The Official Dwc Cooler Club - Any Kind of Cooler Res

mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
Here is a dry fit of the reservoir.. Have used 1/2" pvc connectors as nuts.. I'll go back and cut the long ones in half, like the one in the center, which is the drain for the entire system.. All the fittings were bought at Home Depot.. Was just checking the fit and seal.. The short 3" risers will be used on the Igloos.. The insulation of the Rubber Maid ice chest was thicker than the igloos so I used cut off 6" risers.. The garden dept. has the round hose washers I used, and prefer over the flat hose washers.. No rubber washers on the outside
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DirtyStrawHat

DirtyStrawHat

Active Member
whats going on guys, just wanted to pop in here about the igloo coolers. I started in the orange 5g and moved to an igloo 15g. for anybody looking to use any igloo cooler with a white lid THEY LEAK LIGHT, also the drain plugs leak light alswell, give them a good wrap up, you can use vinyl wrap or aluminum foil tape which ever is easier.. both are easier than the idiots telling you to spray paint them.. just a tip, ill show my cooler build soon

harbor freight has the cheapest thick aluminum tape stop using aluminum foil
 
DirtyStrawHat

DirtyStrawHat

Active Member
mytwhyt said:
Here is a dry fit of the reservoir.. Have used 1/2" pvc connectors as nuts.. I'll go back and cut the long ones in half, like the one in the center, which is the drain for the entire system.. All the fittings were bought at Home Depot.. Was just checking the fit and seal.. The short 3" risers will be used on the Igloos.. The insulation of the Rubber Maid ice chest was thicker than the igloos so I used cut off 6" risers.. The garden dept. has the round hose washers I used, and prefer over the flat hose washers.. No rubber washers on the outside
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if that cooler works im making one tonite.. looks like a cpu cooler rigged to a piece of stock
 
mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member

The black abs 1-3/4" washers you see on the outside of the reservoir serve two purposes.. First to spread the force on the rather thin skin found on most ice chests and the Igloos ... Second is as spacers to compensate for the not perfect length fit of the 2-1/2" and 6" cut off sprinkler risers I use.. This works because there are no rubber washers on the outside of the ice chest.. I use Teflon tape where it's needed.
I'll post pics and try and cover as many of the details as I can.. I bought the 13/16" deep hole drill off Amazon, 6-7$, It was needed to get a clean, straight hole through the ice chest and igloo insulation... It also works for the center hole in the washer/spacer.. A 13/16 spade drill will work for buckets when drilling holes for 1/2" grommets. The old 1-3/4" hole drill I had on hand..
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The plastic washers used on the outside of the igloos are cut from 5 gal buckets... I also had 1/4" and 1/8" abs sheet on hand from other projects. Almost all the parts I use, or adapt, are bought off the shelf from HD..
Please bear with me as I go through this again, The pvc standing water column connected to the reservoir is what makes this setup a RDWC.... The water in the grow igloo, and the reservoir, and in the water column, are all the same level.. The water in the column stays there until pumped out by the dripring.. The dripring will remove 5-6 gal an hour from the water column, which is then replaced from the reservoir... With the dripring adding 5-6 gal an hour to the grow Igloo, gravity will return the water, at the same rate, to the reservoir near the Ice Probe.. . The water column is installed at the spigot hole on the igloo..
When drilling the plastic washers/spacers, I drill the pilot with the 13/16" pilot drill, but not the hole itself.. That holes serves as the start hole for the 1-3/4 hole drill.. I drill out the 13/16 hole while holding the 1-3/4" plastic washer in a $2.99 clamp from HF.....
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DSH, put this in from the preceding page in case you didn't read it....
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The Official Dwc Cooler Club - Any Kind of Cooler Res

Hey guys! I found this thread about a year ago when I very first started to dip into hydro. I knew temps were going to be a problem and decided to use a cooler from day 1. Needless to say they work fantastic and Ive never had a temp problem. I just wanted to come back and thank you guys for this...
www.rollitup.org
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mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
Does it come with the 12 volt power supply? You'll need a water pump and temp controller.. Keep in mind a submersible water pump will add heat to the water you're trying to cool... It'll have to be on all the time, or it wont work.. I went with the Ice Probe because of the simple, direct transfer of the cooling.. The dripring is my water pump..
 
