Juicys Chiller [Archive] - XtremeSystems Forums

Juicy629

10-02-2004, 09:00 PM

I originally had a thread that i kinda turned into a thread about my chiller but i decided id just make a more formal "my chiller" thread..so here it is..

My compressor and stuff is from a 5150btu ac window unit from sears. only set me back 50 bucks including shipping from ebay new.

The plan is to create a res outta acrylic..and so we begin

First ill start out with a picture of my original job...i like to call it the "Gob Job"

http://img80.exs.cx/img80/584/DSC00980.jpg

Well i know this thing could win some awards in the cosmetic area, i decided the pound and a half of silicone just wasnt cutting it...so i decided to spend some time and find a more suited adhesive...so heres my life saver

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/7172/DSC01000.jpg

who woulda thought they created some to bond acrylic(every1 but me)
Anyway heres some more appealing shots of my res

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/826/DSC01002.jpg

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/9616/DSC01003.jpg

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/547/DSC01006.jpg

Now isnt that a much better looking res? i thought so..
I then proceded to the store to get something to fill this puppy with

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/4018/DSC1030.jpg

I think those will do the trick...

res now filled...

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/9251/DSC1037.jpg

so i powered it on and was a little dissapointed in the temps...it might have been my probe posistioning or just the fact that this is totally exposed but i think ill have a little better temps once i get a lid and some insulation on all those tubes/res

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/6854/DSC1040.jpg

http://img57.exs.cx/img57/6823/DSC1041.jpg

it ended up hitting about -28c which isnt that great but ill have a feeling ill get some better temps once its all set up and the liquid is circulating..now i have to airtighten my case..that might take awhile..

saaya

10-02-2004, 11:41 PM

those temps are great for no insulation imo! :)

koensa

10-03-2004, 12:41 AM

yes,excelent work!

only the colour is :eek:

Tonic

10-03-2004, 06:25 AM

I'm thinking that you can get with good instulation temperatures around -35*C or lower

The mixture's colour is sweeeet :D

How much powerful in watts is compressor?

Flybye

10-03-2004, 07:52 AM

Yeah good insulation is a PLUS.

From no insulation:
http://www.liquidninjas.com/photopost/watermark.php?file=500/2974DSC00813-1-med.jpg

To Slightly decent insulation. Slightly because the thing is still sweating. I used multiple layers of 1/8" neoprene. If I can't stop the sweating, then I'm taking it all off and going with 1/2" thick.
http://www.liquidninjas.com/photopost/watermark.php?file=500/2974DSC00860-2-med.jpg

Juicy629

10-03-2004, 09:44 AM

Ya its like 2 gallons of antifreeze and like half a gallon of Denature A...pretty sweet color i think also..ya i was hopeing for around like -45c but i guess not :mad: haha...hey where do you get neprene at?...i got no clue on the compressor specs..i can find out hwen i get home.

Flybye

10-03-2004, 10:40 AM

I went to Home Depot and they had strips of 1/8" thick insulation. The strips suck though cuz condensation still forms inbetween the strips. It actually worlks pretty well, but I need it to be thicker, and an entire sheet would help.

The company that sells it is Armacell (http://www.armacell.com/WWW/armacell/armacell.nsf/8c7f80a2702ebd0480256a6200582c2f/6fc15c554362acf0c1256a6800537b4d?OpenDocument)

There are all sorts of different Neoprenes out there. I made the mistake of buying one that was as thick as the rubber sole of a sneaker!

I like the armacell stuff. It's pretty good and sticks well, but I need to buy their thicker version. I emailed my local rep to see of there is a loca place where I can pick up the sheets.

I couldn't believe what a differance being well insulated does, which is why I don't want to skimp out on the insulation. Armacell seems to be one of the best in the industry, which is why I'm willing to go on a mission to get the stuff.

Flybye

10-03-2004, 10:43 AM

.... Denature A......
Hey can you please give me the cliff notes on this stuff? I've allready seen a few people mention it.

DocGolem

10-03-2004, 11:01 AM

It turned out really well Juicy! Great job!

Don't worry about the temperature, I have mine insulated and the same a/c as you and it went to -28.

That's after having it going for about 2 hours so I think that would be about the max for it.

