- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Location
- USA
This project is epic in gargantuan proportions. Props again to Mister Diggrr.
-
Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!
My New Geothermal Cooling Loop!
- Thread starter Diggrr
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
This type of cooling probably work if you live up north, but not in Texas where i use to live, during summer temp would get over 105 and last several week combine that with not a single drop of rain..... hotter than hell 
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
This is absolutely true in some areas. I live on what's known as "black gumbo" which stretches across most of North Texas, east to west from Louisiana, and it's over 100 miles from north to south. Digging in this stuff is like digging in concrete when it's dry, and think of it as wet clay the rest of the time. I've given the project some thought as the office is perfectly positioned for it but I can't talk myself into that much exhaustion.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
This is absolutely true in some areas. I live on what's known as "black gumbo" which stretches across most of North Texas, east to west from Louisiana, and it's over 100 miles from north to south. Digging in this stuff is like digging in concrete when it's dry, and think of it as wet clay the rest of the time. I've given the project some thought as the office is perfectly positioned for it but I can't talk myself into that much exhaustion.
I know man, i know, i use to live in Fort Worth and the earth around my house is like concrete during the summer time witch last from may to september. combine that with the dough, the point in front of my house dry up, dig down 3 to 4 feet will not be enough to keep the copper pipe cool, you probably have to dig down 5 to 6 feet and that is too much work for me
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Location
- Pottsville, PA
so how did the project stand the past 11 mos
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Location
- Rootstown, OH
Diggrr hasn't been online since last year sometime, so I sent him a PM and he should get an email. I know he'll be back eventually, he's been here since the beginning of time, so hopefully once he gets back around he can give us an update.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Location
- Pottsville, PA
Diggrr hasn't been online since last year sometime, so I sent him a PM and he should get an email. I know he'll be back eventually, he's been here since the beginning of time, so hopefully once he gets back around he can give us an update.
k thank you was curious how it turned out
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Location
- NC
Why not normal pvc or pex for the tubing?
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
for the underground tubing you mean ? Plastic have very bad heat transfer, you could need 2-3x more underground lenght for the same cooling efficiency.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Location
- NC
that would be fine , a 1/2" x 300' roll is only around $80
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Location
- Rootstown, OH
Copper is better. Conducts heat exponentially better. Also likely to weather better over time. Needs less pump as you can keep the length shorter. Needs less digging, due to less length.
Other things could be used for the heat exchanger, but the results he got doing it this way are pretty exceptional.
Other things could be used for the heat exchanger, but the results he got doing it this way are pretty exceptional.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Location
- North Carolina
Just an idea. Instead of running the copper tubing horizontal couldn't you run it vertical in a coil. maybe two vertical runs separated. This would solve the problem of finding a spot that had plenty of moisture do to its depth and at the bottom would be the coolest since its deeper. Just not sure if the pressure would crush the copper piping but it shouldn't i wouldn't think.
Looks amazing and very beneficial. Might try this someday! great Job Diggrr!
Looks amazing and very beneficial. Might try this someday! great Job Diggrr!
- Thread Starter
- #137
{raises hand from the crypt}
Thanks Guys!
As Boulard and IMOG said, pex would work fine at far greater lengths, but I really didn't want to dig an 80' trench in my clay soil...20' was work enough!
Originally, I did want to go vertical, but at the time I was unemployed and couldn't fork up the cash for a post hole digger and 4 augers from the hardware here.
You can do vertical, but you still have to wash the dirt back into the hole with a hose, and that might take a few days to do.
That's the secret to not collapsing the soft copper...when you wash the dirt back in with a flood of water, it's already settled, so there's no shifting over time. I would zip tie the coils to vertical wood pieces though to make sure the washing process didn't hurt (it's hard to avoid clumps from falling in the hole with clay rich soil).
And now the update: Old man winter found the gap in the spray foam insulation before I did, and froze the line. No damage, but that also meant that once I got it circulating again, with the mean cold came line condensation that I didn't want to risk in my case. I had gotten a running CPU temp as low as 17° before switching back to my trusty Swifty triple (with new Gentle Typhoon 1450's).
