Dopest's "Cooler" DIY Chiller

[Smokindogcujo]

i have been reading a few other diy cooler threads, and it seems that others have used the mini fridge idea, and the compressor burns out fairly quickly.. I was wondering what about those small chest freezers.. you could do the same thing as the mini fridge, put a large tub inside, fill it with water, run tubing through the top, down into the water, and back up.. seems like a better method considering that those chests have cooling elements on 3 sides usually, and have much stronger compressors?

FloJo,

I've been tossing around the same question. I have an old chest freezer and was wondering if I could use it together with a wort chiller and construct a drop in chiller.

In the freezer I could put a rez which contains a non-toxic anti-freeze. This would be pumped through the wort chiller which is placed in the rez. The only thing I had trouble figuring out was, is there a thermostat that I plug the pump into that would turn the pump on when the rez reached a certain temp (let's say 71 degrees), and then turned it off when the rez reached your cut-off temp (65 degrees).

 

[nephilthim]

d.i.y mottos if it's free its for me..i am going to look at a brita water cooller for this project.whats an optimum res temp keeping in mind inhibiting root rot algae?

 

[Longhair]

Hello Dopest,
Fantastic Ingenuity! That's Why The Rest Of The World Wants Our Ingenuity! Just Fantastic.
You Said That This Would Work In A Single "Tote" Style DWC. That's What I Have & Cannot Get The Temperature Below 85 F. Lost 8 Super Jack (Algae etc.) Using Ice Is Not An Option. When You Get Time Would You & If You Want To, Could You Explain How?
As Princess Lea Said " The Dopest You're My Only Hope!"
Thank You

 

[jkanna]

Thanx for this thread! btw, why no posts since July of 2009??
Anyway, i dismantled a water cooler, actually a hot/cold water cooler w fridge.
Brand: Ever Blue Model: 74410 made in 2006, uses refrigerant R134.
It took my 3 days to extract the cooling circuit, which is quite large - the bucket wrapping in copper coil , which cools the water, and another cooling circuit that wrapped the fridge. i had to cut through sheet metal, it was just insane. Seems they made it to discourage reverse engineering.
Anyway, low and behold, when i moved it into the work room, I heard the dreaded hissing sound. Seems I damaged the circuit. I found the break to be where the copper tubing meets the smaller copper wire and condensor thingy (that then attaches to the exterior heat exchanger)
So my question is - what do i do at this point?
Do I try to fix this thing or throw it away?
I am not a plumber or HVAC or cooling expert guy but I did a lil research and found this product: http://www.aluminumrepair.com/video_new.asp
which looks like it could work....???
Any ideas, comments advice would be awesome.
thx!

 

[angel4us]

refrigerator ???

refrigerator ???

why couldnt you just drill hokles in frig for in and out and have resevoir in refrigerator????

 

[GRINKEEEPER]

well I have a aerofl2 =32 site and need to figure out whats the best option, mini fridge tray or water jug chiller

need help

 

[InstantKarma]

A perfect addition to this would be a digital aquarium thermostat. They are plentiful on eBay and can be had for around $20.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-Digital-Te...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414f925960

 

[Neo 420]

bump

 

[Mr.Meds]

 

[Tropik]

Just read through this whole thread, great DIY chilling man.

Worth a good bump or two.

 

[Throwgar]

I'll second that one. I'm sure most of you realize the human (and many other species) brain actually has cannibinoid receptors built in just WAITING for the chance to receive the precious gift only cannabis can give. It's no mistake that's for sure. The enlightening properties of the plant is what scares most of it's oppressors. Cannabis is far more than a party favor...it is like a key and the lock is on our brains. Insert the key and all of a sudden all the "serious" stuff in this world is funny. Ever wonder why that is? Ah, but at the same time, you get hungry. Ever wonder why that is? Cannabis opens the mind to REALITY. I know, everyone thinks they live reality with fast cars, bigscreen tv's, and flashy houses. However, reality is that most of those things are a joke. The proverbial carrot dangled in front of the donkey. Smoking and growing cannabis brings you back to your roots, pun intended. It reminds one of what is truely important in this life. Food, shelter, and happiness. Everything else is just there to confuse the issue.