Juicy629

10-03-2004, 03:30 PM

well mines totally xposed and stuff so i figure insulated ill acheive at least -32c..i dunno..can only hope! I beleive the poor performance has somthing to do with when i bent my pipes up to go over the res..their isnt any kinks but its cutting it pretty close? any1 know if that could be a problem? near the kinks you can feel something like spioradic spurts inside? i dunno..good times even if i fooked it up..umm denatured alcohol...I dunno..i assume people say to use it to make your antifreeze concoction more conductive and not so thick? I just bought from hearing peopple say get it.. to be honest i think it freezes =P, Their was a concentration on the top of the liquid layer and i could see floaty things..lol...anyway ima head home and work on the lid for the res..ill post some pics..pretty much im just drilling three holes..1 for in 1 for out and the third for filling...ima plug the two holes with quick disconnects 3/8"..things are huge...Pics later....comments and suggestions are more then welcome since im pretty much noobing my way along here. :D

Juicy629

10-03-2004, 03:32 PM

oh and flyby..the trick to using neoprene is to have some sort of liquid(dielectric grease) inbetween the neoprene and w/e your insulating cuz if theirs any air that turns to condensation..the grease fills in the wholes..IE layers of neoprene...so its all tube stuff huh? no sheets?

Warden

10-03-2004, 05:39 PM

www.crazypc.com sells sheets of it. Not sure how the prices are but if you can't find it anywhere else :)

Warden

Juicy629

10-03-2004, 08:04 PM

Thanks warden..kinda spendy..im sure i could find a local provider of some sort...

A whole lot of drilling ended up with a broken lid, which looks hella ugly cuz i had to epoxy a peice of acrylic ontop to support...i have a feeling this res will end up a tid ugly on the top but time will show..Ill try and have some pics up tonight with it on top cuz the epoxy will be set in bout 20 mins.. me = sad..

Flybye

10-04-2004, 05:19 AM

...the grease fills in the wholes..IE layers of neoprene...so its all tube stuff huh? no sheets?
I had the grease freeze up on me and it started to build up condensation :eek:

Well, I DID find a local retailr that sells sheets of the stuff, and the size that I need :)

Check out www.armacell.com

I simply looked for a local contact, I emailed him last night, got a response back this morning and found a location almost 5 minutes away from my hosue! :D

saaya

10-04-2004, 06:17 AM

use tape. 5cm or even wider thin tape thats been used for wrapping mail and packages.

wrap it around the pipes above the neoprene so it is covering 50% of the previous line of tape. that should get it air tight and prevent condensation. if the surface of the pipes still gets cool or even cold then add another layer of insulation and then tape :)

the tubes and the neoprene have to be dry for this to work! and i would recommend you to use a thin layer of vaseline or dielectric grease on the tubes as well.

grease->neoprene->zip ties/tape->wrap it all in tape to make it airtight.

and dont forget, you need to make it totally air tight on both ends of the tubes as well, if not ,condensation will find its way... :D

Juicy629

10-04-2004, 10:11 AM

what saaya said :D

Juicy629

10-04-2004, 06:56 PM

well after fooking up once and getting hella frustrated i finally got it right..i mean theirs a couple cracks and such but i think it turned out well...
heres a couple pics with the res lid on

http://img63.exs.cx/img63/459/DSC01044.jpg

http://img63.exs.cx/img63/6797/DSC1046.jpg

http://img63.exs.cx/img63/5620/DSC01046.jpg

the quick discconect farthtest from the pipes is the outlet going to my waterblocks..it has a tube going to the bottom of my res..the other is the inlet..and the hole in the middle is for filling/toppingoff.

Ima have to hold out on purchaseing some insulations cuz im waiting on this job i applied for....ill try and see what i can scrounge up in a couple days..all comments and suggestions are welcome once again.

Juicy629

10-04-2004, 10:08 PM

geeze..from a pro..why thank you..*blushes*..haha, to be honest i learned alot from you...and a couple other people in here...haha its funny, another forum i posted this in all they can say is..the silicone is looking messy..haha(found that amusing)

saaya

10-05-2004, 11:12 AM

im glad you finally closed the res dude! :lol:

i know inhaling that stuff prolly makes you feel all funny n stuff, but it really isnt very good for your brain in the long term :D hehehehe

before you seal it all up, you have it all on one big and strong base plate, right? i mean the res and the compressor. if not then better move it to one base now just in case you will have to move it in future and to make sure the compressor wont move, fcking up the tubes or anything.

