# DWC res temps too high?



## Super Silver Haze (May 19, 2009)

i constantly fight res temps since i started dwc and i cant make myself buy a $160 Thermoelectric Aquarium chiller so ive been doing a little research.  heres what i found.

Peltier Effect  --  in the following link they sell a complete Peltier Assembly for $34.95.  they have a link to a PDF that uses this to cool a drink cooler.  this type of chiller is more efficient at lowering temps of liquid than it is at lowering the temp of air (gas).  

hxxp://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/peltier/ck500.htm?gclid=CPqP8JeaxpoCFSUSswodqxJ0sg

i know there is alot of DIY minded people here and this seems pretty straight forward.  i am going to order one of these and use it to cool my res.  it might be a few weeks until i can order it so be patient.


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## The Effen Gee (May 19, 2009)

I would just get the chiller, find one used if you can.

.....and there's always -----> Craigslist.org


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## MootPointBlank (May 19, 2009)

It seems like getting a water-tight seal with that is going to be a challenge because it doesn't look like it's made for liquid applications. Also, if you haven't played with one of these before, you may not realize that they aren't very powerful. If you only need to make a few degrees difference, and your ambient air temps are lower than your desired res temp, it should work. Why is it that the res temps are too high? What's heating it up?


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## WeedHopper (May 19, 2009)

My ambient temp is kept at 73-74 f ,,,I use DWC's and was having a problem with rez temps.
 So,,I put a fan blowing directly on each rez(buckets),,I mean right up against them.(think they call that the Lake Effect) That lowered my rez temps by a couple degrees,,plus I have these long thin Blue Freezy thingys(the type ya put in the freezer) and I hang them inside the bucket once a day. I keep my Distilled water in the Fridge,,so when I change or top off,,I use cold water. Now my rez temps are at 67-68 f all the time. They never get over 70f anymore. And man my girls love it. The colas are swelling much bigger and better then they did before (clones.):hubba:  My roots are whiter and healthier too.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 19, 2009)

90 + F outside w/ lows in the 80's and a 400w in 7 sq ft.

no watertight seal needed b/c the device will be mounted onto my lid and then unlike the drink cooler example where the cooling Au plate is mounted parallel with the lid on the underneath side i will mount one perpendicular to the lid so the Au plate petrudes into the water.  the more surface area on the Au plate cooling the water the better the cooling effect.  as the water level in the res lowers then the effiency goes down.

this is the same technology that the store bought chillers use but packaged different.

CowboyBudsky, i already have my res elevated with a fan blowing directly on it and my temps stay 76 F.  i also keep the ambient temp around 75 F when lights on and when off the temps got to 80 F.  i guess im going to use your advice on the ice packs for a temp solution but being disabled i will end up buying / diy'ing a chiller b/c replacing the ice packs is a pain.


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## MootPointBlank (May 19, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> 90 + F outside w/ lows in the 80's and a 400w in 7 sq ft.
> 
> no watertight seal needed b/c the device will be mounted onto my lid and then unlike the drink cooler example where the cooling Au plate is mounted parallel with the lid on the underneath side i will mount one perpendicular to the lid so the Au plate petrudes into the water.  the more surface area on the Au plate cooling the water the better the cooling effect.  as the water level in the res lowers then the effiency goes down.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a plan. I hope it does the trick for you. Let us know what kind temp difference you get? I found one of those electric drink can coolers for $7 that I will convert to that purpose if I need to, but the temps have been okay so far. You may get a little better performance out of the TEC if you insulate the res.

MPB

MPB


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## Pepper (May 19, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> i constantly fight res temps since i started dwc and i cant make myself buy a $160 Thermoelectric Aquarium chiller so ive been doing a little research. heres what i found.
> 
> Peltier Effect -- in the following link they sell a complete Peltier Assembly for $34.95. they have a link to a PDF that uses this to cool a drink cooler. this type of chiller is more efficient at lowering temps of liquid than it is at lowering the temp of air (gas).
> 
> ...


 


How many galons does the unit hold? Small units always give problems, ph, heat, etc. (the larger the rez the better)
You might be better off buying a 50, 100 quart cooler, then just cut the holes on the lid for your pots, hoses, etc. You could also insulate your existing rez by wraping it with 1, or 2" insulation board, 4x8' sheet at home depot is like 12 bucks.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 19, 2009)

Pepper,
8 gal DWC with 5 gal of h2o.  cant go any larger, no space.  
cooler or insulation, just got to decide which one i want to use.

thanks for the input.


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## Pepper (May 19, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> Pepper,
> 8 gal DWC with 5 gal of h2o. cant go any larger, no space.
> cooler or insulation, just got to decide which one i want to use.
> 
> thanks for the input.