It's actually quieter now that the pumps aren't pushing all that tubing too.
In retrospect, I should have gone with all 1/2" tubing, but between you and me, I can be a stubborn tool sometimes.
If I had my druthers, I'd bury it deeper, and come in through the basement/crawlspace wall rather than having any part of the system exposed like I chose.
A dirty project for this summer I suppose...
Thanks again for the kind words!!
Been chasing tail .vs chasing temps, before I'm old enough to join "ourtime.com"...
Thanks Guys!
As Boulard and IMOG said, pex would work fine at far greater lengths, but I really didn't want to dig an 80' trench in my clay soil...20' was work enough!
Originally, I did want to go vertical, but at the time I was unemployed and couldn't fork up the cash for a post hole digger and 4 augers from the hardware here.
You can do vertical, but you still have to wash the dirt back into the hole with a hose, and that might take a few days to do.
That's the secret to not collapsing the soft copper...when you wash the dirt back in with a flood of water, it's already settled, so there's no shifting over time. I would zip tie the coils to vertical wood pieces though to make sure the washing process didn't hurt (it's hard to avoid clumps from falling in the hole with clay rich soil).
And now the update: Old man winter found the gap in the spray foam insulation before I did, and froze the line. No damage, but that also meant that once I got it circulating again, with the mean cold came line condensation that I didn't want to risk in my case. I had gotten a running CPU temp as low as 17° before switching back to my trusty Swifty triple (with new Gentle Typhoon 1450's).
It's actually quieter now that the pumps aren't pushing all that tubing too.
In retrospect, I should have gone with all 1/2" tubing, but between you and me, I can be a stubborn tool sometimes.
If I had my druthers, I'd bury it deeper, and come in through the basement/crawlspace wall rather than having any part of the system exposed like I chose.
A dirty project for this summer I suppose...
Thanks again for the kind words!!
Been chasing tail .vs chasing temps, before I'm old enough to join "ourtime.com"...
- Thread Starter
- #138
{raises hand from the crypt}
Thanks Guys!
As Boulard and IMOG said, pex would work fine at far greater lengths, but I really didn't want to dig an 80' trench in my clay soil...20' was work enough!
Originally, I did want to go vertical, but at the time I was unemployed and couldn't fork up the cash for a post hole digger and 4 augers from the hardware here.
You can do vertical, but you still have to wash the dirt back into the hole with a hose, and that might take a few days to do.
That's the secret to not collapsing the soft copper...when you wash the dirt back in with a flood of water, it's already settled, so there's no shifting over time. I would zip tie the coils to vertical wood pieces though to make sure the washing process didn't hurt (it's hard to avoid clumps from falling in the hole with clay rich soil).
And now the update: Old man winter found the gap in the spray foam insulation before I did, and froze the line. No damage, but that also meant that once I got it circulating again, with the mean cold came line condensation that I didn't want to risk in my case. I had gotten a running CPU temp as low as 17° before switching back to my trusty Swifty triple (with new Gentle Typhoon 1450's).
It's actually quieter now that the pumps aren't pushing all that tubing too.
In retrospect, I should have gone with all 1/2" tubing, but between you and me, I can be a stubborn tool sometimes.
If I had my druthers, I'd bury it deeper, and come in through the basement/crawlspace wall rather than having any part of the system exposed like I chose (at least North of Tennessee).
A dirty project for this summer I suppose...
Thanks again for the kind words!!
Been chasing tail .vs chasing temps, before I'm old enough to join "ourtime.com"...
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
Great to see you back Diggr !!! Hope all is well.
- Thread Starter
- #140
All is great!
The same sig computer is running at 41° at the most with the Swifty rad, and perfectly stable (though admittedly not a great OC).
And I have an interview tomorrow that may well pay enough to get back in the saddle with my computer Jones.
The tail however, still eludes me! lol
The same sig computer is running at 41° at the most with the Swifty rad, and perfectly stable (though admittedly not a great OC).
And I have an interview tomorrow that may well pay enough to get back in the saddle with my computer Jones.
The tail however, still eludes me! lol
- Status