if you dont have it on one base first get rid of the liquid.
get something you can put it into, a large reservoir. use a hose to first carefully suck the liquid up till its close to your mouth, then close the hose so the liquid stays in and put it down into the res and lets the gravity pump the liquid out of the chiller res.

after that it should weight much less and you can carefull lift it up and put it one a basement. best is to ask at least one friend to carefull lift all parts and have one frind that slides the basement under the thing. :toast:

most people use a strong wood base with wheels under it heheheh :D that way you can move it and theoretically even take it to a lan party ;) muha :D

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 11:16 AM

ya its on a sheet of acrylic. ima just double up with another peice and that should take all the weight..im eyeing my many feet of gorgous black gloss acrylic in the corner of my room for a case ;)

saaya

10-05-2004, 11:21 AM

a sheet of acryllic? but the chiller res is insulated with neoprene or something else on the bottom, right? wont you insulate it at all?

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 11:27 AM

well i just got my shirt stuck in the fan which broke one of the blades...sweet..now it vibrates outta control..hmm :confused:

http://img79.exs.cx/img79/2391/DSC01048.jpg

and yes i tried to stop the blade cuz it was shaking everything which resulted in me cutting my finger :( ..superglue time

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 11:47 AM

ya ima totally cover it in neoprene, but im going to put another sheet of thicker acrylic on the bottom for more support..

hopefully the superglue will hold..else ima have to look for another fan..(no money)

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 11:49 AM

i just noticed...you can see the black acrylic ima use in the background of one of my pics :D

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 11:55 AM

http://img79.exs.cx/img79/2508/DSC01056.jpg

heres the specs..some1 asked earlier

Juicy629

10-05-2004, 10:13 PM

ok well...to put it short the blade broke...i tried to fix..didnt work. So now i have a question..how powerful of a fan do i need for it? Yep..the fan was pretty powerful so im assuming something of equal power? Thanks guys..im a little stumped and depressed..Any help will be appreciated.

Flybye

10-06-2004, 03:17 AM

Juicy, who said you have to replace the entire fan?

Take the blade off and take it to a local AC parts dealer. The one I was at a few days ago had a whole row of fan blades hanging on the wall.

And it's a Kenmore. Hey they might even still carry that part!

Hehe don't worry, I did a booboo, too. When I was soldering my valves on, I got a wee bit too close to one of the fan blades, and one of them started melting :eek: Luckily, it wasn't bad enough to cause any vibration.

saaya

10-06-2004, 07:15 AM

lolol

a 10K btu compressor daym! how much did you pay for the entire unit again?

and try to fix the fan blade, done it before several times. you just need the right superglue. and make sure the contact area is totally clean and free of duts, dirt, grease and body fat. you can lap it a bit and sand paper the surface to give it a better contact area.

Juicy629

10-06-2004, 08:44 AM

it says 5150btus? am i missing somthing? lol...50bucks on ebay(25 for it 25 for shipping) i tried saaya..no luck..ima just get a new fan..

Juicy629

10-06-2004, 11:04 AM

okey dokey...$11.56 shipped from sears...where back in buisness :banana:

Juicy629

10-07-2004, 11:59 PM

Well i finally got some more supplies..i felt comfortable buying em cuz i just got my new job :) ...so heres the deal..i got till monday to finish airtightening my mobo and make a snazzy case for my chiller..heres most of the supplies

http://img32.exs.cx/img32/3189/DSC1069.jpg

the flames? well im a comp modder at the core so you couldnt expect me to make a none sweet ass case?...blue uv acrylic/black flames?..indeedage

saaya

10-08-2004, 06:21 AM

was looking at the eer value :hitself: LOL :D

amazing deal! daym.... daym daym daym... why are there no cheap ac units in germany? :(

Juicy629

10-08-2004, 10:13 AM

ebay is your friend

Flybye

10-08-2004, 12:53 PM

....why are there no cheap ac units in germany? :(
Umm....because I've been there in the fall, and there is really no need to have AC systems!!

Juicy629

10-11-2004, 06:49 PM

well i get home from my new job which i enjoyed greatly and to my surprise i find this sitting by the door..

http://img67.exs.cx/img67/7083/DSC1077.jpg

time to power this puppy on and see what temps i can hit with semi insulation
:toast:

Juicy629

10-11-2004, 07:12 PM

omfg......shirt...fan....broke....again....i swear god doesnt want me to have a chiller.

