Need a Radiator?

[lechumbl]

Hi all,

My turn for question(s)........

I have a 5 gallon water cooler jug. I am a thinkin' I can hook up a pump, my tubes, Waterblock, and make it all cool my CPU, without using a radiator. I am thinking of running a sealed water system, as opposed to an evaporating open system.

Now, with 5 gallons of room temp water, it may not get hot enough to hurt the stability of the system.

Thoughts??

Take care......

PS.......Wife says I have just about reached my spending limit. So, I am hoping it will work.

[mdzcpa]

Hmmm...interesting question.

On one hand, 5 gallons of water is a lot, and there would be some substantial heat capacitance in all that water. However, the capacitance is finite, and you ultimately need to get the heat transferred into the air.

I would think this method would be possible if only running the system for a few hours at a time and allowing the heat to dissipate during down time. But, as you run your rigs 24/7 under SETI, I would think over time that the heat would build up and cooling would suffer.

Somehow you need to work in a method to get the water to release the heat into the atmosphere....

[lechumbl]

Hi Mike,

My thought is that the heat produced by the CPU would be less than what it would take to raise the temp of the 5 gallons of water.

Seems like the water would handle the heat of the CPU.

I just don't know if I want to try it or not.

Of course, this is also dependant if it is summer or winter temps.

Thanx for the reply........

[Player0]

Ditto @ Mike.

5 gallons will absorb quite a hell of a lot of heat, but that heat has to go somewhere eventually. If you are running this system only during the day, you might fine that you'll loose enough heat at night to cool the water. 5 gallons does seem a little low. You may want to go with 10 gallons or so. The more water in the container, the longer your CPU will stay cool.

If this is for a machine that will be on 24/7, well its not going to work because the water will just keep getting hotter and hotter. Depending on the bucket you are holding this water in, you will get a little cooling from natural evaportation. A metalic bucket might help radiate a little heat even. Wont be enough tho.

I've seen people bury large containers or length of pipe under ground. Using the earth as one giant heatsink. This works well, but you need a powerful pump and it will be a lot of work. Probably more costly. But you could probably cool all your machines this way, and it would be extremely quiet.

Another alternative is to use a bong cooler. These are very inexpensive, and work quite well. They are large, and will need to be filled every day or two. Its going to raise the humidity in your house by quite a bit, and you are likely going to get bacterial growth. You cant exactly use antifreeze in these things. There are chemicals for this, like for humidifiers and stuff, but I still wouldnt want to be breathing them in personally. Mounting this outside the window might be a good solution.

Another idea is to just go get a radiator from the junkyard. You should beable to find one dirt cheap, maybe $20. You could strap a small 120v fan to it and sit it somewhere in the room next to your large resevoir. Should work well.

[lechumbl]

Hi all,

I do not want to use a radiator.
I do not want to use a bong/evaporation system.
I do not want to bury my cooler.

I guess I do not want to make a cooler.

Thanx for the input.

Take care......

[dicki]

i've got to ditto the guys here lee... all my systems so far have been rad less and they are only stable if the cpu is idle most of the time... if ti goes to full load you'll probably only get a 4-5 hours running time... you'll need a rad i'm afraid

dicki

[lechumbl]

Hi all,

Thanx for the info.

I will not start this project, it is not dead, just in the thinking stage.....again.

Take care.........

[Jives]

This may sound pretty stupid but if you have a toilet near then plumb your system to the cistern tank, every time you flush you change the water for a cool supply!

[kms]

hiya a double ditto from me too :), increasing the capacity of water ups the time constant but it will still get there other things being equal. Fact is though a greater capacity often means more surface area so more dissipation so maybe a degree cooler or so. What you need Lee is a beer chiller :D

[kms]

Originally posted by Jives
This may sound pretty stupid but if you have a toilet near then plumb your system to the cistern tank, every time you flush you change the water for a cool supply!

lol quality! :D make sure you plumb into the cistern though otherwise the chance of unwanted blockages may soar :D

[mdzcpa]

Originally posted by Jives
This may sound pretty stupid but if you have a toilet near then plumb your system to the cistern tank, every time you flush you change the water for a cool supply!

Now that is innovation my friend:D

Just think, Lee, as you grow older and incontinent your rig runs cooler:)

ROFLMOA:D:D:D

[tripodal]

perhaps a more suitable solutioin... how about rigging it to the sump pump system? areas where its rainy.. usually here ground has lots of cool h20, all u would need is an alarm incase h20 does actually run out. set the sump pump level up a bit.. and rig ur rig to it

[lechumbl]

Hi all,

Thanx for the very "creative" suggestions, you guys.

One comment: "You are more insane than me, and that takes a lot."

I just read the "great" responses to my wife, and after she stopped laughing, she asked my why I don't just buy a heat exchanger.

If she would have said that to begin with, I would not have had to make this post and you all would still be sane. :D

Take care........

