Ice Cooled Lines...

Oh, my bad.

Yeah, you'll want to use a mag drive pump then.

Stainless steel tubing is available on Ebay. Thats what you should use for the heat exchanger. You can use vinyl tubing for the runs. I'd insulate it.

Use the Ice/Salt/Water mixture, drop in your submersible pump, and run vinyl over to the res and then switch to the stainless. Run a coil in the res, then back out and hook this to more vinyl to cycle it back to the coolant res.

You can similarly fill a chest freezer with glycol and circulate this through your chiller.

You're making it wayyyyy too complicated kid.

In a given summer scenario, even if sitting in the 100 degree heat, a cooler will last a few days. It's basically inside, OUT of direct heat, so it may last around 5 days. But let's say I have to change the ice out a couple times a week, no big deal.

In this environment, a cooler, out of direct heat, with some CHEAP plastic tubing, pumping COOL AIR (doesn't have to be frozen) will help ANY water temps a good 10 or possibly 20 degrees.

I have the environment that would work well with this setup... it's like a barn more or less. Water & everything...

Here.This is what I was planning on building.My old man wants to buy me a portable a/c,but he's dawdling, so I'll probably do this.This cools the air.


[youtube]PwplxoJSDw[/youtube]

Dude you want to do what a few people said to. Its basically what you are talking about which is running air lines from your air pump through something cold and then into your res. If you want to keep it very simple first start by saving a few milk jugs to fill with water and freeze then go to HD or lowes or your local hardware and get a nice sized roll of the 1/4 inch plastic water lines they sell for fridge water hook ups, either buy a cooler or dig your out of the garage, then on to pet store and get a small water pump. Now place the pump in the cooler and hook up a good length of the water line to the pump now run tubing into your res and coil as much as you can into the res now back out res and back into your cooler. now place a few frozen milk jugs into the cooler and fill the rest of the way with water now turn it on and watch your temps go down in your rez because warm water leads to the nasties. I would also do some experimenting with the temps and a timer. I would say you would want to zero in your temps to a high 60 low 70f range(not sure on exact temps you would use)

If you want it that simple, just freeze water bottles and drop them in the res as needed.

diggitydank420 said:

If you want it that simple, just freeze water bottles and drop them in the res as needed.

Click to expand...

This would definitely work but its harder to control and maintain a temp range and doesnt last as long.

couldnt you just get a strain that is already climatised to hot dry weather . like an afgani .
your plants will adjust to heat just fine. place some oscalating fans in there.
weed will and can grow anywhere. i wouldnt worry about it spray them with the hose a couple times a day lightly. youll be impressed.

candylime12 said:

couldnt you just get a strain that is already climatised to hot dry weather . like an afgani .
your plants will adjust to heat just fine. place some oscalating fans in there.
weed will and can grow anywhere. i wouldnt worry about it spray them with the hose a couple times a day lightly. youll be impressed.

Click to expand...

It's not the plants that he is worried about. He is using DWC I believe and you cannot have your reservoir over 80F. It's bad juju for the roots, mang!

latinrascal said:

This would definitely work but its harder to control and maintain a temp range and doesnt last as long.

Click to expand...

Yes, but it would take up wayyy too much room. Imagine, two 16oz evian bottles in the bubbleponics dwc res ?? Thank you though & rep.

candylime12 said:

couldnt you just get a strain that is already climatized to hot dry weather . like an afgani .
your plants will adjust to heat just fine. place some oscalating fans in there.
weed will and can grow anywhere. i wouldnt worry about it spray them with the hose a couple times a day lightly. youll be impressed.

Click to expand...

That's a great freakin' idea... rep. I read on another post that some dude bought a south african strain, but it was outdoor. And the guy was growing it indoors. Big debate... Anyway, Thanks!

diggitydank420 said:

It's not the plants that he is worried about. He is using DWC I believe and you cannot have your reservoir over 80F. It's bad juju for the roots, mang!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I think that cold lines blowing directly into the res (remember, not going into another) will be fine. Night times will level out. It's been about 65-70 now, and it's contained, and room temperature basically.

in that case just dig a hole put the bucket in the ground. and place some white visqueen on the ground around the plants .
youll get the benifits of reflective light and youll be cooling the roots. the dirt is cooler than the air temp dont think so dig a hole three feet down thats about the size of a 5 gal bucket. put your hand in it and tell for your self ar look in any servival book on how to stay cooler in hot climate.

thanks for the reps. hell i wish that i could grow out side. nature is the true way. remember thats where weed came from and it'll adapt to the climate and the settings of the area. you might go a li'l longer to harvest. for the plant to adjust.
in my experianc in growing is give it time. do your chores and leave it alone to do its thing. is the hardest thing to learn.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but you could use a water chiller.They are pretty costly though ,around 400$ ,but it will easily solve your problem. I'm in the same situation as you and I am saving for one before summer hits. Google "water chillers hydro" you will see tons Good Luck.

So you're going to use plastic water lines as a heat exchanger?
Or is it silicon tubing? And air as the medium?
Running air through ice water is not going to cool the air like you think it will. Running cold air through nutrient solution is not going to cool the solution like you think it will.

The exchange of heat from air to water(or vice-versa) is poor. In addition, your tubing is an insulator. This will not work. You're not going to get the delta temp you need.

At least you'd need to use a good conductor for the heat exchanger and even then, you will still get poor exchange. You could try corrugated tubing, but it's still unlikely you'll get the 10' delta you've mentioned and be able to keep the air volume necessary to oxygenate your res.

If you want to cool a liquid, use liquid.
Don't use insulators for heat exchangers.

Your thinking is wayyyyy to simple kid.

Well, go ahead and try it and maybe you'll prove me wrong.

nasd90 said:

You're making it wayyyyy too complicated kid.

In a given summer scenario, even if sitting in the 100 degree heat, a cooler will last a few days. It's basically inside, OUT of direct heat, so it may last around 5 days. But let's say I have to change the ice out a couple times a week, no big deal.

In this environment, a cooler, out of direct heat, with some CHEAP plastic tubing, pumping COOL AIR (doesn't have to be frozen) will help ANY water temps a good 10 or possibly 20 degrees.

I have the environment that would work well with this setup... it's like a barn more or less. Water & everything...

Click to expand...

pick up a used chiller on Craig's for 200 bucks

It sounds like a good idea to me. Makes me want to build one. If you get one done, let me know.