Dopest's "Cooler" DIY Chiller

[Guest]

As for tubing to run nutes through something with high thermal transfer capabilities that is non metallic is important so maybe take a look at Pex stuff. A buddy lives in an area where the city tap water is REALLY cold, like numb your hands cold if you keep it in long enough, and not metered. We're gonna get some Pex, only like $100+ for 300', and make a drop in coil out of it for the res and run some type of solenoid controlled by a thermostat.

 

[zulufan1]

Hey guys! I picked up one off craigslist for $20 and when I took it apart, I saw it was one of the kind posted earlier with the coils around the stainless bowl.

At first I thought the coils were brazed to the bowl, but my friend looked at it and said no, then He just took a wooden mallet and pounded on the bottom of the bowl, and it came right out of the coils!!

Encased the coils in two ice bags, and my chiller is working!!

 

[Guest]

Great news zulu. I had one with the coils and the damn thing wouldn't cool enough for me, but it was old and probably wore out. Anyway, I have a different one now with a cooling jacket that went around the bowl and it works wonders. Good luck with your cooler, and mad thanks to The Dopest!

 

[plumpm0nkey]

whats a good bag to cover the coils with? i got 1 big one, was a fridge/water cooler

 

[Guest]

Sigh.... too bad this DIY wasn't done with a water cooler that is a recent model, or at least the ones they sell at HD or Lowes.

Just got done completely destroying mine... hahah

Damn copper lines.... can take a couple times being bent but that third time and HIIIIISSSSSSSSSS..... time for the trashcan.


I am curious though, since I plan on going and buying a new one and trying this again.... How in the fuck did you get the coils OFF the bucket? I tried a hammer, etc and it ended up just bending the copper lines...but not able to slide it off the metal bucket. Seemed a total bitch.

 

[Guest]

I had one with the coils on the bucket and could not remove them. As for the lines, you do need to be careful bending them. Also, if you bend them too much to get them in the bucket it won't cool right because the stuff can't get through the lines. Had that problem once already with mine.

Next time try bending starting at the compressor and make a nice LONG slow curve over so you can get it in your res.

For the coils, you can get some plasti-dip and spray them with that. It will coat them in a plastic like substance that should protect them from the water and nutes.

Hope that helps.

 

[Guest]

I had one with the coils on the bucket and could not remove them. As for the lines, you do need to be careful bending them. Also, if you bend them too much to get them in the bucket it won't cool right because the stuff can't get through the lines. Had that problem once already with mine.

Next time try bending starting at the compressor and make a nice LONG slow curve over so you can get it in your res.

For the coils, you can get some plasti-dip and spray them with that. It will coat them in a plastic like substance that should protect them from the water and nutes.

Hope that helps.

So I'm curious, as I'm about to hit the store again and buy another one of these units.

How did you use it if you werent able to get the coils off the metal bucket? I'd prefer not to submerge the entire bucket in the rez for cooling....???

 

[Guest]

I did just that...submerged the whole thing. That one didn't work so great for me though. I have one now that came with a powder coated jacket that wrapped around the bucket in there and clipped together around the little bucket. I was able to just submerge this. You can see it in the pic below, it's the white circular thing.

Maybe try a different model and see if you get a different cooler setup. The Dopest has said it wasn't difficult removing the coils either, but on my first one it was impossible.

 

[clowntown]

Mine was easy to get it off. Just slipped the copper coils off the plastic bucket. But if it didn't come off like that, I could also have broken the plastic bucket into pieces as well. If it's soldered or welded onto a metal bucket, it might be a bit trickier.

Check craigslist for used ones.

 

[plumpm0nkey]

i havnt used it yet, since the well water is staying pretty cool with fans on it. BUt when i do i will put a thick plastic bag over the coils

 

[clowntown]

Oh ... I used three layers of ice bags. When I pulled it out after almost 3 months of use, the water didn't penetrate the first bag.

