Water Cooled Growers Unite!

toohighmf · Mar 15, 2010

I would love to see this become the end all be all thread of water cooled equipment users. I'm about to set up a 2hp water cooled, Air conditioned room in the next week or so. I would love to learn from those with experience with water cooled equipment and the best way to hook up this gear in the safest, cleanest, problem free, way to do so. DIYer's please, by all means post your goods.

My equipment is en-route this week, so I can't post pics of my gear yet, but before I do, I was hoping some could/would drop some knowledge on us and let us in on all the tips or tricks to optimize the potential and ease of construction.

If any of you have followed my threads or looked at my new and old galleries, I like to get kinda crazy. I have many ideas to maximize the GPW/kWh, and running my garden as efficiently as possible using HID lighting. I am in the process of converting a 2 car garage into 2 10x18'x8' rooms with 8 hoods each.

I will run 4 1kw digi's to a series of ballast flip boxes & timers to flip 8 hoods internally every 2 hours in 1 room in a zig zagged or "staggered" lighting pattern for 12 hours, and then flip to the other 8 light room and do the same. I will have a diagram and instructions in my
actual grow thread of my ideas in motion in the hydro section, but I will post every bit of the installation of my chiller, manifolds, iceboxes, AC air handler and Co2 burner in this thread.

If you are in the act of or have installed, or built water cooled gear, Please post your pics and thoughts here. thanks!

GroAnGreen · Mar 15, 2010

Im not super experienced with water cooling but Im subscribing just to see that light show! I run a sealed room with 5200 watts. I only use a chiller to cool the water of my tables.

beats6789 · Mar 15, 2010

Im going to be sitting a system up like this but it is going to be much smaller scale using a single light. Concept remains the same.

Sam the Caveman · Mar 15, 2010

I saw an amazing video by hydro innovations where they had a whole grow room cooled by a chiller. The fans running the hoods were thermostatically controlled. They had a water cooled co2 burner a radiator for each hood and one for the room.

edit; I'm not trying to be a hater but when you compare the cost and complexity of having a water cooled system to a regular air cooled system, air cooled is a lot cheaper, by far.

$1500+ minimal for a chiller plus the cost of a chiller rez, all the water lines, radiators and a water pump vs. a 2 ton window unit for $350

toohighmf · Mar 15, 2010

that's the system I'm going to run! I got a great deal on the 2 HP 5-8 light complete package with the 1hp flotec, 100gal res, and the pre built manifolds with 100' of tubing

I'm getting an AC air handler too. trying to work out a manifold system to run the duct to the iceboxes running 8 kooltubes vert in 2 rows

thanks for the link, Beats!

Spanishwilly · Mar 16, 2010

Sam the Caveman said:
I saw an amazing video by hydro innovations where they had a whole grow room cooled by a chiller. The fans running the hoods were thermostatically controlled. They had a water cooled co2 burner a radiator for each hood and one for the room.

edit; I'm not trying to be a hater but when you compare the cost and complexity of having a water cooled system to a regular air cooled system, air cooled is a lot cheaper, by far.

$1500+ minimal for a chiller plus the cost of a chiller rez, all the water lines, radiators and a water pump vs. a 2 ton window unit for $350

A 2 ton window unit for $350? Man, is AC ever more expensive in Europe!

Bozo · Mar 16, 2010

Sam the Caveman said:
$1500+ minimal for a chiller plus the cost of a chiller rez, all the water lines, radiators and a water pump vs. a 2 ton window unit for $350