[Farabomb]

Originally posted by lechumbl


If she would have said that to begin with, I would not have had to make this post and you all would still be sane. :D

Take care........

Sane?? I'm scared of the sane ones. At least when I hang out with nuts I have something to talk about.

I do love the idea of using the throne as a water tank. I'd just be afraid if someone top tanked me. :D

[tripodal]

come to think of it.. if the throne was warm.. that would increas odors wouldnt it?

[lechumbl]

Hi Trip,

Not if you "changed" the water often.

Take care.......

[tripodal]

I am still thinking that the sump well is a good idea. Care to try it for me. as i dont have proper equipment?

[tripodal]

Oh wait.. i have a good one now.
put your rad into the well... the h20 will cool it better than a fan.... and you will still have a clean closed loop!

[lechumbl]

Hi Trip,

Hell, I have been given permission to get a radiator now, no more weird stuff.

Actually, I will make some weird stuff anyway.

Will post as the work progresses.

Might have a throne/sump pump/radiator combo when I finish.

Take care.........

[tripodal]

LOL gonna use sump water to fill the toiled through your cpu h20 block arent u?

[MrP]

Originally posted by lechumbl
One comment: "You are more insane than me, and that takes a lot."

sanity's boring, being insane is far more fun :freak:

no, where did i leave that white caot they keep giving me :D

toodles :xsofa:

[lechumbl]

Hi MrP,

If ya can't find the white coat, I have several here that we use, so I can send you one.

The only problem is the sleeves are too long and they buckle in the back.

Hum..........:D

[mackanz]

Lee,

I am no way as experianced as you or the other people here when it comes to water, i am so far a pure overclocker, but i am moving towards water myself.

TBH, i think your idea sounds very good, it definatley need some testing.

Just an idea, Do you have your "lab" (all the pc´s) at the coldest point of the room?

In my room (which is 10 meter by 4 meter) i have a GREAT difference in temperature from one side to the other.

That is of course because of the irish quality when it comes to building houses here, and i have my pc at the wall that faces the outside of the house and the poor quality (the house is spank new by the way)makes that side at least 4 degrees colder than the other on a normal spring, late summer and fall day.

I did a test a few days ago, and since i am still on air i cant tell the exact diff when it comes to cooling but on my air setup:

Near the outside wall: System temp of 28C
Near the door on the other side of the room:System temp of 32C

That meant that i actually cut at least 4C on load by just moving the dang pc and the overclocker i am, that can mean all the difference in the world.

If i then open the window during the evenings when i mostly use the pc (exc. for folding 24/7) i can cut the temps by another 4C.
When i had the pc near the door and with the window open, i could see 2C difference.

What i mean by the idea is 2 things:

1, Is it possible to divide that container into 2 steps, by adding an automatic flow in it?

Let say you split the container into 2 "floors".
When the upper floor get enough weight of water, it starts slowly to slip water through to the lower floor. (Dang, this is hard to eplain in typing :( )
Since heat rises, that would give the water on the lower level enough time to adjust to room temp, rather than mixing the water that comes straight from the cpu into the container.
Now, i am not that experianced enough to say how warm the water is when it comes out from the loop and into the container, but i´ll guess it is a heck of a lot warmer than room temp.

2, Can you try to put that container at the coldest part of the room (pref. near a window) room?

Sorry for the huge post, it´s a bit harsh to eplain in words.

Cheers!

Mac

[c0dy]

make two holes in the container?? one having a pump pump out water through a hose outside.. and one having the hose from the side of your house bringing water in ??? :D
ok.. i tried

[Farabomb]

:beerm8s: Welcome c0dy:beerm8s:

Your water bill would be through the roof :eek:

I still like the toliet idea. I may try it too :)

[c0dy]

well i wouldnt be putting HOT water in there.. :P

[lechumbl]

Hi Mac,

Unfortunately, I do not have the option of moving my 3 systems and all to another location.

I do agree tho, there are cooler places in my PC Room, just can't use them.

Project went on hold for a while, you know, priorities and such.

Thanx for the advice, I appreciate it.

Take care..........

[Farabomb]

Cold H20 costs money too ;)

[lechumbl]

Hi Fara,


I'm on a well.

Just elecrticity cost, and not much of that......... :D

Take care........

[c0dy]

issaquah... is that near the valley or olympia at all?? im from bremerton/seattle but my grandma used to live down there.. nice wooded areas :) *coughtrymyideacough* :p

[lechumbl]

Hi c0dy,

I am about 30 miles east of Seattle.

Take care..........

[tripodal]

and thats about 1000 miles to far east.....

:p

that is a great idea.. move onto a house boat... unlimited h20 cooling power :)

[lechumbl]

Hi all,

Might go with a water cooler, so I can use my water cooler jug.
Hummmmmmmmm, recirculating cold water, refrigerated too........hummmmmm.

Take care.......