 

[Guest]

Does anyone know if this can be done with a mini fridge, do mini fridges have larger compressors than 1/10?

 

[clowntown]

Yes, it can be done with just about anything with a compressor motor (or any devices that cools). However, you may run into slight differences in the shape / size / design of the heat exchanger.

In the case of most of these water coolers, the heat exchanger is commonly a copper coil wrapped around a reservoir. In the case of air conditioners, the coil is attached to a radiator that's cooled by a fan. (I don't know how fridges exchange heat.)

 

[The Dopest]

right on CT, idk how fridges wirk either but i do know that you could modify the fridge to have a plastic food grade tubing coil run through it with a small pump recirculating nutes through the fridge and back to the reserve. its been mentioned in this thread about tryin it on the coolers that you cant remove the coils on.

it could work

 

[Guest]

Ok - so I got a new cooler, pulled her apart and got the goodies out. Couple of questions:

1 - Can the coils (in a baggy) be submerged in the same DWC rez as a plant is growing in? (I use single 5gal buckets for plants, NOT recirculating)

I noticed earlier someone said it was fine but I wanted to confirm that it wont hurt the plant's roots. My thinking is if the coils are cooling the water then they must be freezing - and the roots will surely grow near/around the coils.... so will they freeze with it?

2 - Can the coils just be placed in the rez without a baggy? Or will this create some form of copper toxicity for the plant's roots?

 

[Guest]

The coils will corrode in the nutrient solution, the copper must be kept out of the nutes. I wouldn't put it in with a plant myself, but I guess you could. You will lose a good bit of root space.

So, you need the baggy or plasti-dip which comes in a spray can and could make this much easier for you, and you can put it in with the plant, although I wouldn't recommend it. If they're wrapped in baggies, you'll lose at least half your 5 gallon bucket to the coils and baggies taking up space.

 

[Guest]

Right on - I think I'm going to eventually move to a recirc setup but for now I've got some ladies at 3/4 through flower, so not time to change things up.

So I put the coils in 2 baggies and dropped em in. I also have a wire that is hooked up to the dial (assuming thermostat) so I assume that is it's temp monitor... I just dropped this in free floating since I figured if it was in the bag it would shut off almost immediately.

Now I just have to figure out the damn thermostat. It's a Sunbeam unit and the screw has no markings. I contacted their customer service and they said it was a reset switch and not an actual adjusting thermostat.... who the hell ever heard of a reset switch being a dial instead of an actual switch. Morons....

I guess if they're right, and it's just a reset, then I'll end up having to put this thing on a timer so it doesnt freeze the ladies out. Anyone else with this type of cooler?

 

[clowntown]

Or will this create some form of copper toxicity for the plant's roots?

Yes.

Plus what S2D said about the coils taking up a good portion of volume. Plus the roots getting too near the coils might not be good.

For a single bucket, why go through all this trouble?

 

[Guest]

Yes.

Plus what S2D said about the coils taking up a good portion of volume. Plus the roots getting too near the coils might not be good.

For a single bucket, why go through all this trouble?

Cause the single bucket is running temps at 80F, which are not good. And running ice bottles just can't cut it for me. So I need something I can leave in there and let it keep the water temps in line.

Plus, for 30-50.00, it's WAY worth it.

However, I think I will end up needing to do a recirc DWC... cause right now this thing is sitting in my flower room next to the rez. And it's hot as fuck!!! I'd be nervous leaving it in there 24/7 with the amount of heat the compressor is putting off.

 

[clowntown]

Especially with the coil chiller, I think you need to do something about increasing the reservoir volume, even of that single bucket. All you'll need to do is hook up another bucket (or Rubbermaid, or whatever) to that bucket via a drain + feed line, and pump the water into the plant bucket. This will effectively increase your reservoir size and take care of the problems mentioned above. It will also allow you to use frozen bottles (like a 2-liter bottle maybe).