Or you can go around looking for like what I ended up with .It was a condenser for a comercial AC 4ftx2ft and had 2 20 inch fans already mounted(that was free)
I had to take the 220 volt fans off because they were as loud as a 747 on take off.I replaced them with 2 20 inch round fans (70$)
Plumbed it with garden hose and a 1/2 solenoid valve(100$)
I run DTW no chiller
Cools 4 600s open bulb and I just added a 1000 open bulb and it still has more

whiterasta · Mar 16, 2010

Curious how many watts you guys run on just cooling? using air even in summer with a large AC running I only used a max of 750-850W/12k. I am looking at a 2hp motor burning 1500w by itself before chilling. That is a lot of electrical commitment that is not actually producing.
Wouldn't an efficient air cooling system be more productive?
I know a guy in Oz who experimented with waterproof bulb tubes, basically a seal at the base of the bulb in a tube filled with water(scary shit) and copper coiled water filled tubing around his overdriven ballasts. This guy is an electrical engineer and was fooling with overdriving 600w to 900w( have no clue where a 900w ballast came form but he guy is smart enough to rewind a ballast to any wattage) and 2x600 to 1500w off a 1500w MH ballast somehow( I think by changing the cap and adding an ignitor circuit). He posted quite a bit about his stuff about ten yrs ago but have not kept in touch. First touch of water cooling I saw and it scared the hell out of me having water running all over the electricals I assume this system is discreet from the lamps and ballasts?
Anyway you got me thinking of some passive methods of using water to cool the air down, Good post!

overbudjet · Mar 17, 2010

Im in !I like water cooling as it was free for me ,reaturn to my well
cooling air(Heat exanger) and rez (wort coil )

3 panel Heat exchanger 36"x12"x12"
water line

blueburry · Mar 17, 2010

hey! i know its my 1st post but id thought i let u know my experiencde with water cooling...i spent over $4000 on a 1 hp chill king, 2 8 inch iceboxes, a water cooled dehumidifier, 1/2 hp flotec pump, etc. and it couldnt even keep 2000k watt 4x8 tent below 100 degrees...i really hope u dont have the same experience ive had with this system but i doubt the size of ur chiller is adequate for ur application. the chiller is way louder than an ac and waste more electricity. if u have any more questions ill be happy to answer them!

toohighmf · Mar 17, 2010

A 2hp chiller won't cool 4 aircooled hoods???? It's designed to cool 8. You sure I don't have a big enough chiller??? The chiller startup is 11 amps and runs at 7 amps continuous. Find me a 2 ton ac that runs on 7 amps. This is supposed to be the most efficient means to cool anything!

LoudBlunts · Mar 17, 2010

yea imma have to agree with toohighmf

when heat is introduced into the needed cooling space... the a/c starts to become inefficient. 70% of that (a/c btu/energy) is wasted and only about 30% is used.

sooo i cant see how it would 'waste' more electricity

however, the only questionable part would be the 1/2-1hp flotec pumps.... those things are beastie!!!! that would call for like 7-11amps for pumps right? thas like 500-1200 watts easy, no?

overbudjet · Mar 17, 2010

LoudBlunts said:
however, the only questionable part would be the 1/2-1hp flotec pumps.... those things are beastie!!!! that would call for like 7-11amps for pumps right? thas like 500-1200 watts easy, no?

they are rated at 7 amp so around 770 watts 110 Volt
but they move alot of water .In a Under Current system having 2 inch
pipe you need a very good pump(they are rated continius duty looking like heavy duty.The only drawback they have was Heat .By the way this mine

LoudBlunts · Mar 17, 2010

lol yea i know, im not tripping

however, my only complaint was that how the hell is this supposed to be about efficiency (i support watercooling cuz of its efficiency and im addicted to gadgets and try to incorporate it into the grow hobby)

but i just think a 770 watt pump (not to mention the size of the chiller) running 24/7 kinda negates efficiency, no?

either way i still grok it and im well on my way. i had one system setup... but i scrapped it and im going big with a 2hp. all new setup. 2k on a flip flop. 2 minigens, and about 160 gallons of reservoir size (4x40 gallon ressie)

overbudjet · Mar 17, 2010

LoudBlunts said:
lol yea i know, im not tripping

however, my only complaint was that how the hell is this supposed to be about efficiency (i support watercooling cuz of its efficiency and im addicted to gadgets and try to incorporate it into the grow hobby)

but i just think a 770 watt pump (not to mention the size of the chiller) running 24/7 kinda negates efficiency, no?

