Grow Mediums Diy chiller. Ideas anyone?

[81camaro]

First post in awhile. Love love hydro. I want to use a cooler to hold ice packs and a pump to circulate water through my reservoir through a simple heat exchanger to bring res temps down. Is there a thermostat out there that can measure my res temp and turn the circ pump on/off?
This is really the last obstacle for me equipmentwise. Northeast USA. Thanks in advance.

 

[81camaro]

And is there still a diy section in the forums?

 

[Ozone69]

I think the closest you'll find to something "purpose built" for what you're trying to do would be something along the line of an aquarium chiller with a thermostat control. Dunno that I've seen pieces parts like a thermo switch to build one, but tech should exist to whip something up from scratch I would think. Would need more of an electric engineer than me to whip up plans for something like that, though.

Looks like the DIY section is over under the CannaZone stuff: https://www.autoflower.org/forums/diy-projects-and-reviews.28/

 

[81camaro]

Thanks ozone. I know its a bit of a reach. Couldnt think of a better place to ask though. 1000 monkeys at a 1000 typewriters, right. Have to do some digging thiz weekend see what i can put together.
An aquarium chiller is a great idea. Glad i posted. Helpful. AFN smoke out!

 

[Be4u]

Whoa! Ice?!?!

Before you go spending money on a chiller you gotta figure out why your water is so hot. Somethings not right. I'm in the south and grew in an unair conditioned room and the only time i had warm water problems was when the plants were seedlings, the light pounds on the bucket. Nothing but a little aluminum foil and a fan blowing on the bucket didnt fix. When the plants get bigger, the shade they make keeps your water cool enough.

Don't complicate things. But, this is only my opinion.

 

[81camaro]

My res temps get high and ive been fighting a little root rot/ pythium. Turning into the colder weather now here in NE USA. But id like to be better prepared next summer. Alot of people throw ice blocks in their res. Frozen 2 liter sods bottles. Like that. Why not outside of res in a cooler. And a closed loop with a small pump to circulate the res water through the cooler. Im thinking instead of a thermostat just a timer. Turn it on 30 min ahead of the main pump for a quick chill. Im also looking for something that doesnt plug into the wall. Im liking this idea more and more actually.
Ive done a few things that have helped though.
1 moved into a bigger space. A whole room actually.
2 put res air on water pump timer to keep air pump and air going to res cooler.
3 adding SM-90 to res water. Gnats dont like it either.
4 keep pumps res and fill/drain lines ridiculouly clean.