Building a water chiller

[@TheShakke100]

Fantastic!! I’ve recently did similar using an old dehumidifier (even more efficient). You can add cheap 0degC Temp switches on the evaporator line to automatically shut down to thaw… I bought two cheap digital temperature controllers from Amazon and plugged them in series. One stops the unit when water temp is reached and other detects frost on the line to shut and thaw. I pump the water (USE DEMINERALIZED WATER / RAINWATER!) through a couple of old quad / atv radiators (which have steel fins instead of fragile aluminum) in two rooms, with large computer fans pulling the air through… I use the same piping radiators with coils around woodstove for heating in winter! Thanks for the video! Gave me a bunch of ideas on how to improve! :)

[@PPB1714]

I’m in the process of making a chiller, following your recommendations. I have the condenser tubing bent about 1/2 the way. Any recommendations on getting it to rotate down like in your setup! I’m afraid of kinking it. My AC looks just about the same as yours. It looks like you also notched the bottom plate/housing.

[@simplysimon1918]

I saw another video where he twisted it while making a 90 degree bend, OR you can buy a pipe bender I'm pretty sure your big box hard ware stores should carry them

[@trguitarlesson]

How’s this design holding up? Thinking about making one as well but wanted to see what the longevity is thnx

[@dustinstugart3258]

It’s actually holding up pretty good. I may need a bigger one next.

[@trguitarlesson]

Dustin Stugart if you were serious about FaceTimeing to make sure a project like this gets done right without damaging the copper I would love to take you up on that. Looking to build almost exactly what you have. Let me know. Thanks for the info!!! seriously tired of using ice. Gets old and waste of money.

[@SaraVibes]

@@trguitarlesson same here

[@chiquitacabeza]

Do you think this could work with a 200 liter reflux still? I heat the boiler with propane (24kcal).

[@theghostofsw6276]

I have a 100 L boiler myself....would like to know the same thing.

[@johnschilling4450]

Nice set up ! I’m in the middle of making one . Any suggestions on how not to link the tubing, Possibly using some heat ? I’d appreciate any advice as that’s the stage i’m at .

[@dustinstugart3258]

No heat. It will blow up the Freon piping. Just little bends.

[@dustinstugart3258]

I used soft jaw pliers to help

[@icewaterslim7260]

I would second NOT using heat on this Freon tube.

[@petersamios5409]

I'd add a small water proof box to the top of the AC unit for holding the 2 outlets. Then I'd add 2 switched outlets inside and make sure that this all plugs into a GFCI outlet or breaker. Try an keep the power away from the water as much as you can. Otherwise, thanks much. I will be using some of this on my version. (I will also be adding a baffle and an underwater fan within the cooler to force the water tor travel in a circle.

[@simplysimon1918]

Trying to do this for my hydroponic setup - might just get a used unit off craigslist to try

[@parthiban517]

Sir, How much time it takes room temperature water to reach 40 deg f?

[@nazirhosein7516]

Can I use the same method for salt water tank

[@MrDavesbox1]

nice....you think sealing the coil to the sides of the cooler would force the water thru the coil and not around it...that may cause your freezing....

[@dustinstugart3258]

That would be a great idea. Better cooling transfer and a faster recovery.

[@Mariusz1975zizu]

what about corrosion of the evaporator? I made something like it for heating water and worrying about corrosion..

[@dustinstugart3258]

When I get done I drain the water out and let it dry. So far it’s been very minor.

[@gnawbabygnaw]

Very Kool! Thanks!

[@chrisfitzgerald6214]

what are u using the chilled water for? just curious?

[@AnthonyMata-l8l]

Could I use this concept for an ice bath tub?

[@dustinstugart3258]

Yes. The only thing I’ve found is that recovery time is long.

[@daveharduby8723]

I was looking for a way to cool my koi pond water. I already have the water being pumped through a skimmer into a large plastic garbage can which provides filtration. I was thinking I could place a cheap air conditioner on top and removing the coil and placing it into the filter so the water returns to the pond colder. What do you think?

[@TwigNTimberFishingOutdoors]

I was looking at doing that for some trout too. Wonder if this has been done

[@jayalbers2724]

What about the exhaust? I love this idea but concerned about heating the room with the exhaust

[@icewaterslim7260]

I wonder what your rear fan diameter is. I like this setup but was thinking about a fixed mount on a counter and ducting the high side outside through the wall. I was even considering a possible option of replacing or just supplementing the rear fan with about a 400 CFM inline exhaust fan pulling through the high side coils because I'd have to reduce that diameter. My problem is being in a room inside a house where putting everything on wheels is not practical and I want to be able to pull the heat outside. I've got the sheet metal and some ducting already just sitting around. Anybody tried anything like this yet?

[@warrioratthewall1969]

Yes. Not with a brewing project but for a couple of other projects that needed cooling and this type of solution fit. But the principles are the same. I have a server rack in a closet that needed cooling on its own thermostat and an automated garden project with similar needs. There's a video on YT somewhere where a guy did the same thing. You may have to play with cfm of fan for exhaust but 400 cfm should be OK depending on the size of your room. I use a 636 (when it was new).

