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Another cooling system

  • #81
The way I do it (gill_za's idea earlier in this thread) is to have the fan running constantly and the pump hooked up to the hygrotherm, so that it only circulates coolant to the rad when it needs to bring the temperature down. Not only is it a clever way to do it, it also allows the cooler time to bring the fluid down to a colder temperature before the hygrotherm kicks on again. You could just hook the pump up to your power strip and have it run constantly, but then you'd have no way to control the temperature automatically.

What do you mean by weird air movement? Are you saying the fan isn't pushing enough air? What fan did you end up getting (how many CFM) and how is it positioned in the tank?
 
  • #82
I meant having the water cooler itself always on, it seems to turn off at a certain point then turn on again eventually. I will get a pic of the fan position and a video of the air movement.
 
  • #83
Look at robthered's post on page 2: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1069519&postcount=15

If you've got the thermostat on the back cranked all the way to "cold," the only way to get it colder is to bypass that thermostat and use an external unit to regulate the temperature as you can turn them lower than the stock thermostat will let you. At that point antifreeze will become more necessary.
 
  • #84
Ok, I think i found the device but I dont see any screw on the side that bypasses the device :scratch:. I tried getting out but I think I stripped the screw.

---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 PM ----------

fan setup
IMG_0121.jpg

video... as you can see the mist gets pulled back by the fan outside so the humidity and wind dont go to the other side of the tank.


---------- Post added at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 PM ----------

click on bottom picture for vid.

---------- Post added at 10:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------

Is there anyway that I can prevent the air from getting instantly sucked out?
 
  • #85
Put the fan so that it blows air in, it will propel the droplets further and will also add evaporative effect :)

In terms of the thermostat have you tried adjusting the knob on the back of it?

Also if I were you I'd attach the fan to the radiator in such a way that it pushes air though it, not pulls. This way if there is ever condensation problems you are not going to kill the fan with too much moisture.

Oh yeah your windshield washer has Methanol. Beware. Not safe for humans or animals. I'd avoid using it if it has Methanol. As I mentioned before having it in an open reservoir will lead to vapor accumulation in the room...
 
  • #86
Ok, I just tried what you said gill, I put the fan on the back of the rad and that seemed to solve the air movement issue. It looks like the terrarium is starting to cool down.

---------- Post added at 09:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:15 AM ----------

I was also wondering if the RAD should feel cold?
 
  • #87
Heli, how is your setup performing?
 
  • #88
Not as well as I would like. It gets the terrarium down to 60 at most. I think I did something wrong. Does the rad have a specific input and output for the tubes?
 
  • #89
I just got two 120mm radiators from some guy on craigslist, haven't set them up yet. But from what I can tell there is no specific input/output holes. So it shouldn't matter how you plug it in. If your temps are not as low as you'd like, consider putting the radiator inside the terrarium and close of that side of it that is a mesh now. Basically keep it all sealed. This way it should be more efficient.
 
  • #90
Not as well as I would like. It gets the terrarium down to 60 at most. I think I did something wrong. Does the rad have a specific input and output for the tubes?
Have you got an adjustable thermostat on the cooler, or is it set to a factory default? Maybe there is not enough temperature differential?
 
  • #91
there is an adjustable thermostat. I put it all the way, and when I stick my hand in the reservoir it gets numb after a little while.
 
  • #92
The front of the rad is pretty much entirely in the tank.
 
  • #93
Heli, you want to avoid cooling outside air. For that the entire radiator and fan must be inside. Your cold air also leaks out from the side. So...

In addition mobile and robthered pointed out that the thermostat that comes with the cooler might not go low enough. So the current thermostat is jammed in always "ON" position and the temperature is regulated via and outside thermostat like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Refrigerator-Freezer-Thermostat-Temperature-Controller/dp/B000EXROSE
 
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  • #94
Gill, I have gorilla tape on the sides sealing it so all the air goes in the tank. I am not sure how to jam my temp controller so its always on.
 
  • #95
Hello all! I have enjoyed reading through this thread greatly. I almost bought an aquarium chiller for hundreds of dollars before discovering this. The only thing I have to ask before buying a water cooler is which one should I get? There don't seem to be any used in my area atm so I am going new. I would ideally like a smaller sized unit but as I read the very small ones don't cool the water nearly fast/well enough. So I guess the smallest compressor based unit available is what I want. I have been surfing around looking at different models and there are just too many for me to pick from. Please help :p

If anyone has recently purchased one new or has a model that is still available, can you please link it to me? I have my Rad and fans on the way so I am just a water cooler away from gettin this done :)
 
  • #96
Id think Elkay or GE would be good brands.
 
  • #98
That is expensive. Are you sure you cant find one on caigslist or kijiji or some other such service?
 
  • #99
Yeah, +1 for craigslist. That's where I got mine. Although if you do end up buying one full-price I've read good reviews of the Avanti unit. BTW... welcome to TF!
 
  • #100
yea, craigslist is awesome. I got an almost 300 dollar water cooler (with a mini fridge in it) for 30 bucks.
 
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