- Joined
- Mar 8, 2012
Thanks. Thats what I figured. But I might get a soil thermometer and do some research.
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My New Geothermal Cooling Loop!
- Thread starter Diggrr
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Thanks. Thats what I figured. But I might get a soil thermometer and do some research.
Also keeping it wet would mean running tap water through it something. At that point why not just have a two loop system? Primary loop with distilled water going though coil and pot and computer. Secondary waterfall or something where you just run water over the coil in pot, though the water bill.....
- Thread Starter
- #63
The tall EK res/pump top combo would actually work fine. If it's all 1/2" tubing, there's really no reason the mighty MCP35X couldn't do this loop on it's own.
The loop really doesn't hold as much as my gallon reservoir does, I just didn't want mine to look oddly small on the wall atop the big box with the 40" screen next to it.
Just have a pitcher of distilled water handy to keep the res full as you are "bumping" the pump during the initial fill up.
If you could come through the basement wall instead of having to build a snorkel/riser like I did, the pump/res can mount downstairs, plus there's no need to insulate like I had to.
My foundation was made by filling the 12" concrete forms with large granite rocks while hand-pouring the concrete, so I couldn't drill it with my trusty DeWalt hammer drill...I had to come up then inside. I broke the carbides right off of a concrete bit finding that out...
awesome work
just have to admire the guys that goes that extra mile
hehe nope i don't look at the low spot but i was looking at the rock outside and thinking of drilling a couple holes down 60 to 70 ft down ;-)) ( working with trilling and blasting for gravelpits and so on )
I would have loved to go with a vertical version, but I'm unemployed right now, and trenching is free!
Very nicely done, Diggrr! I commend your attention to detail.
A few questions:
1. Clay soil is hard (we've got it around here). What did you use for digging? I can rent a gas powered trencher locally. But they want $65-$75 for a half-day. Still, it is tempting. I'm much too old to go dig something like that with a shovel.
2. It appears that the bottom portion of your spiral is down 36". I'm guessing the top of that copper spiral in the trench is maybe 12" higher. Is that about right?
3. How many linear feet long would you say your loop is - counting the part inside the house? That looks like a pretty long way to cycle your water.
4. Have you measured the actual flow rate in your loop? If so, what is it?
I just had a thought. Many thousands of years from now, long after we're gone - some archeologists may run across your system. Wonder what they will make of it? Maybe you should put a sealed box with a note inside explaining what it is. Otherwise, they may go absolutely bonkers and come up with some really strange explanation. ;-)
Bach On
A few questions:
1. Clay soil is hard (we've got it around here). What did you use for digging? I can rent a gas powered trencher locally. But they want $65-$75 for a half-day. Still, it is tempting. I'm much too old to go dig something like that with a shovel.
2. It appears that the bottom portion of your spiral is down 36". I'm guessing the top of that copper spiral in the trench is maybe 12" higher. Is that about right?
3. How many linear feet long would you say your loop is - counting the part inside the house? That looks like a pretty long way to cycle your water.
4. Have you measured the actual flow rate in your loop? If so, what is it?
I just had a thought. Many thousands of years from now, long after we're gone - some archeologists may run across your system. Wonder what they will make of it? Maybe you should put a sealed box with a note inside explaining what it is. Otherwise, they may go absolutely bonkers and come up with some really strange explanation. ;-)
Bach On
- Thread Starter
- #65
1) It had rained here two days before so it wasn't hard to dig, just sticky. I had to whack each clump of dirt off the shovel blade. If I'd had a trencher machine, I would have done a loop around the front yard and back instead of coiling because the machines usually do a 3-4" wide trench...that's not a bad thing because you can get both deeper and a greater heat dissipation area.
I'm 47, and this was a fair ammount of work for me too. Ibuprofen was my friend the next morning.
2) The coil is 3/8" copper, and I used a 5" tube to form it around, so at the top of the coil it's 30" deep. Could/Should have gone a touch deeper, but ambition was waning whilst digging.
3) 40' x 3/8" OD copper, 20' x 1/4" ID polyethylene tubing, 12' x 1/4" ID Norprene tubing makes 72'. If it were all 1/2" ID tubing, I probably could have used a single MCP35X, but since I already had a MCP350, I bought a MCP355 from the classifieds and a dual pump Swiftech top for better flow rate.
4) Yes I have. I got just under 5 liters per minute (including the waterblock) using a graduated container when it was spread all over the floor. I'd suspect it might be a touch better now that I've trimmed some of the tubing while installing it on the wall, and improved some of the fittings' inner diameter by replacing the small ID crush tubes that come with tubing compression fittings.
That would be funny if they concluded it's an evap loop from my secret still..I come from a long line of 'shiners.
I'm 47, and this was a fair ammount of work for me too. Ibuprofen was my friend the next morning.
2) The coil is 3/8" copper, and I used a 5" tube to form it around, so at the top of the coil it's 30" deep. Could/Should have gone a touch deeper, but ambition was waning whilst digging.
3) 40' x 3/8" OD copper, 20' x 1/4" ID polyethylene tubing, 12' x 1/4" ID Norprene tubing makes 72'. If it were all 1/2" ID tubing, I probably could have used a single MCP35X, but since I already had a MCP350, I bought a MCP355 from the classifieds and a dual pump Swiftech top for better flow rate.