[@warrioratthewall1969]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaKbZGCfmZyoh5Ysi=pIANKQFd7_UoiuOw

[@fernandoa.1323]

Very clever. Many years ago I I worked in a lab, making ophthalmic lenses. One of the machines that we used was a blocker that used some form of lead and heated to melt it and then poured the melted material to create a block that would melt into the surface of a lens that would be process but in order for the melted metal to attach to the lens it had very chilled water running thru the metal mold of the blocker and that chilled water would harden the melted metal and would create a metal block that was bonded to the lens. Long story short the price of the chiller used in thar process was a couple of grand. You created the same thing for maybe a couple of hundred.

[@benoitdumoulin1287]

Does the cooler need to be so big ( will need more time to cool the water ) i will be using it for a 6 gallon beer batch

[@dustinstugart3258]

With the cooler having 120 quarts of water the mass doesn’t take that long to chill down. Plus it doesn’t heat up at all when using.

[@Steven-wk6sr]

Thanks dude this helps out a lot

[@craigrushworth5775]

Brilliant Mate, I may need to give that a crack.

[@benoitdumoulin1287]

why not using plumbing antifreeze instead to keep liquid cooler let's say around 35 degree F to be more efficient ?

[@dustinstugart3258]

I do not want anything besides water because it’s more friendly to my dogs if I spill any. Plus it’s not food grade. I could use glycol instead of water. But water is cheaper.

[@brianskaggs7900]

Great idea... I am thinking of building one to use on my ice bath setup. I use it daily. As temps warm up, I will need a way to cool it. My ice tank is about 85 gallons. This morning water temp was 62. I would like to keep around 52- 55 degrees. How much cooling do you think I need?

[@dustinstugart3258]

It all depends on how fast you want the cooling to recover. I’m using 120 quarts of water and it cools really quickly and keeps cooling no matter how hard I push it. Now the only down side of mine is the evap coil isn’t all copper or aluminum and is rusty a bit. I don’t think you want rusty water in your ice bath. Maybe an aquarium cooler would be better. They are inexpensive. Hope this helps

[@abrad3061]

Show I working please was it worth it?

[@andrewb9595]

I'm trying to find a lower wattage, 12v solution to use as an A/C for a teardrop camper. Currently the best idea I've come up with is to use a 12v fridge/cooler and fill it with liquid and run the ice cold liquid through a computer water cooling radiator (inside the teardrop) and use PC fans to blow the cold air. Kind of like a tiny mini-split. If it's not cold enough, maybe I pull the compressor out of the fridge and run freon through the radiator instead of water.

[@TheShakke100]

I’ve done this using the radiator from a quad. They’re great and have steel fins, so less fragile… original fan motor draws a lot of power though. I used a large computer fan, but also re-wound the original motor for much less power draw.

[@andycalcutt2177]

Nice job

[@frankmaranville9549]

Seems like you do the same with a mini fridge that has a freezer. Prolly $75 on marketplace. Cool build though.

[@dustinstugart3258]

I thought about using one but the the recovery time is way faster with this. It actually works to well. It will keep getting colder and colder and I’ll have to shut it down and let the water warm a bit.

[@primandpropertreeservice6855]

What is the ambient temp of incoming water and how cold does the water actually get and theoretically couldn’t you use the thermostat from the ac and put it into the water to regulate the temperature

[@icewaterslim7260]

I thought about that then ruined my countertop frig by drilling too close to the thermostat and going right through a Freon tube . . . duh, lol. .Using a countertop frig with the water tank inside doesn't leave room for a very big water tank anyway I think the window AC is more efficient and a helluva lot more compact and easier than stripping a frig condenser and compressor unit to try and use the same way as he uses the AC .

[@frankmaranville9549]

@@icewaterslim7260 if it one did the mini fridge, I would suggest just about ten ft or however much garden hose you could coil inside it. You would drill two 5/8 holes on the side which would not be near any lines. All the lines are on the back side.(don't drill on that side) 😂

[@icewaterslim7260]

@@frankmaranville9549 That's a brilliant idea that I never would've thought of coiling hose inside the frig like that. Unfortunately this model had the thermostat up front and a line to the freezer low side right behind that on the side my holes were and like a dummy I ignored the little voice in my head telling me to stay away from that thermostat vicinity and I drilled right through it tearing it in half. So I found an AC though it's an 8000 BTU I can probably use it dedicating a 15 amp circuit to it. (The 20 Amp circuit it dedicated to the boiler via PID controller). But if it trips that circuit breaker I can still get a 5000 BTU new for about half the price of that countertop frig. But that's a damned good idea for somebody having an extra frig around. Just stay away from the back and stay away from the thermostat!

[@jimmysabey1684]

Thankyou respects

[@kapalnekayan8988]

Yes👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🥰🥰🥰

[@Jemstk]

You think all that work is worhit could of bought chiller for 200

[@dustinstugart3258]

It was and is. The chiller you can buy won’t recover fast enough but this. Recovers unbelievably fast.

[@maughan6957]

Im going to eliminate a step and put my coil inside the cooler itself.