DirtyStrawHat

DirtyStrawHat

Active Member
mytwhyt said:
Does it come with the 12 volt power supply? You'll need a water pump and temp controller.. Keep in mind a submersible water pump will add heat to the water you're trying to cool... It'll have to be on all the time, or it wont work.. I went with the Ice Probe because of the simple, direct transfer of the cooling.. The dripring is my water pump..
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How has the ice probe worked for you so far? Also do you need to run a thermostat on the chiller? Or does it platau in temp above 60°
 
mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
This is what I refer to as the water column pass through.. It allows you to lift the basket out, and keeps the hydroton in place.. Sometimes we just gotta lift a girls skirt to check out her roots.. https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-cabinet-port-tube-1-1-8-id-x-6-1-2-l-flared--260-472.. The hole for the cone that serves as the pass through must be an exact size.. If you look closely at the cone you can see the groves that will click in place when inserted in the basket. The only way I could think to cut the perfect hole was to make a stamp punch.. I'll have pics of that tomorrow..
This is after bout 4-5 grows on this pump.. Don't' get clogged driprings any more.. Always wondered why..

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mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
This igloo scrog screen is 24"x36" .. The screen supports are 16" long.. That put the screen about 12" from the dripring.. The light will effectively cover a 36"x36" screen, but I didn't have a screen that large.. I just make do with I have, or can change to work..... Just about finished with the hole punch.. Looks like my get back tomorrows, are a week long..
These are the 1/2" fittings needed for the screen.. All slip fittings, no glue needed.. The hangers are cut from the same 2"x4" wire used for the screen.. The uprights are 24" long.. You can see how much light is lost to the wall without the reflective panels. That first photon bounce needs to be as close to the plant as possible..
 

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mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
Filled the system checking for leaks, 2 found, 2 fixed.. Planted sprouted seed directly into the hydroton.. Second day pics, the darker hydroton was under a 150 w cf.. hung its 315 w cmh today. I'll be back in a week with new pics..
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mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
This is how I cut the hole for the standing water column passthrough.. I gave up on the hole punch.. Didn't have the rotary files I needed, and didn't want to spend the $70 for a set.. I used a 1/2" wood chisel to cut the hole.. I drew the right size hole on piece of peel and stick shipping label.. It was simple enough to cut, where needed around the label.. The cone was shortened 1-1/4" I used a small saw to remove all but the bottom grove.. With the right hole size, the cone snaps in place like it was made for it.. With the pass through in place, you can lift the basket and check your girls roots.. All the while keeping your balls from falling out..


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HydroLynx

HydroLynx

Well-Known Member
I don't think Ive ever seen seeds germinated in hydroton haha suppose it eliminates the rockwool cube stage
 
drangler

drangler

Member
It has been just over a year since this thread has had a post so I guess I'm rolling the dice a bit even posting here. So I'm hoping for a little bit of help or guidance.

Long story short: 1) Is it a bad idea to try to use 3 of the 5 gallon igloo coolers for a 2 plant RDWC due to the problem of sealing up a large return at the bottom? 2) Is a submersible pump RDWC less noisey than a decent air pump?

Long story: I have been a legal medical card carrier for over a year now and just recently got approved for personal cultivation. The dispensaries in my area are charging $60 per 1/8 oz. and I can't stomach those prices any longer. My grow area is only a 2x4 tent but I do have some space outside that tent for a res. if needed. I already purchased the three 5 gallon igloo coolers with the plan of doing simple DWC - air pump, aerators, hydroton, etc. but little did I know, due to the location in my house, the air pumps are still too loud. They create a ~100hz buzzing echo in the room below that I cannot seem to mitigate. I first tried the Hydrofarm AAPA25L and then tried the General Hydroponics HGC728040, suspended from bungie cords in the air, the coolers somewhat sound isolated from the floor using foam pads, multiple different configurations and the buzzing just won't go away. In the grow room the pump is quiet but the room below, it is rather loud.

