Hello there, new rig.

New phase change/chiller.

stripped this out of an old fridge/freezer and when reading the compressor found out its r12, spec under picture.


Zanussi-mel-spa
220v
95w
0.65a
s33 601
r12

all i wanted to know really was what is r12 like as refridgerant?

Cheers, Turando

If i am not mistaken R12 requires a licence to handle and buy. Cars prior to 1996 used R12 in AC units, and when the government ban it, car manufacturers went to R134A. R12 is a good refrig. gets colder than R134 but contains extreamly high ozone levels. As far as recharging it, im not sure you can even buy the stuff anymore and if you can its probably $70-120 a pound. You will also need a capture unit to safely discharge any R12 that is still in there. You may be able to purge it and use R134A.

ok thanks for reply, im happy with the charge, no need to change, i just needed to know wether it was up to standards with r134a etc. but it seems it is so everything is dandy i can get -8 temp water in an open to air 15 galon tub half filled and not covering all of the element. will soon be building an alu res about 2 inches oversized of the element to create more surface area for the element to work. although it has a crappy condensor it should do fine when its re sized to a heatercore size and fan assisted. the compressor seems large enough to handle the heatload aswell, but cannot find any detailed specs on it.

Cheers, Turando

that condensor is screaming to be water cooled

surlyjoe, when water cooling the condensor can it just be sitting in a tub of water? or does the water have to be cooled ie heatercore? and would it give me better temps? any info here would be great

Cheers, Turando

surlyjoe, you not gonna answer???? somebody else could give me some info?

i dont really know why you would want to wc the condensor. putting a fan over it could certainly help some, water cooling it just seems extreme. but then again, this IS the extreme cooling forum. laying the condeosor in a tub of water would certainly help the temps, at first. but a tub of water just laying there will probably retain a fair amount of heat. so after a while, the water the condensor is sitting in would be above ambient temps, which wouldnt really help cpu (or whatever you are cooling) temps. in that case, putting a pump and radiator with coolant for the condensor would probably help some.

if it were me, i would just say bend the condensor so it is a bit smaller, and put a nice quiet 120mm fan or two blowing across it. i think that would be plenty. it just seems to reduntant to have a watercooled condensor. good luck with whatever you decide. be sure to post pics.

thanks for the reply this is going into a custom made alu inclosure so i wouldent very happy with the idea of adding another loop just to water cool the condensor, i am going to, like you said re shape the condensor to a heatercore size and have 2 120mm 120v adjustable fans curculating cool air over the compressor and condensor. pretty much everything you have said

well dont i feel special. just so you know, i have never actually made any sort of cooling device. i have always used normal air cooling. but, i do know a fair amount about water cooling and phase change and stuff like that. ive been wanting to get a phase change system for my own rig since i built it. i just havent had the cash. but now that im working full time again, i might do it soon. my boss wants a new fridge in the office, because the one we have now is to small, so i think he will give me the old one, which would be great. that way when i break it, im not out any money.

at any rate, i have a question for you (or anyone else for that matter). how flexible is that condensor tubing? how much can you bend it without it cracking or crimping?

its just like car brake pipe if you have ever used it? its easy enough to bend by hand but i would suggest getting a bending tool, thats what i will be using, much more precise.