JSU

10-11-2004, 07:17 PM

oooooh thats not good.... btw if you dont realy have a concience you can say it arrived broken and they will send a new one. that would be imoral though.

Juicy629

10-11-2004, 07:27 PM

ugh...i feel like the biggest dip:banana::banana::banana::banana: to grace gods green earth...like i said i got this full time job with tons of benefits and like college and :banana::banana::banana::banana: and tons of raises and then i get home and im like oh SWEET to top my day off after having a nice dinner with my g/f and im so excited to power it on cuz i insulated some of the pipes from the compressor and i turned the puppy on and it purred smoothly and i was so happy...then im like oh :banana::banana::banana::banana: gotta wraps some towels round that puppy to insulated a tid and thats when my baggy shirt for some reason...i had to be wearing a baggy shirt got stuck...CRACK BANG...yep...pretty sad here...well i honestly can say i put enuf epoxy on the sun of a gun to take a direct hammer hit so im prayin.

Juicy629

10-12-2004, 06:29 PM

well the epoxy held and i powered it on and purred once again..im at -30.4c as of now....uninsulated cept a towel round the base and some foam round the pipe going into the res.....wow...gimmie some predictions on insulated temps....ambient is at 19c...ima try moving the probe around and try and get a cold spot...pretty sweet guys.

JSU

10-12-2004, 07:50 PM

ooooh sounds good. now you have to stick your hand in and find the coldest spot. btw post pics of you purple hand once your done.

Lookin good ;) , btw you might want to pick up a piercing valve (also call 3in1 acess i think) so when you are done you can adjust the charge.

Juicy629

10-12-2004, 09:14 PM

why would i do that? i want this thing as cold as it goes all the time...the compressor isnt going to die in a couple months..its brand spanking new...

JSU

10-12-2004, 09:21 PM

the piercing valve does 2 things. 1. Allows for you to have the optimum charge of refrigerant meaning you have more of a vacuum on the low side so you get lower temps, I would guestimate about -10 degrees colder 2. Is not realy that relevant but it does lengthen the life of your compressor.

Juicy629

10-12-2004, 11:13 PM

hmm...depending on cost and installation i might look into it...10c? damn...never really heard about it...interesting..

JSU

10-13-2004, 04:30 AM

yeah, the a/c s are seriously overcharged for a chiller and getting rid of the extra charge makes it easier for the compressor to pull a vacuum whihc equals lower temps.

Juicy629

11-02-2004, 08:02 PM

well ill post some update pics later but i just had my first weekend in the last month...55hours a week...eww..i just finished FULLY insualted my res and pipes and stuff and im working on the box that will airtight my mobo..thats going well but its like putting a puzzle together...anyway i decided to power on my chiller and see if i could get it to work without the rounddial/tempprobe thermester thingy...but only the fan powers one when i give it the juice :confused: ...any help would roxor..i promise ill have the full working thing in the next century ;)

notoriousformula

11-03-2004, 10:47 PM

Nice work, love the color :toast:

Juicy629

11-15-2004, 06:27 PM

Ok...so here it is..i dumped the girlfriend..im on the weekend so im making some major progress...heres how juicy is going to deal with condensation

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/4259/DSC01146.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/7035/DSC01149.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/488/DSC1152.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/5587/DSC01125.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/6042/DSC01144.jpg

Yes that is right..i custom fabbed up some acrylic panels and epoxied then siliconed em onto my case...ima devise a sweet way of isolating the io panel and pci/agp slots..since im a hardware entu i decided to make it extremely easy to acess my mobo/other hardware...i kinda took some looks at the other airtight mobos and i figured ima hafta definatly make this easy so ima seal it off with bolts/rubberwasher..and some foam/rubber insulation strips..they are called threshold strips..

next thing i have for you gents/gentladies is my snazzy insulation job...its not done yet...ima follow up with a nice thick layer of that thick black plastic waterproof tape..but i couldnt find a roll under $15 until after i found this silver stuff...more layers never hurt any1 now did they?

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1404/DSC01111.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/7424/DSC01112.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/2376/DSC01113.jpg

http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1606/DSC01114.jpg

I know how annoying it is to be keeping up on a log and never seeing updates so ima try and have this thing done asap...(i want results :) )...Comments and suggestions would be awesome cuz im just as big a noobie as the next..Enjoi