to the other radiator in, then out back to pump. Since aluminum would poison the res, I am now thinking to fill a butter bowl (or better small sealable container) with water and seal the lid on with one of these radiators in side. Poke 2 holes somewhere on the side with maybe some hydrofarm rubber grommets to allow the poly hoses to pass through while keeping a tight seal. The other radiator unit could either be fixed to a stead AC unit, plumbed into an already running refrigerator or mount a 120mm PC fan to the radiator (the holes on the radiator line up perfectly for a 120mm fan).

If the radiator is mounted to an AC unit or inside a fridge, you might not even need the other radiator in the series, just run a coil of plastic/rubber hose in the res. This (IMO) will cool the res down plenty and the inline water pump could be regulated on/off with a thermostat to control temps. I think the most difficult part of all that would be running lines to and fro in a relatively concealed manner.

 

[solocup]

I also need a rez cooler.I have thought up a way to make one where a coil of plastic tube runs my nutes through a cooler with ice but I haven't found a way for the pump to turn off when the reservoir temps are optimal.All my attemps at googling it end with a bunch of hit on vehicle thermostats or water heater parts. Any ideas?

 

[solocup]

Nice idea and so bloody simple that anyone can make this. In essence, this is a heatsink that you would find on any computer's CPU. Copper will work better than aluminium, but aluminium is cheaper and thus better for doing some R&D before you take the pludge and build something even more efficant and $$$.

Copper will also kill you beneficial bacteria.

 

[Skybound]

Just a thought from a baked mind, but why not swap out the res itself with a couple hundred feet of pex or other tubing that carries the nutes to and fro, then you can pipe it right into your fridge that is already on 27/7 and leave a decent set of coils encased inside the fridge of the pex and pipe it back to the end or beginning of the grow container.