Which would produce more DO in a DWC?

[JSB99]

Chlorine is actually an essential micronutrient and one of the best things for keeping the slime/pythium at bay. All you need is 1-2ppm. Chlorine toxicity is an issue but you would need to use swimming pool water to get there. No municipal water supply is going to have levels that high and they use chloramine specifically because it doesn't evaporate very easily, so bubbling your water to remove it won't be very effective.

My water doesn't have chloramine, at least not yet. My tds out of the tap is 110. After a day of sitting, and the chlorine has dissipated, I'm at 70ppm. I researched my water company to determine if I was going to put an RO filter in place, which I don't need quite yet. I'm sure there's still chlorine left after sitting though.

As far as chlorine being beneficial, I've heard stories from both sides. One side says chlorine kills beneficial microbes, while the other side says it helps. I tend to agree with the notion that it's harmful to microbes.

 

[JSB99]

I think ur on the right track with the ss wort chiller. It wont conduct heat as well as copper, but like you said, it wont leach copper ions. How long it would take for enough copper to build up to start locking out other elements, I have no idea, but it would probably only be an issue if you only top off and never change ur rez water.

I've been running ideas around in my head, trying to think up a good way to use a wort coil.

I was thinking that I could have the coil on the outside of the wall, and let the cold outside air cool the coil, but with temps changing all the time, I think it would be tough regulating water temps.

I could have the coil in a second res/cooler filled with ice water, in the room, but it might be a little bit of a hassle dumping ice, or freezer packs, into the cooler each day. However, seeing as how this would only take a minute or so each day, it might be the best option until I figure out how to incorporate a chiller into the room.

The problem with getting a chiller, besides money, is the placement. The only adjoining rooms available are the kitchen and a bathroom, so I don't have a remote location to keep it. I don't want to keep it in the room because of all the additional heat I'd be adding right back into the room.

The other option, being more extreme and costly, is to use a semi-powerful pump to run water to the room on the other side of the bathroom, where the chiller would be. The bathroom's only about 5' wide, but the DWC controller res is on the far wall, so that's another 10'. That's 30 total feet, not counting the chiller. I would also have to figure out how to run tubing to the room without disturbing the bathroom. That really only leaves outside. I could insulate the tubing, I guess.

I thought my water was chilly enough. My aquarium thermometer was reading 68, but my digital was showing about 80. I was putting more faith into the thermometer, but I ended up with some slime and slightly brown roots, so temps might have been higher than I thought.


So that's where I'm at.

 

[Budley Doright]

You dont need a super powerful pump if there is no lift, I use a small bilge pump to water my swamp plants and it's on a 75' tube but pretty much level. You can buy a fan coil and small inline pump and place it outside filled with glycol and set the attached wort chiller in your res. control the pump with a digital controller set at 66-67. I do that as well but it's an underground loop and heat exchangers. Honestly I found the ice thing a real pain in the ass, but I'm not in the grow every day either . I just winterized my chiller as I only use it above 60 outdoors, it's now minus 24c today lol. I really need to pull my boat lol, I was hunting today in it .

 

[JSB99]

You dont need a super powerful pump if there is no lift, I use a small bilge pump to water my swamp plants and it's on a 75' tube but pretty much level. You can buy a fan coil and small inline pump and place it outside filled with glycol and set the attached wort chiller in your res. control the pump with a digital controller set at 66-67. I do that as well but it's an underground loop and heat exchangers. Honestly I found the ice thing a real pain in the ass, but I'm not in the grow every day either . I just winterized my chiller as I only use it above 60 outdoors, it's now minus 24c today lol. I really need to pull my boat lol, I was hunting today in it .

I didn't think about using a thermostat switch with the water. Wasn't even aware they existed. That sounds like it'd work really well! Ill probably go that route when I get a little money!

 

[Budley Doright]

I didn't think about using a thermostat switch with the water. Wasn't even aware they existed. That sounds like it'd work really well! Ill probably go that route when I get a little money!

For $60 this is what I use to control all my stuff

 

[JSB99]

View attachment 4059511 For $60 this is what I use to control all my stuff

Right on!

Hopefully I'll be putting this stuff together on the next couple months. Do you have a link to your wort cooler setup?

 

[dstroy]

I've been running ideas around in my head, trying to think up a good way to use a wort coil.

I was thinking that I could have the coil on the outside of the wall, and let the cold outside air cool the coil, but with temps changing all the time, I think it would be tough regulating water temps.

