My ghetto chiller is nearing completion

[JNav89GT]

I am new to these forums so my knowledge is pretty noob.

I got an old r22 window ac unit that I have basically reconfigured into a water chiller.

Using evap to chill a 26 or so QT cooler and in testing seems to be working fairly well. After running bout 1 hour I had about 1 inch of ice surrounding all parts of evap and ice crystals floating on top of water.

I have insultated the return line to compressor as I was getting a TON of frost on that line.

I have a via/aqua pump that will be in the resevoir submerged flowing this chilled H2O through tygo like tubing(got it at casemod.com it's not tygon but supposedly just as good) 1/2" to a maze3 block with copper top. I will be insulating tubing with some 1/2" insulation I got a Lowe's and socket area with some neophrene and dielectric grease. I think I have planned it out fairly well to prevent condensation, and have probably gone a bit overboard with insulation.

My questions relate to my ac unit and it's longevitiy. I have heard that with the temps I am down to in the evap I am not boiling off enough of the freon and I will get "liquid slugging" is what I am told that will tear up my compressor. Is this true?

Also, any ideas on projected cpu temps using this setup? And anyone else running something similar and if so how much did electiricity bills go up, $20 or $100+ :O

[|PuNiSh3R|]

You probably aren't boiling all the freon off now.. but once you put your PC on the heatload from the PC will put some work into that system.. so You will be then.

Your electric depends on how often you run the system.. you are looking at an increase of 10 to a max of 72 dollars.. depending on the AC system you are using.. and how long you run the system for a day. 72 dollars is on the extreme... 1Kw/h 24/7.

[|PuNiSh3R|]

btw, can you post pics of ur system.. or give some specs about it.. like make and BTU.. ?

one more thing.. that AC should have an accumulator on the return line so you shouldn't get slugging. Is the side of the compressor really cold? or iced up? if there is no ice on the compressor or on the line right up to the compressor then you ain't getting slugging

[JNav89GT]

well I don't know the btu rating of the system sorry I tore it apart before checking. Originally I was gonna do the dehumidifier chiller but I got this unit for free so......

when it was running before it had frost all the way from evap to the compressor. I didn't see an accumulator persay however there was a small "bulb" right before entering the compressor and even that had frost on it when running.

I think part of the problem is in testing I didn't have glycol in the cooler yet. ICE was forming around the evaporator and I think kinda insulating the cold IN the evap vs spreading "chill" through the resevoir. The only cold giving off into the resevoir was convection I guess so I think when I get glycol and a pump in there to mix it a bit it should be better.

Now for pics of the system. It's pretty ghetto now. A pimped apart AC system with the Evap cut into a cooler and then sealed backup with some foam inulation in a can. I insulated the return line to the compressor as well(maybe I shouldn't have) to prevent condensation.

your imput is appreciated.

[aenigma]

Hey man :)
Yeah having ice around the evap will insulate it.But even when in antifreeze/water it will probably still get cold enough to get some liquid returning.If you really wanted to stop that, you could install some kind of small heating element on the suction line to help boil off any liquid refrigerant.Or you could just let it liquid slug.Probably not getting enough liquid returning to cause any damage.
Since your compressor doesnt make any differant noises when it starts getting frost on the accumulator(bulb), it sounds like its doing fine.

[JNav89GT]

now after doing some research and getting advice from people who know alot more than me I am beginning to understand.

spec sheets on r22 state boiling point at -42c

With my cpu load I should be pumping quite a bit of heat into resevoir so should be kept above that.

But hell anywhere near -40C should get my waterblock down to -20 to -25C and cpu temps hopefully at -5C load or so
but these are just guesses and I could be WAY off

[|PuNiSh3R|]

well that's -40C at 0PSI.. I doubt your AC is running 0PSI..

[JNav89GT]

yeah well like I said I'm noob :)