either way i still grok it and im well on my way. i had one system setup... but i scrapped it and im going big with a 2hp. all new setup. 2k on a flip flop. 2 minigens, and about 160 gallons of reservoir size (4x40 gallon ressie)

You are right 770 watts was not efficent at all.
but a lot of water moving and peace of mind (running mine for mounths with no stop,it never break) have some efficiency by itself.
and i like to be overkill .You are never stronger then your weakness link .
And i dont run my (DIY) chiller at all,only 2 worth chiller (50 feets of stainless steel tubing 3/8)selenoid controled by computer
in my Rez drain to waste
http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Super-Effici...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439a3b0757

LoudBlunts · Mar 17, 2010

yea i've seen that

was debating on picking that up for the inside of my res plugging those into the main manifold

seems to be a cheaper alternative than hydroinnovations/icehouse distro's stainless steel wort chiller

toohighmf · Mar 17, 2010

nice to see this thread shaping up. we need digital hippy or watercooled@ to join this thread!
thanks to all who are contributing to this thread. I'm already learning from it.

blueburry · Mar 17, 2010

i was just trying to give u a heads up on my experience with watercooling. lemme know ina few weeks how ur setup is running....

toohighmf · Mar 19, 2010

I'm going to post some installation videos as well as some technical info from hydro innovations. I think this will be helpful for those who are interested in water cooling. I'm still wrapping my head around it, and it seems some the info here is needed to dispel rumors like some of those I have read in other threads and above. I'm using the hydro innovations videos for 2 reasons:

1) I am going to run their 2hp 8kw setup, and water cooled hydroGen water cooled co2 burner and co2 controller.
2) They seem to be the only videos about water cooling with any pertinent info.

If anyone has any other pics or videos about water cooling, please feel free to post them in this thread. If we all contribute, this can be the definitive water cooled grow thread. Hopefully we can all learn something from this thread.

LoudBlunts · Mar 20, 2010

For every watt, you create 3.41 btu. So roughly 1k will run you about 3500 btus

you claim you got/have a 1hp chiller with 2k and a dehumidifer...well thas your problem right there. Shoulda ... got AT LEAST 2hp chiller.

3500 btu + 3500 btu (heat put off by 2k) = 7000. 7 from 12 is 5 leftovers.

5000 btu can EASILY be ate up. You have your 70 pint dehumidifer sucking off that 5000 extra btu's. and im sure that dehumidifer is beasty!

so you say you got a watercooled one from hydro innov.? well they use the fridgeaires.... that almost 7 amps for power (6.7 rounded up) with 765 wattage.

765 x 3.41= 2608.65 btu

your leftovers btu is 5000. 2608.65 from 5 is 2391.35 btu

so that gives you 2000 extra btu to spare.

and trust those get ate up quick if your equipment isnt set up right or extra precautions arent taken.... i.e. if your ballast are in the room (ballast actually create heat/btu that will eat it up.) i.e. if your water reservior was outside of the cooling window (it can be outside the cooling range of the iceboxes, but it needs to be insulated) i.e. if you didnt plumb everything the right way.

This is also why they tell you ADD MORE HP and calculate EXTRA!!! (i used to run a 1/2 hp chiller for one icebox and it ran flawlessly.... im stepping up my setup to 4 hoods but im STILL getting a 2hp chiller cuz i want 2 minigens and im cooling reservior and i just want the extra power)

last but not least. no back pressure on the hot line on the manifold is KEY.

Water Cooled Growers Unite!

Well-known member

Member

Member

Good'n Greasy

Well-known member

Member

Active member

whiterasta

Active member

New member

Well-known member

Member

Active member

Member

Active member

Member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Member