I could have the coil in a second res/cooler filled with ice water, in the room, but it might be a little bit of a hassle dumping ice, or freezer packs, into the cooler each day. However, seeing as how this would only take a minute or so each day, it might be the best option until I figure out how to incorporate a chiller into the room.

The problem with getting a chiller, besides money, is the placement. The only adjoining rooms available are the kitchen and a bathroom, so I don't have a remote location to keep it. I don't want to keep it in the room because of all the additional heat I'd be adding right back into the room.

The other option, being more extreme and costly, is to use a semi-powerful pump to run water to the room on the other side of the bathroom, where the chiller would be. The bathroom's only about 5' wide, but the DWC controller res is on the far wall, so that's another 10'. That's 30 total feet, not counting the chiller. I would also have to figure out how to run tubing to the room without disturbing the bathroom. That really only leaves outside. I could insulate the tubing, I guess.

I thought my water was chilly enough. My aquarium thermometer was reading 68, but my digital was showing about 80. I was putting more faith into the thermometer, but I ended up with some slime and slightly brown roots, so temps might have been higher than I thought.


So that's where I'm at.

Do you have to pay for water? If you don’t you can run that through the coil. And it will chill your res, still need the thermostat hooked up to a valve so it doesn’t make the res too cold.

Pumping nutrient solution through the coil, with the coil in the air is extremely inefficient and likely will not cool the res down at all, this would also require a thermostat and valve or power to the pump to regulate flow.

Having a chiller in the room, that is air conditioned already is not too much of a challenge. A 1/10hp chiller is around 300watts at the outlet while it is running. Less heat than you think, and easy to figure out if you have the cooling capacity for it.

 

[JSB99]

Do you have to pay for water? If you don’t you can run that through the coil. And it will chill your res, still need the thermostat hooked up to a valve so it doesn’t make the res too cold.

Pumping nutrient solution through the coil, with the coil in the air is extremely inefficient and likely will not cool the res down at all, this would also require a thermostat and valve or power to the pump to regulate flow.

Having a chiller in the room, that is air conditioned already is not too much of a challenge. A 1/10hp chiller is around 300watts at the outlet while it is running. Less heat than you think, and easy to figure out if you have the cooling capacity for it.

Yes, I pay for water. That'd be cool if I could use well water for a drain to waste chiller!

And I agree about not pumping soup through the coil. I'd do what you did and have a closed-loop filled with glycol. And it would have a dedicated pump, of course. I could just imagine how quickly those coils would sludge up and clog, running nutes through it.

 

[Budley Doright]

Right on!

Hopefully I'll be putting this stuff together on the next couple months. Do you have a link to your wort cooler setup?

I don't use a wort, I pump water through heat exchanger that run glycol, I have a few pics here someplace lol. Once it warms up a bit I'll go take some pics. I get my heatexchangers from decommissioned geothermal units . And in warm months I pump res water directly through chiller .

 

[Budley Doright]

Do you have to pay for water? If you don’t you can run that through the coil. And it will chill your res, still need the thermostat hooked up to a valve so it doesn’t make the res too cold.

Pumping nutrient solution through the coil, with the coil in the air is extremely inefficient and likely will not cool the res down at all, this would also require a thermostat and valve or power to the pump to regulate flow.

Having a chiller in the room, that is air conditioned already is not too much of a challenge. A 1/10hp chiller is around 300watts at the outlet while it is running. Less heat than you think, and easy to figure out if you have the cooling capacity for it.

Actually a fan coil is very effective outdoors if temps are cold enough and I'm probably going to switch to one as soon as copper goes up in price to sell the 200-300 feet I buried lol. They are used all the time to run hot and chilled water through. The only requirement to move the glycol mix is a small circ pump and the controller shown. Yes chillers are better in some situations but the passive fan coil is cheap as chips to run, I'm waiting for a decommissioned AC condensing unit in spring to use for glycol. Mind you they won't work much when over 60 outdoors. The op seems to like valves and stuff . so flow valves (ball) should be a walk lol. I use both chiller and passive and they both have advantages .

 

[dstroy]

Yes, I pay for water. That'd be cool if I could use well water for a drain to waste chiller!

And I agree about not pumping soup through the coil. I'd do what you did and have a closed-loop filled with glycol. And it would have a dedicated pump, of course. I could just imagine how quickly those coils would sludge up and clog, running nutes through it.

It would be sweeeeet

No need for glycol unless you expect your coolant to freeze. Just water and a drop of soap as a surfactant.

