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I have been researching the Ice box design as well, but have not seen any conclusive evidence. Not sure why I can't just build my own heat exchanger out of copper tubing and say an 8" or 6" PVC pipe with it wound inside? any one else think this would work? I'm studying plastics engineering and have to cool large molds and such, so work with cooling designs, and not sure why to pay so much for packaging. I mean the Ice box can not be more than 3 inches thick, and if the main idea is contact area, this is a poor design. I'm gonna make one soon and will re-post the results.
My problem with AC units is that most will just cool the air directly in front of it but do a poor job of cooling the ambient temperature unless you get a very large one. Most people put their thermometer right in front of it and think its the room temp, silly.
Depends.
If you need more than 6 iceboxes, just go with a water cooled air handler and matching chiller. Traditional AC will still be cheaper.
Agreed in most cases. An exception would be if you have access to constant cold water without using a chiller.
I think TopDog said it best.
The cost of the chiller is the ridiculous part. You are essentially building an air conditioner that places the radiator right at the heat source.
The problem is that a 1hp chiller is $800 to $1200 depending on quality and the deal you get. Add in the cost of the Ice Box, the reservoir, and the pump for another $300 or so. Then the continued electrical costs at 1200w. The total of $1,500 for the same cooling effect of about a 10,000 to 12,000 btu Air Conditioner which can be had at about 1/4 the price just doesn't make much financial sense.
I think that a person could use a relatively large reservoir, maybe 50 gallons per 1000w, kept in a cool area (under 72 degrees) to manage a reasonable amount of cooling without an excessive cost for a chiller. To compensate for the residual heat I suspect about 2,000btu of AC cooling per 1000w light would be required as well.
Suppose you had a 6x1000w grow. You could use two 8" ice boxes with a 300 gallon reservoir, 8" inline fans, and a 12,000 btu Air Conditioner. The total cost of that would be around $600 and the room could be controlled effectively. Perhaps a less powerful 1/4 hp chiller could be used for a small additional cost.
Compared to a 36,000btu Air Conditioner at $1,500 or two 1hp chillers at $1,600...
You will find the best path is the Middle Road. Air conditioning has its advantages. So do Ice boxes. It's the cost of these chillers that's just so out of hand.
I think if you could get more chilling done for less cost and power then this idea will work out. As it stands right now I think duct taping a cardboard box to the front of a window AC unit and running the exhaust into that is about the same thing and a hell of a lot cheaper.
FREE WATER SOURCE IS THE TICKET!
geothermal like rmcg stated means this for you:
Basically anything under ground 5-10' depending how much sun you ground receives.. Is going to be insulated by the ground and hold the water to 55deg's +/-
So anywhere under that mark you find /store water will hold that 55 deg +/- degrees
1. lakes
2. ponds
3. creeks if deep enough and enough current lol obviously has to be cooled
4. well
5. cistern -This is a bad ass idea... you bury 1 of these 1000's of gallon plastic holding tank and then you have a fan blowing over the water thru a large heat exchanger & cool it prior to entering the cistern.
Then you have 1 pump running to the chiller-reservoir in your room or add more pump's for more chiller-reservoir's...
from these reservoir your run the pumps to your equipment, or 1 main big
chiller-reservoir and run all equipment from that
STILL CHEAPER THEN A CHILLER..
6. diy yourself chiller
a. place the inside coil of an window air conditioner in the reservoir. all electric stays out of the water.
There's also a t-stat connected to the front fin's THIS 2 needs to be added into the reservoir or a aqua-stat to control temp.
water cooling is the shit check out this guy out large heat exchanger's for 100-300$..
They have a 16x18" $200 compared to (4.5) 8" icebox 160 x 4.5= $720http://www.greenriteinnovations.com/store/heat-exchangers/water-air
I bought something like these from another place and just had a local sheet metal shop build me a box with an access to the exchanger and 2 12" collars for 60$.
I also added a ebb n flow bulk head fitting with a barbed fitting for hose on the bottom of box for condensation...
What most don't realize is with the cold water/big enough heat exchanger/big enough fan you can create your own A.C. in every room.
You could use a day/night controller from H.I. ,but I think all there shit comes from china.. and its not quality china it's I took a dump on your floor china..
Imho titan make a day/night fan controller but is heaver dutier feeling not cheap plastic like H.I.'s
also google 110v water valve's you'll find the same 1's from china h.i. is selling for $85+/-
also you can buy 100' of stainlesssteel tubing and cut it into 5 10'sections and NOW YOU HAVE 5 COOLCOILS 10$ ea. INSTEAD of h.i's 130$+/-
also check out these green house store online they have these cheap price,but quality t-stat that have a stainess steel probe with 20' extension you can place in resivior to replace H.I.'s 85+/- tstat for water...
for water cooled light's I prefer the fresca platinum's..
Barebones leak,liquid lummens are plastic..
also imho iceboxes after the light's DO COOL the air leaving the reflector's,and can cool the air with help from more exchanger,or A.c.
BUT THE REFLECTOR/BULB/GLASS stay hot!!!
you still have to keep them close to 24" away from glass???
think of it this way...
1 foot of hangers + 1 foot of reflectors + 2 feet of heat from h.i.d. + 1 foot of growing pot's ,or containers = 5 lost feet - 8 foot of ceiling = HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS LOL 3 feet of grow space..
Better way is fresca sol platinum's hung vertically.
With these platinum's you can almost leave your hand on it for hrs.. so what
6" max you have to keep your lady's away...
And if you want to grow trees double stack them and now you have 8' wall of light's
O
FREE WATER SOURCE IS THE TICKET!
geothermal like rmcg stated means this for you:
Basically anything under ground 5-10' depending how much sun you ground receives.. Is going to be insulated by the ground and hold the water to 55deg's +/-
So anywhere under that mark you find /store water will hold that 55 deg +/- degrees
1. lakes
2. ponds
3. creeks if deep enough and enough current lol obviously has to be cooled
4. well
Better way is fresca sol platinum's hung vertically.
With these platinum's you can almost leave your hand on it for hrs.. so what
6" max you have to keep your lady's away...
And if you want to grow trees double stack them and now you have 8' wall of light's
O
both units are made with the same seals and brass inlets now and for the last year or more.for water cooled light's I prefer the fresca platinum's..
Barebones leak,liquid lummens are plastic..
O
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