Copper is a better conductor of heat then even aluminum. The only thing you'll find better is gold or silver. Just looked it up. Copper is higher thermal conductivity number then silver slightly. Almost double aluminum. That's why high end heatsinks have copper inlays or where it rests on the hot spot.
Oh I believe you, I see the price difference in heat exchangers and have noted it. I also respect your advice. In fact, I rewired my entire room based on your suggestion. I'm starting to think the best way to do this entire hydro project is to get a hold of ~32L hard coolers (for durability) and either use it as a res or just the bubbler itself. At the size (32L >8gal), I don't think I would run into as many problems, and just use ice paks. I see Doc using styrofoam containers, and I think he lives in Florida, and I have never heard him have problems due to water heat. Turn this into a bubbler lol or this The beverage cooler is pricey for what it is, but I can probably score some off a local auction. The box units, just wait for a 50% sale and grab a few maybe.
I was browsing the local classified for coolers and found an electric cooler for $60 (almost new). I think this might be the way forward... set the temp sensor and let it be. They are kinda expensive brand new, but considering the BS involved in water chilling hydroponics, I think maybe this is the answer. example: even has a spot for the netting cup there. already has a drain. just stuff an air stone in there ... Its 10x more expensive than styrofoam, but you are definitely getting your money's worth imo.
Between the additional electrical usage and the cost of constructing this with all of the strange and questionable parts potentially needed - it seems waiting for a stellar deal on a 1/10 HP chiller - or using your plan A (2L frozen bottles) is a much more realistic and problem-free solution. The biggest thing I see is the added heat from the refrigeration system in your airspace and having to cool things further with that alone. Self-reinforcing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
yea, but using the coolers in the first place would alleviate some of the bs. The electric coolers look like crappy Peltier devices stuck in there, so probabaly won't go that route. I think Doc M got the right idea using the cheap styrofoam.
I honestly don’t think the coolers are necessary... you’ve already spent money on the totes - use them!!! Go to Menards, Lowe’s, or Home Depot and buy some Reflectix insulating/reflective covering and cover all surfaces of your res’s in that shit and use water bottles. Your like me when I first started in Hydro... you buy something, realize it might not have been the best option, and buy something new. Vicious cycle of unnecessarily spent money. Stick with what you have my man. There are ways around the temp issues without spending another dime. The other thing is: how is the environment in your grow room? Not just the tent..... the ambient air. Until you dial in temp/humidity in your overall space your wasting time and money making changes in the tent. I also learned that the hard way and just had that epiphone.... All it took for my was recirculating air into my grow room area and a cheap ass dehumidifier. 90% of my issues inside the tent have no been resolved and it’s just dialed in. You’ll get there bro - just focus on the main environmental factors first then work towards the smaller ticket stuff! Like I said.... with 69-75F res temps I’ve never had an issue with a little Hydroguard Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I grew bucket DWC in black 3.5 gallon buckets and never seemed to need a chiller. Larger exhaust fan in room and possibly a second air stone in the buckets goes a long way.
thanks guys. yea, I grew in hydro buckets for a long time and never had a problem until I added the 96s. I think you are right regarding the exhaust system, I will look it ramp it up. I did purchase the totes, but I can always just bring them back as I haven't used them yet. And to be 100% honest, I do like the bucket system, but I've lost huge plants to this problem. I also don't want to dedicate too much more to that room; its been an experience to learn, but I am soon going to be called to work in a couple more months and will need to move cities, so its kinda redundant (?) Still though, I would like to see someone convert a 5gal beverage chiller (like the orange one in the pictures above) with a built in 68-72 temp reg and thermoelectric device, have a little LCD, although it wouldn't even be necessary cuz it would be completely independent. I lost this plant last December; I didn't realize back then why... now I know why. It would have produced ~2lbs... It could have happened though because drainage (?) idk. But I'm sure you know what I mean. My humidity in the room varies between 40-60%RH. And the temps get up to (max) 82F.