My thinking is that if I use a flow adjustable submersible DC pump like the well regarded Jebao DCP-2500 the sound should be better. Am I wrong to think this would be less noisey than one of those air pumps suspended?

I see a lot of posts recommending that RDWC is the shiznit with quality grows and lower maintenance but I have yet to see anyone talk about the noise they create.
I have no issue doing plumbing and electrical work but have never attempted a water tight connection on a 2" hole in a round cooler... I don't think uniseals will work since the cooler wall is comparitavely thick to a standard bucket. 2" bulkheads and epoxy?

I imagine for some/most people, hydroponics for 2 plants is silly and I should just use soil but for me, it kinda makes some sense. My grow room is on the 2nd floor, already has a water supply and drain within a few feet and I have no easy place to dispose of soil. Also, I already have a home automation system that would make it easy to automate watering if needed.

I have even been trying to figure out a way to do RDWC without holes in the cooler but that may be asking too much / a dumb idea altogether.
 
redi jedi

redi jedi

Well-Known Member
drangler said:
It has been just over a year since this thread has had a post so I guess I'm rolling the dice a bit even posting here. So I'm hoping for a little bit of help or guidance.

Long story short: 1) Is it a bad idea to try to use 3 of the 5 gallon igloo coolers for a 2 plant RDWC due to the problem of sealing up a large return at the bottom? 2) Is a submersible pump RDWC less noisey than a decent air pump?

Long story: I have been a legal medical card carrier for over a year now and just recently got approved for personal cultivation. The dispensaries in my area are charging $60 per 1/8 oz. and I can't stomach those prices any longer. My grow area is only a 2x4 tent but I do have some space outside that tent for a res. if needed. I already purchased the three 5 gallon igloo coolers with the plan of doing simple DWC - air pump, aerators, hydroton, etc. but little did I know, due to the location in my house, the air pumps are still too loud. They create a ~100hz buzzing echo in the room below that I cannot seem to mitigate. I first tried the Hydrofarm AAPA25L and then tried the General Hydroponics HGC728040, suspended from bungie cords in the air, the coolers somewhat sound isolated from the floor using foam pads, multiple different configurations and the buzzing just won't go away. In the grow room the pump is quiet but the room below, it is rather loud.

My thinking is that if I use a flow adjustable submersible DC pump like the well regarded Jebao DCP-2500 the sound should be better. Am I wrong to think this would be less noisey than one of those air pumps suspended?

I see a lot of posts recommending that RDWC is the shiznit with quality grows and lower maintenance but I have yet to see anyone talk about the noise they create.
I have no issue doing plumbing and electrical work but have never attempted a water tight connection on a 2" hole in a round cooler... I don't think uniseals will work since the cooler wall is comparitavely thick to a standard bucket. 2" bulkheads and epoxy?

I imagine for some/most people, hydroponics for 2 plants is silly and I should just use soil but for me, it kinda makes some sense. My grow room is on the 2nd floor, already has a water supply and drain within a few feet and I have no easy place to dispose of soil. Also, I already have a home automation system that would make it easy to automate watering if needed.

I have even been trying to figure out a way to do RDWC without holes in the cooler but that may be asking too much / a dumb idea altogether.
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I wouldnt try with round coolers, maybe rectangular. Cheap coolers have thin walls and will just squish if using a bulkhead. A grommet at the inner wall might work or sealant....just dont ever move it.

Water pumps make less noise but for a small system like that a regular aquarium air pump would be fine.
 
drangler

drangler

Member
Thank you for your input Jedi. I initially thought along the lines that "the more air the better" without considering what some may call as quiet wasn't what I was after for my indoor centrally located grow room. I think I'll buy one 160GPH / 10 LPM "quiet" and smaller air pump with actual (claimed) low db output levels. Hopefully that will fit the bill since I'm not sure I can return the igloo 5 gallon coolers @ $22 each. In retrospect, I may have jumped the gun being excited and pulling off the stickers.
 
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