So, I think I have everything I need to setup my new reservoir "system" - wish me luck, I'll take pics as I go and report back.
Also, just sent this email to Hydro Innovations (lengthy):
Dear sir or madame:
I've corresponded with you guys before and you're great - I currently have a Hydrogen CO2 Gen and a Cool Coil in my grow room, but I'm now trying to add some more of your gear so have a couple more questions.
Real quick, my setup:
14x10 sealed room, super insulated (R19 at least, R30 in some areas) but inside a non-insulated garage (so gets to 20F in winter and 100F in summer in the garage area)
Veg tent has 700 watts (non air-cooled)
Flowering area has 2400 watts - cooltubed on a closed circuit, so heat from the bulbs is GREATLY reduced
All ballasts are digital
96 pint dehumidifier
1/8 and 1/15 chillers (but they would be gone if this idea moves forward)
Watercooled CO2 generator (run off of tap water, drain to waste)
I think that's about it for the basics of my heat producing equipment.
This room is currently cooled by a 14K dual hose portable AC (which would become the 96 pint dehuey if this idea moves forward), but that is unable to keep the room completely sealed (portables suck), so I want to go fully watercooled for that reason and for the increased efficiency (i.e. lower electric bill).
I have a crawlspace under my house which stays <=65F in the dead of summer and around 50F for the other nine months of the year.
I was planning on putting a 150-200 gallon reservoir in there (the crawlspace), and from that running a feed and return line into an ice chest (insulated "beer cooler") located in my grow room - that would basically be my "epicenter" - somewhere in the 30 gallon size range - I understand that you guys recommend a 50 gallon reservoir with a proper sized chiller, but I'm trying to use as much of the cool ambient air as possible to cool (without using a chiller), so I need to go bigger on the reservoir.
This ice chest would feed one or two 8" Ice Boxes (purely for AC needs, not for attaching inline with the aircooled lights) and one or two cool coils (reservoirs of 25 gallons and 40 galllons, respectively).
There will (eventually) be a 1HP chiller hooked up to the reservoir for the summertime, but with the ambient temps down there that (IMO) won't be necessary until May at the earliest.
Anyways, my questions are as follows:
1) How many 8" Ice Boxes do I need for this application? Can I get away with one or do I need two?
2) What size pumps do the Ice Boxes need to operate? I've read the "head at 8' for 500GPH" stuff, but that's over my head - could you simply provide a link to a pump that would power this properly for me? I'm not the brightest bulb in the box.
3) What water temp would I need to maintain in my epicenter to perform these functions? I'm guessing around 60F (as your website recommends a 20F difference for supplemental AC).
4) At what temp is the effectiveness of the chiller seriously compromised? Whereas the crawl space is 65F in the dead of summer, I realize that the chiller will certainly heat it up to some extent (but I'd be shocked if it ever got over 85F) - and no, the chiller can not be located outside, it must be in the crawlspace for security reasons.
5) Is 30 gallons a reasonable size for my epicenter (located inside the grow room), or would I want to go bigger?
Also, every piece of equipment is going to be run off of its own pump and controller, so I'm not planning on setting up a manifold - my 1/6HP pumps suck 600 watts, so to leave that running fulltime to pressurize the piping would defeat the purpose of going watercooled to me.
Again, really appreciate everything you guys do and I'm sorry for how long this was - just wanted to get all the details in there.
Thanks,
Bob
