Free solution for Cooling reservoir

I'm new to growing, so maybe I've missed something.

But from what i understand, the reservoir temps, can sometime be an issue, with running water pumps, that generate heat, and being exposed to those hot HID lights, and hot grow room temps.

What i have yet to hear, is someone offering the solution, of getting a water bottle, sticking it in the freezer till its frozen solid, and then dropping it into the reservoir. That sounds so simple to me, is there a reason why no one does it, or that it hasn't been recommended?

the Ice would melt and stay inside the bottle, so it would not effect nutes or ratios or anything. then when its done, just pop it back in the freezer and repeat. maybe once a day.

and this could be scaled up from a small water bottle, to a big water bottle, to a whole gallon jug of water if need be.

i know reservoir temps do not need to be ice cold. but i figured this could help maintain a lower then grow room temp. and help not have to worry about reservoir temps.

any feedback?

Lots of people do this already - some say the temp still fluctuates a lot from too cold to too hot like this

this is not the best of ideas. large amounts of root mass can come in contact and wrap around said block of ice which could possbily shock them or stunt their growth. in terms of temps though, it should certainly work.

i just wrap my res in aluminium tape and i don't seem to have had any issues whatsoever (don't have a thermometer, but don't have issues )

I run my lights 80-85F lights on with 1200-1500 PPM C02 and 65F lights off. Even at the end of my light cycle my water is still cool, at the beginning it is cold I don't get the funk. Another thing is it is at the end of the room with the a/c unit and that end stays a little cooler too despite all the air moving I do. Also I would use frozen 1 litter soda bottles if my water was too hot but my roots aren't "in" the water.

chiller is idealer, money is the ultimate master

Edit: Forgot to mention if you are running 75F/65F a good fair temp to run without C02, water temps shouldn't be an issue. The colder the better but you would be in business bigtime with those numbers and no frozen bottles. That is the 12/12 plan I like 72F a lot better for veg and some strains in flower like a bit colder too.

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

i was rather gone last night. my point on root shock is only relevant for DWC i guess

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

That takes care of the problem AND has additional benefits,,, genius!

jackofspeed39 said:

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

very nice idea.. i may have to try this out if i ever move my res outside the tent

jackofspeed39 said:

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

jackofspeed39 said:

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

Same exact method I use to cool my aquarium temps up to 15 deg and I will now try on my bubbler (after a 'damn i'm a stoner moment). Thanks jack!

I tried putting ice in my reservoir, but the temps are still fluctuating. When I get home from work, the ice is melted and the temps are back where they were... But! I found an el cheapo mini fridge on craigslist for like 25 bucks. I'm going to put my reservoir and pump in there, and drill a port hole near the top for the feed and return lines to go to the root chamber. I can't wait to try it out.

jackofspeed39 said:

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

Is there any type of algea problem from the light through the fan in the res? If not, I'll have to try it out also. Thanks

Try this:

Get an ice chest. Put some water in it along with one or two frozen gallon water jugs. Connect a pump to a hose in your reservoir and run it into the ice chest, coil it up inside, then run it back to out the reservoir. The cooling will be less dramatic but a lot more stable and longer lasting. Your ice will last a LOT longer this way.

Keep 4 or 6 gallons freezing at all times and rotate them in as needed.

Hope this helps

This is what I use: http://cgi.ebay.com/CoolWorks-Ice-Probe-Power-Supply-/180517610843?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a07b0255b#ht_2023wt_1139

dimesak said:

This is what I use: http://cgi.ebay.com/CoolWorks-Ice-Probe-Power-Supply-/180517610843?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a07b0255b#ht_2023wt_1139

Click to expand...

how big is your rez?
how many of those do you run?
how good does it work?

i never knew they made "chillers" so small...
interesting

jackofspeed39 said:

hello, I have a great way to cool my reservoirs on a 50 gal res. my top has a 8" hole in it that has a 8" fan just laying over it facing right into the water . in the bottom of the res.. under the hole in the top I have 4... 4" inch bubbler stones hooked to a 80 watt air pump... when the bubbles break the waters surface the air from the fan hits the bubbles and cools the water by 15 degrees or more.... its much cheaper than a water cooler and the plants love the added oxygen.... been using only this for over 7 years works great.....

Click to expand...

Thanks for that one.
Peace

You can also hook up a hose like the above post mentioned an air hose into ice etc...

What you do is hook up a pump that basically just pumps water out of reservoir through a black tube that's coiled up in a igloo cooler (well insulated cooler) add frozen water bottles. The end of the tube from the pump should pump back into the reservoir you can set it up on a timer or just have it recirculating 100% of the time.

I'm working on one like I mentioned above that will actually click the pump on only when the temperature rises above the preset number once it drops below that number it will shut back off.

If anyone runs a drain to waste watercooled CO2 generator, you could do what I did and attach a 50' cool coil inline with it to assist in cooling your reservoir:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWTX5CqEALw

Figure the water is gonna get "wasted", might as well try to get two uses out of it before it goes outside.

Easiest way to cool your reservoir is a large cooler with a coiled up copper hose at the bottom, run a pump from your reservoir through the coiled up copper tubing then back into the reservoir. Keep cooler filled with frozen bottles etc. When temperature increases over a set degrees, a relay switch engages the pump, it turns on and then pushes the nutes through the line cooling it via the copper tube then back into the reservoir. The pump shuts off once it reaches a preset degree

Copper will leech into your reservoir, which is why I use a stainless steel coil.