Sorry for the rant, back to the major innovations brought to you all by The_Dopest!

Just something to ponder, cannabinoid receptors pre-date marijuana by a billion years.

 

[Dropastone]

Just something to ponder, cannabinoid receptors pre-date marijuana by a billion years.

The human race is roughly only 6000 years old. So how can Cannabinoed receptors pre date marijuana?

 

[Throwgar]

The human race is roughly only 6000 years old. So how can Cannabinoed receptors pre date marijuana?

Cannabinoids have been part of the vertibrate nervous system evolutionary line since we were all sea squirts a billion years ago. They used the cannabinoid receptors for ... nobody's sure, but possible for defense (when they jizz everywhere?) I can't remember the exact details, but that's close enough.

This also means that any vertibrate can get high. Fido?

 

[brightskies]

Great idea Dopest- definitely the best DIY in my opinion!

I found a vintage Elkay brand water bottle cooler that had hot and cold spigots on it. I got it at the Goodwill thrift store for $11. I tore it apart and now have a nice drop-in chiller for my 55 gal. reservoir. Previously, my 40 gal. solution temp was around 75F, now the solution easily stays at 67.

I gently bent the copper coils into an egg shape so they fit through the ebb & gro reservoir hole.

I find that 35+ gallons is the perfect level for the chiller, any lower and the coil won't be fully submerged.

Just make sure you use a good plastic bag over the coil that you insert into the res. You don't want the copper coil to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution. The first plastic bags I tried leaked, a thicker type does not.

I broke the factory temperature sensor while I was tearing it apart so I bypassed the sensor and used a timer for a couple of weeks. Now, I have the $30 delivered Digital Aquarium Timer referenced earlier in this thread. It works great!

Like a previous poster, I had to cut the sheet metal to get the copper coil out. BE CAREFUL- I cut myself pretty good on one of the sharp edges.

It's a little delicate and you have to be careful when moving it around at res changes. I've only been using it for 3 weeks, but I sure do like it!

I'm sorry I don't have any "before" or "deconstruction" photos. I was so excited to have finally found one that I smoked a couple of joints and just had at it! I found Dopest's instructions to be very helpful.

 

[phyberoptic]

Brightskies said:
"Just make sure you use a good plastic bag over the coil that you insert into the res. You don't want the copper coil to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution. The first plastic bags I tried leaked, a thicker type does not."

Why is that? The water is not very acid, and should not corrode the copper. What chem in the nutriants will react with the copper? I'm thinking to put the copper coils direct in the reserve and have a more efficeint transfer of heat/cold.

-=PO

 

[badbert]

Please do some research like read this entire thread. Copper will kill your plants, supposedly. I really don't think it is a good idea!

 

[brightskies]

Brightskies said:
"Just make sure you use a good plastic bag over the coil that you insert into the res. You don't want the copper coil to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution. The first plastic bags I tried leaked, a thicker type does not."

Why is that? The water is not very acid, and should not corrode the copper. What chem in the nutriants will react with the copper? I'm thinking to put the copper coils direct in the reserve and have a more efficeint transfer of heat/cold.

-=PO

I'm just going on third hand info regarding the copper.

I actually bought a 1/2 hp chiller finally. And it has just been sitting there unused.

 

[SuperSizeMe]

What about using a water fountain cooling unit, like this one.

 

[brightskies]

I would think it would work great! Give it a try. You will need a pump of the proper size though to push the water through the chiller. Check other 1/4 HP chillers and see what size GPH pump they recommend.

 

[badbert]

Well what you have there is a chiller... so I guess it would work as a chiller.... question is where did you get it, and how much did you pay?