EZ-Clone chiller loop upgrade

[guyonthecouch]

If you have a chilled UC system running, you can add a chilled look to you EZ clone for next to nothing. I made this one from copper just because it was readily available, but I'm going to replace it with stainless in a week or so.

Here's what was needed:

1 - 5' coil of 3/8" soft copper $7.00
1 - 10' roll of black vinyl 3/8" hose $4.00
various worm drive clamps $6.00
1 - 3/4" PVC threaded valve - $5.00
1 - 3/4" tee with barbed fittings on two sides and 1/2" female threaded on the other - $1.00
1 - 1/2" male threaded to 3/8" barb fitting - $3.00
2 - 3/4" male threaded to male 3/4" barb fittings - $2.00

$28.00 total investment. Stainless should cost about the same as copper for 5' worth. Finding it in quantities that small is another matter... Also have a dedicated continuous PH meter. This run with the EZ, I'm trying tap water only, with 5 ml/gal of ClearRez, and 2 ml/gal ph down. I want to see how this performs with no additives while keeping the temp and PH dead-on. I'll post back results.

I just interrupted the 3/4" return line from the chiller going into the epicenter and added in a Tee to divert of a 3/8" line to the copper coil loop then added a 3/4" valve in front of it to allow priming of the loop. Works fucking awesome. Once the UC is running per normal, close the 3/4" valve all the way to prime the loop, then open it to the desired mix of flow between the epi ouput and the 3/8" coil. I'm gonna try to find some 3/8" stainless tomorrow. I only need 5'. Here's some pics, just do this with stainless if you can.

 

[UCMENOW]

Copper leaches. Need to change to stainless to avoid potential issues.

 

[guyonthecouch]

Thanks for the tip, UCMENOW. I just picked up some 3/8" tubing in 316L stainless here locally and will be swapping out the copper tonight. It's still cooling like a champ tho. In this kind of setup, does the size of the submerged coil really matter all that much (by size, I mean length of the tubing coil, not diameter). I'm thinking that the speed of the water moving through the coil is mostly dictated by the diameter of the tubing and strength of the pump and that those two factors have the most to do with the temp of the submerged coil. Would it cool to a lower temp with a longer coil by making more contact with the warmer water in the cloner?

I picked up an 18' section of the stainless and am wondering the ideal length to make my coil. The copper coil I'm using now is only 5' and is cooling the EZ cloner from 85 to 72.

 

[guyonthecouch]

Here's the stainless version. Made it from about 9' of 3/8" stainless (316). It's almost twice the length of the original copper unit and cools 3 degrees lower, all other things equal. The stainless tubing runs just over $2.00 a foot from fab shops. It's pretty easy to bend yourself. Just bend it around something round. For the tails, you need tubing bending pliers (harbor freight has some for like $7.00).

 

[DapperDon]

Here's the stainless version. Made it from about 9' of 3/8" stainless (316). It's almost twice the length of the original copper unit and cools 3 degrees lower, all other things equal. The stainless tubing runs just over $2.00 a foot from fab shops. It's pretty easy to bend yourself. Just bend it around something round. For the tails, you need tubing bending pliers (harbor freight has some for like $7.00).

What was the wall thickness of the SS tubing that you used?