 

If you are looking for a cheaper way out, buy the insulation sheet + you can always use the remainder on other dwc's you may have, or spend the extra cash and buy a looler.


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (May 20, 2009)

Surprised it hasn't been asked.......where do you keep your air pumps????  I built a seperate housing in a corner of my mother box that holds them.  The air is being drawn into them from outside the grow box and is therefore cooler.  Like an idiot when I first started DWC I put my air pumps on the wall in my flower room (thinking it was safer since they were higher and would prevent back leaks) up near the lights and they were just pulling in hot air and pumping it into the res's.  I find the temperature of the air being pulled into the air pumps to have a much larger effect on the nutrient solution temperature than the ambient temperature of the grow room.  Now I just use check valves and keep them at ground level drawing fresh air from outside.


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## MootPointBlank (May 20, 2009)

Pepper said:
			
		

> If you are looking for a cheaper way out, buy the insulation sheet + you can always use the remainder on other dwc's you may have, or spend the extra cash and buy a looler.



Homme de Po' also has this insulation made to wrap water heaters, looks like bubble wrap made out of mylar. Might be a little more durable than the foil-wrapped, foam-core insulation that Pepper mentioned. Choose whichever has the higher R factor.

MPB


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## Tater (May 20, 2009)

Also hope that you are aware that peltier coolers work by pulling heat energy from one side to the other.  This means one plate will get really cold and the other side will get really hot, like really hot, how do you plan on dissipatating this heat?  When people use peltier coolers in say an overclocking application they have to use a water cooling device to cool the hot side of the peltier cooler.  Remember you can't create cold, in fact cold doesn't exist its simply a term used to describe something.  All cold really is, is a lack of heat energy.  So in order to make something cold you need to remove the heat but that heat has to go somewhere.  In order for this to work you are going to also need to order a heat exchange system of some kind, like a water coolling setup with blocks designed to fit tightly on the peltier cooler AND also a radiator of some type, oh and then you will need a fan to blow air through your radiator to remove heat. 

Good luck, but I think you may have just ordered a 35 dollar paper weight.


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (May 20, 2009)

CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> My ambient temp is kept at 73-74 f ,,,I use DWC's and was having a problem with rez temps.
> So,,I put a fan blowing directly on each rez(buckets),,I mean right up against them.(think they call that the Lake Effect) That lowered my rez temps by a couple degrees,,plus I have these long thin Blue Freezy thingys(the type ya put in the freezer) and I hang them inside the bucket once a day. I keep my Distilled water in the Fridge,,so when I change or top off,,I use cold water. Now my rez temps are at 67-68 f all the time. They never get over 70f anymore. And man my girls love it. The colas are swelling much bigger and better then they did before (clones.):hubba: My roots are whiter and healthier too.


 
Wait, I thought ideal WAS the low 70's...now you are saying I need to keep it below 70?  Is that ideal or just preference Budsky????  I have been running mine at around 71-72.
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25744&highlight=res+temperature


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## WeedHopper (May 20, 2009)

NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer said:
			
		

> Wait, I thought ideal WAS the low 70's...now you are saying I need to keep it below 70? Is that ideal or just preference Budsky???? I have been running mine at around 71-72.
> http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25744&highlight=res+temperature


 
Bro,,Im just telling you what I have learned while dealing with DWC. Anything over 70f can cause problems in a DWC. I learned that the hard way. Im not saying 71-72 wont work,,cause it will,,,,BUT,,the plant doesnt uptake the nutes at that temp as well as they do under 70f and the roots arnt near as healthy with temps over 70f.
My Clones look alot better this go around cause I have been keeping my temps at 70 and below. The roots are whiter and bigger and the Buds are swelling much better then before.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 20, 2009)

Tater, i am aware that these coolers create heat.  the Peltier device im looking at for $35 is a complete assembly....heatsink, fan, peltier device.  i havent ordered one yet, just getting input before i spend more $$$.


NYC Diesel, i haven thought about the airpump and its placement.  my pump is about 10" above the bottom of the cabinet.  its under the shade of the canopy.

