Need advice on making cool air

Ok what I have is a water cooler like the ones you see in office buildings where you can get some cold water or hot water.

I have disassembled the unit and removed the housing that has the cold & hot water.

The freon lines are now free and can be moved some. They are coiled.

The tin cans that use to house the hot & cold water are free also.

Anyway I need some advice as to how I can further modify so I can get some cool air in the box I use to grow.

I was thinking to rap the coils around the tin cans (Since it was rapped around it before.

Cut the top and bottom out of the tin can. Attach a fan and some ducting so the air can be routed into the box.

Tell me what you think

The reason I am using a water cooler is because it uses a lot less electricity than an ac unit would

Please tell me what you think and all advice is greatly appreciated

I will definitely give good rep for answers

OK, Shooting from the hip:

Less elec = less cooling (which may not be an issue, think overkill)

I've pondered this 'style' for a while.
My thoughts/Idea was to use a 'dorm fridge' and turn the whole inside to a water cooler. Then pump that water through a radiator in the grow room with a fan(s) behind it. Temps might rise over the day, but will have enough time to recover during the 'lights off' hours.

Cooling air is inefficient in general. You might be better off looking at the while grow room and how to maximize it with given temps/RH as-is.

Ducted air cooled lights help a TON but radiated heat gets through (at a MUCH lesser scale) CO2, some will say, is a cure for high temps. Its NOT. Its a band-aide. CO2 at the lower/normal temps will do a plant better then at the higher temps. (yes, i know the stomatas <sp> open more with higher temps) CO2 at higher temps, just makes the plant 'less miserable'

Best o' luck

I appreciate the advice, however let me explain my setup

box dimensions

28 inch length
19 inch wide
36 inch tall

6 27 watt cfls (100 watt equilavent)
2 65 watt cfls (Lights of America)
1 12volt 6inch oscilatting fan
1 120 volt 4 inch fan
1 12 volt nidec 235 cfm exhaust fan 6inch by 6inch
Also have 6 2inch holes in bottom of the floor


My temps are hitting 90+ (not at all times, just when my room is hot because of outside being so hot) I live in florida



I have tried everything to get these temps under control to no avail


That is why I came up with the idea of injecting some cooled air.


An Air conditioner burns to much electricity for me. it adds 100 dollar minimum to my monthly bill


I know it is possible to inject cool air into this box to help lower temps when it gets too hot.


That is why I asked for advice on how to modify this water cooler further. Maybe with some ducting an a fan just to get cool air ion there. I am pretty sure it will help.

Well, lets put it this way.

As is, if you put that unit in a closet by its self, the temp in that closet would rise quite a bit. (its going to make more heat then it does cold)

So unless you can relocate the compressor and condenser to a separate space ,leaving just the evaporator in the grow room, you might be chasing your tail.

BigBudBalls said:

Well, lets put it this way.

As is, if you put that unit in a closet by its self, the temp in that closet would rise quite a bit. (its going to make more heat then it does cold)

So unless you can relocate the compressor and condenser to a separate space ,leaving just the evaporator in the grow room, you might be chasing your tail.

Click to expand...

The unit will be sitting outside the box. What I have is a very old TV cabinet converted to a grow cabinet.

What I wanted to do was take the metal cans and have the coils on the inside. Attach ducting like they use on a dryer.

Then cut a hole in the cabinet. Route the duct to that hole, and use a fan to push air over the coils, through the duct and then into the box.

Ok here is a pic that might help give a visual of what I am trying to accomplish

I have modified the water cooler so that the freon coils are exposed.

By running some sorta of ducting system I can inject some cold air

That is the advice I am asking for