 

[dstroy]

Actually a fan coil is very effective outdoors if temps are cold enough and I'm probably going to switch to one as soon as copper goes up in price to sell the 200-300 feet I buried lol. They are used all the time to run hot and chilled water through. The only requirement to move the glycol mix is a small circ pump and the controller shown. Yes chillers are better in some situations but the passive fan coil is cheap as chips to run, I'm waiting for a decommissioned AC condensing unit in spring to use for glycol. Mind you they won't work much when over 60 outdoors. The op seems to like valves and stuff . so flow valves (ball) should be a walk lol. I use both chiller and passive and they both have advantages .

A fan coil unit isn’t the same as a wort chiller though. Fan coil units are really good heat exchangers.

I wish it was cool enough here in the summer for me to use one.

 

[Budley Doright]

A fan coil unit isn’t the same as a wort chiller though. Fan coil units are really good heat exchangers.

I wish it was cool enough here in the summer for me to use one.

Well the glycol (yes below freezing lol) is circulated through the fan coil to remove the heat picked by the wort chiller, you need both to make it work. And yup not very good in the summer. I head outside then lol.

 

[Budley Doright]

Yes, I pay for water. That'd be cool if I could use well water for a drain to waste chiller!

And I agree about not pumping soup through the coil. I'd do what you did and have a closed-loop filled with glycol. And it would have a dedicated pump, of course. I could just imagine how quickly those coils would sludge up and clog, running nutes through it.

They actually don't sludge up through my heat exchangers which is nutrients, I cover all tubing and water is kept cool so no slime or algae. I did worry about copper leaching but never had issues, easy test and I should do it.

 

[JSB99]

Painted the lids primer grey. Didn't want to go all white. I think that would have bugged me LOL!

Also pics of the poles and rebar I'll be using to support the mid-section.

 

[JSB99]

Actually a fan coil is very effective outdoors if temps are cold enough and I'm probably going to switch to one as soon as copper goes up in price to sell the 200-300 feet I buried lol. They are used all the time to run hot and chilled water through. The only requirement to move the glycol mix is a small circ pump and the controller shown. Yes chillers are better in some situations but the passive fan coil is cheap as chips to run, I'm waiting for a decommissioned AC condensing unit in spring to use for glycol. Mind you they won't work much when over 60 outdoors. The op seems to like valves and stuff . so flow valves (ball) should be a walk lol. I use both chiller and passive and they both have advantages .

It stays cool in Oregon, and I'm not going to grow inside during the summer months. I like the fan coil idea. I was searching around for them, but wasn't first ding what I thought would work. If you come across any, post some links for me, if you could. Thx!

 

[Budley Doright]

It stays cool in Oregon, and I'm not going to grow inside during the summer months. I like the fan coil idea. I was searching around for them, but wasn't first ding what I thought would work. If you come across any, post some links for me, if you could. Thx!

Well I'm kind of cheap lol. I would look at the auto wreckers first and use a car rad if running glycol. Just use a step down transformer to power it and put controller in series. I also found that if I stopped the water flow and not the glycol it froze the water in the heat exchanger lol. I get lots of stuff where I work (HVAC) as a refrigeration mechanic so that was the condenser ideal (free) but if I didn't have that option I like said would start at wreckers then we have Princess Auto that sells surplus fan coil units for cheap that I'm going to run chilled water through for cooling the grow. They just made it legal here to grow 4 indoor plants so I don't have to be quite as stealthy but will never be at 4 so still somewhat careful lol. My chiller should be able to handle a bit of a load as it's quite big (8000 btu's) and I tweaked it for more efficient operation by adding an accumulator and tx valve. Wow ok they've gone up .

 

[Budley Doright]

And your right about keeping the chiller in the same space if you need to cool the heat remove from the res . I need all the heat I can get and try to maintain a 75 canopy and 66 res, I still keep my chiller outside though and just turn it on around May 1st and off in October weather dependant

 

[kingtitan]

I've got an Active Aqua 60W, 70 L/min pump coming for my 4x5 gallon bucket UnderCurrent build. An 8 output manifold comes with it.

What I'm wondering is, would 2 air stones per bucket produce more dissolved oxygen than 1 air stone per bucket at twice the pressure (because 4 of the outputs would be shut off)?

How is this air pump? the 70L and 100L both say its 60 decibel, is it loud? I am looking at RDWC 6-9 site with 5 gal buckets but I I am trying to size the pumps. Thinking about ditching my current Promix soilless.

 

[Budley Doright]

How is this air pump? the 70L and 100L both say its 60 decibel, is it loud? I am looking at RDWC 6-9 site with 5 gal buckets but I I am trying to size the pumps. Thinking about ditching my current Promix soilless.

Not sure about the reliability but for comparison a typical ac condenser is advertised 70 at 5'