CowboyBudsky,  i like to hear that yours did much better with lower res temps.  i want to keep my res at 68 F. 

i changed my res yesterday and my temps might not be too bad b/c the dwc was full of white healthy looking roots.  this is a big change from the non-white yellowing/brown roots from last month.  anyway, ill add a more powerful fan blowing on the res.

thank for the input


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## WeedHopper (May 20, 2009)

Is this what your talking about using. I was considering one of these for each bucket. Its good for up to 10 gallons

hxxp://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?SearchStr=cw1111&action=view&idProduct=CW1111&idCategory=FICHMC&category=CoolWorks_Ice_Probe_with_Power_Supply_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Chillers_Micro&vendor=&utm_source=cpcysm&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=cpcysm_MD_prod1_CW1111~ice_probe&utm_content=cpcysm_MD_prod1_CW1111&utm_campaign=cpcysm_MD_prod1&fromsource=cpcysm_MD_prod1_CW1111~ice_probe&OVRAW=Ice%20Probe&OVKEY=ice%20probe&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=32404264511&OVKWID=238642392511


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## Super Silver Haze (May 20, 2009)

CowboyBudsky, its the same thing except the one im looking at uses an aluminum plate that transfers cold instead of that plastic coated probe.

i want the Au plate to petrude into the water in the res.  i think im going lo-tech for now but it is definitly a DIY that will get done in a few months. 

i know there are people growing in attics fighting high temps in their res and it would be nice to know if one of these can be made at a third of the price that actually works.


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## WeedHopper (May 20, 2009)

There was a guy on here that used the Ice Probe and said it worked real good. So I figured I would drill and put one in the side of each 5 gallon bucket. It should handle 3 gallons of water to keep at 68 with no problems. Course it would still need to be in an area where the ambient temps arnt super high. I may get one sooner or later and give it a try. Right now,,money is way to tight for that.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 20, 2009)

im with ya on tight money.  ill have too many other items on my to get list so it lo-tech for now.


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## Tater (May 20, 2009)

Super silver haze if you are looking for a cheap chiller gut one out of an old water cooler.  Also with a rez that small for now you could grab a few 2 liter bottles fill em up with water and freeze them then drop one in the rez in the morning and one at night.  That little trick got me through my first ever grow with healthy roots.  It was a dwc in a closet without adequate ventilation.


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## D3 (May 21, 2009)

Cowboy, Thanks for posting that about the chiller. I have been looking for that.


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## JBonez (May 21, 2009)

ebb&flow,

not having to worry about res temps, priceless.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 22, 2009)

not being a noob?  priceless.

no matter how many meters i have or how much money i spend i still suck at growing, but im learning alot and having fun.


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## Tater (May 22, 2009)

Don't worry man, one day it just all kinda clicks, everyone has their growing pains (parden the pun).


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## Super Silver Haze (May 23, 2009)

i hear ya Tater, just having fun while growing.  cant wait to have several harvests under my belt.

DLM3, let me know how that chiller works.  the link that Cowboy put up is the cheapest Thermoelectric chiller ive seen that isnt a diy type. 

thanks to those that help even though i havent posted any pics.


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## dragonkeepr44 (Jul 13, 2009)

I use a DWC system as well and had the same Res temp issues. What I did to resolve it was I put my res into a bigger tote. I was able to fill the bigger outer tote with water and set my res inside of that. With just adding the water alone it dropped my res temps 10 degrees. Plus it also gave me enough room to then add 2 one gallon frozen milk jugs and no my temp stays at about 65-69 degrees. The bigger outer tote just pulls the heat from the res and cools it. I will upload pics tonight when i get home to so you can see what I mean. I live in the desert where our summers ar 90-110 degrees and so far I havent had any issues. I just started blooming 2 days ago.


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## chinaman (Jul 16, 2009)

frozen water bottles work very well))


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## Super Silver Haze (Jul 16, 2009)

Dragonkeeper44, thanks for the info.  that is one thing i didnt think about but i put the dwc on hold during the summer and im going to use soil on the three clones i have.  i am passionate about all mediums to grow in plus several years ago i did a soil grow that was going great but roommate problems ended it early.  

anyway, thanks for the responses.


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## Matsakleen (Jul 18, 2009)

Just a quick little story about peltier chillers.  Ice prob makes one for small aquariums and in my experience it worked really well when only using about 75 watts worth of light, on a fish aquarium.  Here, I dont think it is going to cut it for you.  Like others have said, a chiller might be your only solution or an A/C window shaker.


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## Matsakleen (Jul 18, 2009)

Oh something else that I found wroks really well, get a small computer fan 12VDC maybe a 120mm, cut a hole in your res lid about the same size as the fan as well as an exit vent.  have the fan blow straight onto the surface of your water.  The evaporative cooling might be enough to keep your temp down, but you might have to do extra topping off.  Cheap little trick I learned in the reefing (not reefer) trade.


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## dragonkeepr44 (Jul 28, 2009)

Sorry it took so long to get these pics posted. Been a busy few weeks. Here is what I did to solve the high res temp issue. Its just a regular bin filed with water.


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## dman1234 (Jul 28, 2009)

what about ice packs


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## Super Silver Haze (Jul 29, 2009)

thanks Dragon.

dman, i was using 20 oz h2o bottles frozen and i changed them out twicea day.  it just got too time consuming so now im using Fox Farm Ocean Forrest soil.


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