DIY CHILLER, FROM WINDOW A/C

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I looked in the lab (aka garage), found a window a/c. So light bulb came on.
Build a chiller 1/2hp. I'm setting up a dendronephthya dedicated test tank and need one more chiller. So why not. Being in the HVACR industry, should be a piece of cake. We'll see.

Here's some pictures, just waiting for titanium coils and need to pick up some flare fittings.

This will be a simple chiller, tank big enough to set heat exchanger coils in it.

Let's begin

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

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ooked in the lab (aka garage), found a window a/c. So light bulb came on.
Build a chiller 1/2hp. I'm setting up a dendronephthya dedicated test tank and need one more chiller. So why not. Being in the HVACR industry, should be a piece of cake. We'll see.

Here's some pictures, just waiting for titanium coils and need to pick up some flare fittings.

More pictures

just waiting for titanium coil and need to pick up some flare fittings.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

$3.00 controller

 

[Retro Reefer]

Great idea.. following along

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thanks, I see in the classifies good deals on chiller, but, either can't get ahold of buyer, hassles to make time pick up, etc...

I'll build one.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Waiting for parts, stay tune

 

[Dennis McGrath]

I'm following too. I want to see how the heat exchanger is going to work with the water pump.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thanks for following. This chiller is very simple design. A titanium coil in main tank, because tank big enough and tank is for testing/culturing dendronephthya corals. Coils can go in a sump/refugium.

 

[Dennis McGrath]

So, the heat exchange takes place inside the tank? That's an interesting way to do it. I'd love to see pictures of it.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Yes , waiting for parts, I ordered parts yesterday. Stay tune

 

[tgp4274]

following

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Hvac tech as well here. Following along to see how this works out. Intrigued to say the least! Do you plan to use some form of thermostat control? If so, how is that incorporated? This is a great idea.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Welcome aboard. First post showed $3.00 controller. But more I think about it I might buy a different, easier to use controller.

HVACR for 25+ years. Serviced everything under the sun. Amonia, pneumatics, ddc, energy management. Now just homes, faster cash flow and quick in and out.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I decided , this controller

 

[Ponraj A]

I decided , this controller

I am using similar set up but bigger using 1.5 AC compressor connected to a titanium coil and controlled by 16A Ringder RC112R thermostat. Running trouble fee for more than two years. As I am in India my chiller will run through out the day to keep the water temperature at 25.7 to 26.1c. We don’t need heater in our place [emoji3][emoji3][emoji3][emoji3].
Will post the pictures once I am back home.

 

[Ponraj A]

I decided , this controller

I am very sure that Ringder RC112R is much better than ink bird and more over Ringder is 16A capacity.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thanks, we'll check it out

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

This info from vendors selling Aquarium heater exchangers.
A 5,000 btu heat exchanger for 1/2hp compressor.

The window unit I'm using is 5400 btu. Will work perfectly.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Don't remove wires to capacitors

 

[lion king]

Wow, excellent idea; I have all that stuff laying around now. Too bad my mind just can't grasp it. One day I'd like to do a cold water tank.