Reservoir cooling. pro-cons small refrigerator cooler

I was so happy finding a smallest compressor run refrigerator on the street. It took me no minute to butcher it, and execute whole mechanics with compressor and evaporator in one piece. I even called my buddy ac technical braving about the find, and what he says?

"...YEAH YEAH YEAH, you gonna set you place on fire. This compressor is build to run on lower or higher pressure, it is not gonna work you'll burn it in a minute, you need bigger compressor- an ac compressor or water cooler compressor. They will work, you can not make water chiller out of refrigerator compressor"

I said, okay i'll time it, and he said- this unit runs on relay, yo wont have enough time to equalize pressure between cycles.
I know the kid is a genius (besides having couple of other screws missing lol
but i have seen people making these conversions like that. I like the evaporator of small ref compressor, because coil is enameled, ac evaporator in aluminum nutes will eat it.

SO DOES IT WORK OR NOT I'VE SEEN PEOPLE USE IT, but was it tested in a long run??

I need you reactions (go and buy 300dollar inline unit is not an answer. this is DIY way).

spasiba hay

I have no idea about ya fridge blowing up, try it and then u tell us. lol but cant see why it wont?

Depending on your rez tank size you could try a pelter plate with a heat sink and fan. they make em up to about 300w 24v dc. They are only 20% efficient as opposed 40% for a compressor but cheap and easy to use

okay i have searched keywords "heat sink and pelter plate" with no results. what kind of set up is that, sounds interesting. im am fairly new to the whole, but learning and experimenting a lot. i need to chill aerogarden in my 400w grow box. later i will make more custom set up, but for now i work with what i have. remember i can also add line in and out on the pump if needed to move the water to the chiller or so. temps of h2o for now are getting heigh in 80's and i've lost a bag been experiment
thanx essex ps i looked you write up firkin scientific!!

a Peltier plate, a device that gets very hot on one side while very cold on the other. also called a TEC (thermo-electric-coupler) it transfers heat


This is a small one, (20-60w 12v dc)

just put a PC cpu heat sink + fan from a computer on one side, stick outher side on ya rez tank.

run from 12v output on a PC power supply (or any 12v dc)

swaping the wires swaps the hot and cold side so ya can heat or cool ya rez

20% efficient heat transfer

If ya know the volume of water in ya rez and the temp ya want to drop ill tell ya how many/big ya need

ya can get em of e-bay cheap as chips

hope this helps,

Thanx Essey
Im surprised i have never seen this before. I have an idea. i wonder if i can make it the way that it cools my grow box reservoir, but helps to heat up my aquarium. I could sandwich the pates between two stainless boxes, 1 stainless box would just return water into aquarium (close circuit), and opposite for box reservoir.
Aerogarden which i am using temporary holds maybe 3 gallons mos,t and that with out additional volume of water i will be pumping/cooling.
How many of this units will i need you think. I don't recall the exact temp of water on the trial of the grow box/closed, but definitely it was in low 80's- keep in mind i did not have any cooling then, now i will be rerouting water outside of the box/closed for cooling which will add maybe a gallon or two to the circuit (total 5 or so)

Do yo know how energy efficient are these plates? in comparison this the smallest refrigerator compressors

ps perhaps i should post a pic of the grow box. ill think ill open a new thread. hay

ya welcome m8 "overclockers" use em on water cooled computers alot peltier plate 20% a compressor 40% so half as efficiant,

try 2 water cooling cpu blocks for a PC on each side to heat ya aquarium + cool rez,



or just use this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250448187186&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WKF?&GUID=837f4f281280a0e203c02080ff305def&itemid=250448187186&ff4=263602_263622 with 1 water cooler block and pump to cool rez only

If ya insulate ya rez well wiv expanding foam or any heat insulator 1 60w unit should bring 3-4 gallons down a fair bit

i like that computer couplers.
now i only need i water pump with double turbine for hot and cold lol
i have 12v from aquarium hood transformer so can steal some foe extra pump

fish is my main consideration, you kno fish cant die!]

and tomatoes
so great thanx for a little eye oppener.
haaaaaaaaay........ .. .