Do you use an inline chiller to keep your water cool?

[Dogenzengi]

Hi All,
I am still working out the kinks of my Small space.
With a temp of 83 degrees being my current temp under lights I can see no other option than to purchase an inline chiller to keep the water in the system cool.

I am looking for advice here, brand, size etc.

I am planning a system that has a total of
45-50 gallons in 8 pots including the reservoir.
(8-5 gal.containers and a 10 gal. reservoir)
undercurrent DWC is the plan!
Peace,
DZ

 

[brewster81]

Hey there, I was wondering what you decided to go with here? I am also looking at getting a chiller. I also wondering how you setup your chiller? I've read people saying not to run your nutrients through the chiller but to setup a clean reservoir and run the cooled clean water through coils in your res? It would be nice to have some light shed on this issue, makes a huge difference on how I decide to go with chilling my res. Any input appreciated.

 

[Dr. Who]

Hey there, I was wondering what you decided to go with here? I am also looking at getting a chiller. I also wondering how you setup your chiller? I've read people saying not to run your nutrients through the chiller but to setup a clean reservoir and run the cooled clean water through coils in your res? It would be nice to have some light shed on this issue, makes a huge difference on how I decide to go with chilling my res. Any input appreciated.

If you can run your system in a closed area that you completely control the air temp to no more then 72F peak...you should not need a cooler.

If you do need to run a cooler. You are correct that you cool the res by cold water coils in it.....don't pump the feed solution through any pipe or tubing. It will pick up things from it. That is bad.

 

[dbkick]

igloo cooler and a chunk of ice every now and then.
Daisy chain two big igloos together and you'll be able to do 60 gallon or better. a chunk of ice every few days does the trick.
Chillers generally don't have copper coils. Not the ones for the purpose we're talking about.

 

[dbkick]

Although now that I think about it and read you're doing undercurrent I'd do a chiller AND the igloos.
Water pumps tend to heat things up a bit when run 24/7.

 

[tomb805]

I run a 1/10 hp chiller in my current culture system... the style you run the water through it.... running my second grow and have no issues.... it keeps my water temp 65 degrees.. I will get the name... it was made for these systems... I want to say aqua chiller but I will make sure... but since your running more buckets than I am you will need a bigger one... I got a 4 Bucket system...

 

[SeedHo]

are your rez temps 83*? i`m not much help on sizing a chiller, but you can run your pump on a cycle timer till you get your chiller. i know my pump takes about 2hrs before the temp rises 1*, then an hour to cool back down.

 

[Red1966]

Hey there, I was wondering what you decided to go with here? I am also looking at getting a chiller. I also wondering how you setup your chiller? I've read people saying not to run your nutrients through the chiller but to setup a clean reservoir and run the cooled clean water through coils in your res? It would be nice to have some light shed on this issue, makes a huge difference on how I decide to go with chilling my res. Any input appreciated.

The heat exchangers in chillers are corrosion free. The nutes won't harm it.

 

[tomb805]

Active aqua chiller is what I have.. eBay has a 1/4 hp one for $381 USD... actually that is a nice price... and 1/4 hp should be all you need..

 

[Dogenzengi]

I never got a chiller, I changed spots in my hacienda, and I did not go rwdc.
I grow low tech, Hempy hydroponics.

 

[Red1966]

Active aqua chiller is what I have.. eBay has a 1/4 hp one for $381 USD... actually that is a nice price... and 1/4 hp should be all you need..

I bought a used one that had been returned to the hydroponics store because it was totally inadequate for the original buyers use for $150.00. It had been used only one day. The store manager showed me pictures of the original buyer's garden. 25 x 10ft 6" tubes in a underflow system in Florida. 300 gallon reservoir. A outdoor commercial operation growing lettuce. It cooled my 35 gallon reservoir from 82 deg to 68 deg in a 1/2 hour. Same model you have. I'm happy with it. I think it would be adequate for up to 100 gallon.

 

[ttystikk]

The advice here about small chillers is good- as far as it goes. I just didn't want to let this opportunity go by without discussing what your cooling plant might look like if you'd gotten a big chiller and cooled your entire op with it.

I bought a 2 Ton ChillKing window mount chiller. I use a separate cooling circuit, because that one system cools everything; air conditioning, dehumidification AND chilling RDWC water. Multiple spaces, multiple types of cooling, all with one unit. It's amazing how many bulbs it keeps cool, too. I know of no one else with AC talking up how they can cool between 12 and 16 thousand watt bulbs with just two Tons of cooling.

 

[brewster81]

Thank you very much for the replies. I'm totally satisfied with the answers to my inquiry. Chiller is on the way.