DYI Water Cooler?

kupihea

kupihea

Well-Known Member
Aloha all, I am spinning this off from an earlier thread with some some great ideas and replies I received here while asking about replacing my soil system with DWC.

Now, I want to ask for help keeping the electric company out of my pocket. As the title suggests I am asking for opinions on my current brain fart. Alternatives to my thought process and other original ideas are most welcome.

Ok, I intend to position my reservoir just outside of the garage where I have my two small tents. The location is along a wall that is exposed to persistent Trade-winds. That in itself may help to keep the res cooler. Still, I'm now thinking to leverage those breezes to enhance the arrangement.

My first thought is wrapping it in a blanket that's bathed in a constant drip of tap water (water's way cheaper than electric here). Perhaps the constant wind would provide enough evaporation to keep the res even cooler? Is that crazy?

I welcome all thinkers to assist me in keeping the electric company poor.

Mahalo
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
I think the wet blanket will mold. This is over thinking things imo. There's a few fellas on here running diy chillers, search and you will learn from them.
 
ActionHanks

ActionHanks

Well-Known Member
Chillers are nice, but not nessary. I know im breaking all the dwc rules, but i just finished my first dwc. Hit .8 gpw with a 100w led, 4 plants each in 2 gallons.

Room temps sat around 68-78, water temps sat around a steady 70-75. So i was just out of the "danger zone". Did get hit with slime in one bucket, just emptied it out and hit it with sm90. Everything was fine.

Starting round 2 w/o a chiller as well. If it aint broke dont fix it
 
kupihea

kupihea

Well-Known Member
SnapsProvolone said:
I think the wet blanket will mold. This is over thinking things imo. There's a few fellas on here running diy chillers, search and you will learn from them.
Click to expand...
Thanks Snaps, I was very encouraged by your advice yesterday and I am going to follow your formula for starters - learn as I go and expand only if needed. I'm into quality and not quantity (Hahaha.. see my contest entry) so I can experiment at low cost.
Again Mahalo Nui Loa.
 
kupihea

kupihea

Well-Known Member
ActionHanks said:
Chillers are nice, but not nessary. I know im breaking all the dwc rules, but i just finished my first dwc. Hit .8 gpw with a 100w led, 4 plants each in 2 gallons.

Room temps sat around 68-78, water temps sat around a steady 70-75. So i was just out of the "danger zone". Did get hit with slime in one bucket, just emptied it out and hit it with sm90. Everything was fine.

Starting round 2 w/o a chiller as well. If it aint broke dont fix it
Click to expand...
Thanks Hanks, I'm beginning to see the light. I'll keep it simple for starters. Cheers
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
SnapsProvolone said:
I think the wet blanket will mold. This is over thinking things imo. There's a few fellas on here running diy chillers, search and you will learn from them.
Click to expand...
...like me. Sooner or later slime will get your DWC system if you don't keep temps in the sixties.

I have built systems with chillers and with compressorless chillers that use cold outside air to cool the op.
 
kupihea

kupihea

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
...like me. Sooner or later slime will get your DWC system if you don't keep temps in the sixties.

I have built systems with chillers and with compressorless chillers that use cold outside air to cool the op.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that is very encouraging tty. I will not start DWC until sometime after the new year. Gives me a little time to test out some alternatives. Cheers!
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
nomofatum said:
Start digging, put that res underground and it will be cooled naturally by the earth.
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This only goes so far and unless it's a small op with very well insulated water tubs and lines, generally not far enough in practice. The problem is simple heat soak; the heat doesn't escape as fast underground as it builds up in the grow room.

Noting wrong with using thermal mass to one's advantage, however; the perennial problem with a compressorless chiller is that, even in winter, there are times when it's too warm outside to provide effective cooling. What if there was enough water mas in your system to be able to handle the daytime and then cool off overnight with colder overnight temperatures?

It already works quite well here even on a small scale, thank you very much. I can only imagine the potential cost savings when applied to commercial sized facilities. And no pesky hole to dig.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Straight to the chase; my compressorless chiller chills water by passing the water through a radiator outside and uses a box fan blowing ambient air through the radiator. The cold air cools the water, which is then passed through air handlers to cool air or chiller coils to cool RDWC systems... and voila! Cheap chilling all winter long.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
It gets better; I have a two Ton chiller on the same circuit, it runs to both cool the system and since it sits in my office all winter, it heats my house as well. It's my heat, I paid for it, do I don't feel a bit bad about moving it upstairs to my living space.

I haven't run the furnace in going on four winters now.
 
mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
can't you just freeze some water in gatorade bottles and throw a few in the res? that's what i was gonna try. eventually you'll find out how many you need to keep a cycle going as they defrost.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
...but your problem is that it's never gonna snow at your place so full on compressorless chilling isn't an option.

The waterfall/evap cooler idea might work, but it will need to be in the shade and high humidity will limit its effectiveness.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
mudballs said:
can't you just freeze some water in gatorade bottles and throw a few in the res? that's what i was gonna try. eventually you'll find out how many you need to keep a cycle going as they defrost.
Click to expand...
Good idea for smaller res like five gallon buckets.
 
mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
well there are large commercial a/c units that freeze a monster block of ice over night then use it up through the day to blow cold air. what if you scale that down. freeze a 10 gallon tupperware then place that in a 30 gallon igloo cooler and your nute solution cycles around the walls of the 10 gallon. could probably just refill the 10 gallon with ice cubes. if i had a large scale op i would definitely try that before shelling out clams for a chiller.already paying for electricity to run the freezer so use it.
 
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