4) Yes I have. I got just under 5 liters per minute (including the waterblock) using a graduated container when it was spread all over the floor. I'd suspect it might be a touch better now that I've trimmed some of the tubing while installing it on the wall, and improved some of the fittings' inner diameter by replacing the small ID crush tubes that come with tubing compression fittings.
That would be funny if they concluded it's an evap loop from my secret still..I come from a long line of 'shiners.
- Thread Starter
- #67
And Just When You Thought I Was Done...
Now I've almost finished the case that I've built.
I wanted it to be wall mounted and totally visible inside, yet with all the wiring hidden as much as possible.
View attachment 110903
Every part in there is modified to some extent except for the fans themselves. Every piece of the case is home-built save for the backplane that I stole from a previous project case (which also stole it from another case).
*dual laptop hard drives are mounted under the removable motherboard tray. There's a copper sheet under the motherboard that joins all the grounds/standoffs and ties to the PSU.
*wiring is hidden in a custom built-in wire tray.
*1U PSU had it's fans removed and replaced with a 60mm top mount, then painted.
*case is built with the fans mounted at 45° to both show them off a bit, and to promote air flow-through at lower fan speeds, and lessen dead spots. Intakes at bottom are filtered (5x10).
I have a few more dress-up items to address, and I need to add hinges and a magnetic catch to the acrylic door yet.
Questions? Comments? Applause?
Now I've almost finished the case that I've built.
I wanted it to be wall mounted and totally visible inside, yet with all the wiring hidden as much as possible.
View attachment 110903
Every part in there is modified to some extent except for the fans themselves. Every piece of the case is home-built save for the backplane that I stole from a previous project case (which also stole it from another case
).*dual laptop hard drives are mounted under the removable motherboard tray. There's a copper sheet under the motherboard that joins all the grounds/standoffs and ties to the PSU.
*wiring is hidden in a custom built-in wire tray.
*1U PSU had it's fans removed and replaced with a 60mm top mount, then painted.
*case is built with the fans mounted at 45° to both show them off a bit, and to promote air flow-through at lower fan speeds, and lessen dead spots. Intakes at bottom are filtered (5x10).
I have a few more dress-up items to address, and I need to add hinges and a magnetic catch to the acrylic door yet.
Questions? Comments? Applause?
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Location
- Rootstown, OH
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2007
- Location
- Small town Emlenton, PA
Diggrr, , that is amazing. Great jog, looking forward to long term results. Great job!
- Thread Starter
- #73
Forgot to mention, I was in that 10 day Folding@Home race, and my system spent 11 days straight under 100% load on CPU and GPU. Max temp recorded was 39/37°C.
I probably should find my AS5, cause I've been using the old school white paste. Instead of reapplying I would just smear it around a bit and stick the block back on.
Too Lazy, I know!!
Thanks for the comments guys!!
**BTW, I was thinking about adding some hand pin-striping to the wire loom cover, the flash pictures make the case look pretty bland...and yes, I can do that!
I probably should find my AS5, cause I've been using the old school white paste. Instead of reapplying I would just smear it around a bit and stick the block back on.
Too Lazy, I know!!
Thanks for the comments guys!!
**BTW, I was thinking about adding some hand pin-striping to the wire loom cover, the flash pictures make the case look pretty bland...and yes, I can do that!
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- Joined
- Nov 13, 2001
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- Moderating
/speechless.
That is just Awesome.
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Wilsonville, OR
awesome job man! thanks for sharing!
- Thread Starter
- #76
Thanks so much guys! >.<
I thought I'd show the big picture...this is an HTPC, so there's reasons why everything is mounted the way it is.
Forgot to mention that the Blue Ray player was moved to an external e-SATA case, it's sitting next to the clock. It's nice that it's not powered up all the time now.
View attachment 110946
I finished another tray that crosses under the TV to carry the water lines and computer cables and such.
Still one more dress up item to add, and that's some way to hide the wires right off the back of the motherboard.
Thanks again!!!
I thought I'd show the big picture...this is an HTPC, so there's reasons why everything is mounted the way it is.
Forgot to mention that the Blue Ray player was moved to an external e-SATA case, it's sitting next to the clock. It's nice that it's not powered up all the time now.
View attachment 110946
I finished another tray that crosses under the TV to carry the water lines and computer cables and such.
Still one more dress up item to add, and that's some way to hide the wires right off the back of the motherboard.
Thanks again!!!
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
- Location
- Ohio State
Whoa, this is a pretty awesome idea. Probably fairly cheap, and wont heat up the room its in. Pretty much one of the coolest simple ideas I've ever seen.
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- Thread Starter
- #79
I'm using a MCP350 and a MCP355 together on a Swiftech dual pump top, and getting just over a gallon per minute.
I would have loved to have a pair of 35X's but OMG they cost a ton!
My backup plan was a QuietOne 3000 fountain pump that I already own, if they didn't do the trick. It's a monster 110 volt pump with 1" fittings...luckily I didn't have to resort to that cause it draws ~60 watts of power to run.
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