Just some thoughts: Peltier takes about 1w to move 1w of heat from place to place. Heat pumps take about 1w to move about 3w of heat from place to place. Ice is just water that has had the heat removed. If you use ice from your freezer your freezer had to "kick on" to remove X amount of heat from the liquid to make it into ice. So using ice that you created yourself will be more effecient than Peltiers, but not any more effecient than a res chiller heat pump. Although It would be cheaper than buying a res chiller heat pump because you already have the freezer to make the ice. Then again it might be a pain in the ass to add ice everyday. Though getting ice for free is really effecient lol. Those little plug in travel cooler/refrigerators use Peltiers. And a graphic just for fun haha I've never used a res chiller but if lowering res temps increases O2 then it seems like it might have an impact on growth, as well as additionally helping to prevent pythium outbreaks. I might look into cooling my res too
I purchased coolers today. I was tempted to purchase an electric cooler until I looked it over, recognized that the electronics are a peltier stuffed in the lid, and that these items are meant to refrigerate the air, and will probably have little effect on the water itself. Nevertheless, being CL savy, I asked her to plug it in first, no power, no sale. Instead I purchased the 'rich people's' coolers that they no longer wanted, 3 for $35. Good enough. I will use the ice packs and get working on some Arduino motivated room regulation instead.
I agree, I need to dial in the room proper. Its tricky the way the room is located. I will vent outside if temps get too hot, but it goes to my front door lol. I will go recharge my filter and get that going. I will also dedicate some time this weekend to learning arduino better. It will be good once I (rt) monitor the res and room temps, so I 100% agree with you bro.
I just cut a hole in the wall to an adjacent room - used a 6” fan and filter and hosing like in the tent (filter not necessary - just used it for ultimate smell protection in case one inside the flower tent was getting weak... dropped temps 6F, eliminated humidity concerns and stays at 50% no matter what. Problem solved - no crazy diy or chiller needed. Sounds like others giving the same advice on dialing in the room Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I also cut a hole in the wall to the adjacent room and didn't want the exhaust going there. Hard to get the venting to another room, maybe I can at the red circle, but I will probably just pump it outside in the summer and keep the door open in the winter. Current temps in the room is 77, but the res was also at 77. After adding ice pack, the temp is @ 72.
Only because no one has said anything about it and it's a cheap ass system to do. You could always just do a thermosyphon setup to cool your res.
I had a pretty long run too - so I hung my fan/filter in the middle of the room and have about 12’ of 6” ducting strapped to my rafters to get it out where I wanted it. I also noticed setting my air intake at the bottom of the room - and exhaust at the top had an impact. Do you have reflective insulation on your sites? That made a big diff for me too. Also are you running your QBs at max wattage or dimmed at all? Just curious - couldn’t remember which fixtures your running. Drivers in tent or outside? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
this might be the answer to some problems, I kinda liked the fan sucking up cool air in the adjacent room and dumping straight down onto the plants. It helps to cool everything down. I did think of exhausting straight into the furnace ducting, but idk if that's wise to do... might be a good way to go though. the walls are lined in coroplast; if moisture collects, it will drip down, and coroplast is channeled. Note, that the whole area there should be filled with lights, but missing a couple cycles has left me with only one plant in flower (should be three in there, each about a month apart). at the moment about 75%... but those are 240W drivers on each V2 96. I also have some QBs and supplemental. I think I should have wired my boards into the other room, next to the air filter, this is something that will help. like a regular hot water tank! Its weird how many people replace their water tank when that that tube inside breaks. 10 minute fix. I had to fix mine few months back, and learned just to drain the tank a bit, not the entire thing. Anyhow, yes, this is a good way too, but it adds hardware and tubing. After reviewing and thinking about it, just dump it out the window with a controller if it gets to warm. In the winter I will reverse it. I might just sell this house and build another one and build it around my grow room If I do that, I am building an atrium. I'm still going to mess with the coolers since they only cost (average) $12 a piece. I built an RWDC a couple days back, works really good, but I'm not really happy with it. 1 - the connectors are bs. I wanted to use a threaded adapter to the bulkhead (for its full 1.5" size) but the threads run backwards (specialty item required if it even exists). So I just used the connectors shown, but they're flimsy, and one wrong move and it'll come off. Instead, I think I will revamp it using the coolers (this will hold the ice packs temp longer) and just use a 3/4" hose that screws directly into the bulkhead. 2 - the pump maybe too strong and will suck the roots out of the bottom into the return line so I will downsize the pump. 3 - there is no need for a separate reservoir yet, although its nice to have to mix nutes, pH adj, etc. If you are wondering why the longer connection, its for when the plant is under a scrog net and no longer accessible, so its not needed until flower. I am determined to get this right. Thank you for all the help guys.