DIY Icebox.

Z0oted

Active Member
It hooks to one end of an air cooled reflector, while a fan is hooked to the other side to pull air through the trans cooler (which is acting as a heat exchanger by chilling the air) through the reflector then just exhausted into the room. You have to have a means of circulating cold water through the trans cooler. The best way is with a remote reservoir, a chiller, and a pump. In my case I am just going to hook up a water line from a sink near by and drain to waste it down a floor drain. I should be able to control temps of my grow room with a fan controller.
Is the water on at all times? That's going to be a high water bill.
 
what about the water chillers you find on the inside of your drinking water despencer? not strong enough? i like the design of your"icebox" do you have to run water? why not a coolant? then would the smaller chiller work? couldyou then use 1/4 water lines? and what if you took a second hvac vent and placed it on the other side in reverse so that you could hook a second light end to end? my room has major heat running 6 1000 w hps 2 600 hps and 1 400 mh. im having luck with ac. bit once summer hits im fu@#d... and the 2 hp chilling chiller is $2000 and $160 for the ice boxes. thought about running refrigoration lines into radiators. or free-on gas. any feed back? what have people tried?
 

Lobo69

Active Member
Hey...great thread.
I have a similar setup using a honda civic radiator, 8 inch elicent fan, and town water(free).
It works great, but I am getting a lot of condensation dripping off the radiator lines and the radiator itself. I keep a rubbermaid container underneath the rad and it catches a fair amount of water.
The hose that I am using is not the highest quality for running the lines.
Just wondering if I should insulate the hose with some kind of pipe wrap, or if I replace the hose, is there a specific kind of hose that will keep the condensation from building up.
I'm guessing there is not much I can do about the radiator condensation, as it has water constantly running through it, even when the fan is off.
Any suggestions?
 

Lobo69

Active Member
Hey...great thread.
I have a similar setup using a honda civic radiator, 8 inch elicent fan, and town water(free).
It works great, but I am getting a lot of condensation dripping off the radiator lines and the radiator itself. I keep a rubbermaid container underneath the rad and it catches a fair amount of water.
The hose that I am using is not the highest quality for running the lines.
Just wondering if I should insulate the hose with some kind of pipe wrap, or if I replace the hose, is there a specific kind of hose that will keep the condensation from building up.
I'm guessing there is not much I can do about the radiator condensation, as it has water constantly running through it, even when the fan is off.
Any suggestions?
I meant even when the fan is on...woops
 

northeastern lights

Well-Known Member
If you check out Hydro Innovations, the creater of the ice box they say anything above 50% humidity will cause condensation. I haven't used mine yet because of the winter temps but I will be using A-pex pipe. It's plastic water line they use in new construction instead of copper. I'll report back in a few months when it gets warm enough to use.
 

dabbish

Member
Hey...great thread.
I have a similar setup using a honda civic radiator, 8 inch elicent fan, and town water(free).
It works great, but I am getting a lot of condensation dripping off the radiator lines and the radiator itself. I keep a rubbermaid container underneath the rad and it catches a fair amount of water.
The hose that I am using is not the highest quality for running the lines.
Just wondering if I should insulate the hose with some kind of pipe wrap, or if I replace the hose, is there a specific kind of hose that will keep the condensation from building up.
I'm guessing there is not much I can do about the radiator condensation, as it has water constantly running through it, even when the fan is off.
Any suggestions?
Your water is too cold. It's below the dew point. And therefor you are experiencing condensation.

All you need to do is run it with warmer water. Instead of running directly run to waste. Run it to a res that you provide with fresh water just enough for it to stay above the dew point. You can also use that cold water, run it through a heat exchanger, collect the water run-off, and you've got a dehumidifier.
 

connoisseurde420

Well-Known Member
chillers are more effective because water holds its temp much better than air... just expensive to emply on small grows but i hear its much easier to manage temps..
 

smokekeeper

Active Member
has anyone tryed to pull the hot air through a a/c. I was thinking if you fitted the back of an a/c with ducting then hooked that up to pull the exhast form your light it would chill the air the same way.and you would be able to cool your room from that. what do you think?:confused:
 
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