Since the original is now off in cyberspace here it is again with a few changes.
You can find the bucket air conditioner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg
The Dehumidifier conversion videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iIK1Xpum1o
This project was a joining together of others ideas that needed tweaking to be practical for a grower. The bucket cooler used ice too quickly to keep up with my freezers capacity to produce. In an open room, the ambient temperature might give five hours on a frozen gallon jug as in the video but in a closed cabinet the heat blowing on the bottle was lucky to give an hour, scaled down in size the smaller bottles even less and every time the cab
is opened you start over from room temperature..
This remote water chiller to the bucket blower is a good system that works on autopilot with the main power expense cut to a minimum of running time. There is also no reason why you can't also cool a hydro reservoir at the same time. Another coil or as many as you want. If you start by priming each one while refilling the chiller, with everything running the level should stay constant. I would put check valves in line on each in the event of power outage. You don't want water siphoning back to overflow the reservoir.
Here are the parts and approximate costs and sources, there is flexibility to adapt to your own needs:
The biggest cost can be the dehumidifier unless you get lucky like I did at a yard sale $10.00 ( I'd check Craigslist, Goodwill and any of the other charity stores. If you choose to buy new be sure to shop around.)I again seem to have gotten lucky with the model I found. After watching most of the conversion videos, all of them seemed
a much more complicated dissemble than my Hampton Bay FP-40 was. About a dozen screws in the case and grills, pry off the top knob and remove the filter and its grill held on by plastic snap ins. Then two screws in the radiator that I call the "core".It just lifts up and out with plenty of pipe to massage into place . Now is a good time to mark and cut where you will recess it into the frame. While you can move it out of the way. There are a couple of
clips holding the wire that is to the anti freeze-up switch snapped on the pipe. If you
unsnap it you may be able to move it into the opposite side of the frame and tie wrap it in someplace convenient without having to cut it.
The 3 gallon bucket and lid from Walmart $5.
The original 12v fan, Walmart $16 ( Its too loud so I changed it)
120v desk fan, yard sale, $5. ( will change this back to a 12v when I find the right one.)
Copper coil from Home Depot $14. This is already coiled in the box. You just massage the coils into smaller tighter coils. No kinks. Be patient.
Reservoir $5.Bin from Dollar Store This had molded in handles that I softened with a heat gun and flattened out to insulate.
10' of clear tubing, $7. Rural King. Get this matched to your pump nipple size. If its really drastic from the copper, try one in the middle. The end dipped in hot water for a minute or two is real cooperative. The return can match the coil.
Temperature Controlled switch with probe. $16 delivered. Amazon ( This was a real find. Very technically sophisticated for the price. Well beyond what I expected.)
AC 110~120V Digital Temperature Controller Thermostat F
by ZFE
1/2 sheet of 1" dense foam insullation $5 Lowes
1 can spray contact adhesive $4. Home Depot
1 can expanding foam $4 Home Depot.
! 3.2L submersible water pump. $15. Amazon. There is no guarantee how long these inexpensive pumps will run in freezing water. Should this not last I am going to a non submersible. The original from the bucket was $6 from Amazon that worked great until it got wet inside. Mounted outside the reservoir with a screened pickup it should last.
So for under $120 US I'm up and running with only the fan issue to re-address. I'm still searching for a quiet 12v with some power. A 180mm case fan didn't cut it.
Here are a few pictures, More with details are at:
https://www.autoflower.org/members/feenix-albums-diy-cab-cooler-works.html
You can find the bucket air conditioner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg
The Dehumidifier conversion videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iIK1Xpum1o
This project was a joining together of others ideas that needed tweaking to be practical for a grower. The bucket cooler used ice too quickly to keep up with my freezers capacity to produce. In an open room, the ambient temperature might give five hours on a frozen gallon jug as in the video but in a closed cabinet the heat blowing on the bottle was lucky to give an hour, scaled down in size the smaller bottles even less and every time the cab
is opened you start over from room temperature..
This remote water chiller to the bucket blower is a good system that works on autopilot with the main power expense cut to a minimum of running time. There is also no reason why you can't also cool a hydro reservoir at the same time. Another coil or as many as you want. If you start by priming each one while refilling the chiller, with everything running the level should stay constant. I would put check valves in line on each in the event of power outage. You don't want water siphoning back to overflow the reservoir.
Here are the parts and approximate costs and sources, there is flexibility to adapt to your own needs:
The biggest cost can be the dehumidifier unless you get lucky like I did at a yard sale $10.00 ( I'd check Craigslist, Goodwill and any of the other charity stores. If you choose to buy new be sure to shop around.)I again seem to have gotten lucky with the model I found. After watching most of the conversion videos, all of them seemed
a much more complicated dissemble than my Hampton Bay FP-40 was. About a dozen screws in the case and grills, pry off the top knob and remove the filter and its grill held on by plastic snap ins. Then two screws in the radiator that I call the "core".It just lifts up and out with plenty of pipe to massage into place . Now is a good time to mark and cut where you will recess it into the frame. While you can move it out of the way. There are a couple of
clips holding the wire that is to the anti freeze-up switch snapped on the pipe. If you
unsnap it you may be able to move it into the opposite side of the frame and tie wrap it in someplace convenient without having to cut it.
The 3 gallon bucket and lid from Walmart $5.
The original 12v fan, Walmart $16 ( Its too loud so I changed it)
120v desk fan, yard sale, $5. ( will change this back to a 12v when I find the right one.)
Copper coil from Home Depot $14. This is already coiled in the box. You just massage the coils into smaller tighter coils. No kinks. Be patient.
Reservoir $5.Bin from Dollar Store This had molded in handles that I softened with a heat gun and flattened out to insulate.
10' of clear tubing, $7. Rural King. Get this matched to your pump nipple size. If its really drastic from the copper, try one in the middle. The end dipped in hot water for a minute or two is real cooperative. The return can match the coil.
Temperature Controlled switch with probe. $16 delivered. Amazon ( This was a real find. Very technically sophisticated for the price. Well beyond what I expected.)
AC 110~120V Digital Temperature Controller Thermostat F
by ZFE
1/2 sheet of 1" dense foam insullation $5 Lowes
1 can spray contact adhesive $4. Home Depot
1 can expanding foam $4 Home Depot.
! 3.2L submersible water pump. $15. Amazon. There is no guarantee how long these inexpensive pumps will run in freezing water. Should this not last I am going to a non submersible. The original from the bucket was $6 from Amazon that worked great until it got wet inside. Mounted outside the reservoir with a screened pickup it should last.
So for under $120 US I'm up and running with only the fan issue to re-address. I'm still searching for a quiet 12v with some power. A 180mm case fan didn't cut it.
Here are a few pictures, More with details are at:
https://www.autoflower.org/members/feenix-albums-diy-cab-cooler-works.html
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