# My new evaporative cooling tower project



## Bones (Aug 24, 2017)

Earlier I was running into problems with my watercooling not working as it had been in the past, noted my temps were staying up higher than with runs done earlier with my benchmarking. Same chips at the same or lower speeds and voltages but the temps and results I was getting just weren't cutting it anymore. 
After noting the symptoms of how it was acting I decided to check a few things and figured since the rad was getting old it could be the cause of my problem. Mind you the rad itself is about 8 years old now, I still had good coolant flow with no leaks from it and it wasn't clogged up or anything, all seemed OK but I was still skeptical with it so.... I began thinking about what I could replace it with. 

One thing led to another and I eventually came up with a really cheap solution that would be effective - _Not pretty_, just effective since the system doesn't care how nice or blingy it looks. 
I had to think about how things would work and as most projects go it isn't the same as the original concept but it works. Had to use what I had onhand to work with since I don't have the means to buy stuff like I've had in the past or it would have looked different but aside from that I'm happy with the results - The system(s) certainly are with what I've been getting from it after putting it in operation with the pieces I've tested it with so far. 

Made a vid of it hosted on my Youtube channel and shows if you don't have the means to go out and buy it, you can make it yourself if need be.... I did and it's paid off. 
Evaporative Cooling Tower - YouTube

Recent results with an FX-9590, all done with ambient water temps in August - No ice or anything else used to boost the results:


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2017)

I think i probably love you....


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## Bones (Aug 25, 2017)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> I think i probably love you....



Anyway......

Does help I used to work on cooling towers at my old position with the company I work (Well... was working for until the recent layoff) and used what I learned to make this. Still have a few things with it but as you can see it's functional and ready to do some benching and believe me, I have already with it.


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## fullinfusion (Aug 25, 2017)

lol those BIO balls are a good bacteria eating material the bacteria can grow on and keep the water clean.


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## Bones (Aug 25, 2017)

fullinfusion said:


> lol those BIO balls are a good bacteria eating material the bacteria can grow on and keep the water clean.



I'm not worried about biologics, Have an old silver coin in there with a touch of bleach in the water. Between the two measures I seriously doubt I'll have much growth to worry about. It's been around a month as of this post since I completed it and no signs of anything green trying to grow, the water doesn't have that "Layer" of slime to it or anything else. 
The BIO balls are there for extra surface area related to cooling, even though the flow of air is passing above them you still have turbulence in that area and taking advantage of this.


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## fullinfusion (Aug 25, 2017)

Bones said:


> I'm not worried about biologics, Have an old silver coin in there with a touch of bleach in the water. Between the two measures I seriously doubt I'll have much growth to worry about. It's been around a month as of this post since I completed it and no signs of anything green trying to grow, the water doesn't have that "Layer" of slime to it or anything else.
> The BIO balls are there for extra surface area related to cooling, even though the flow of air is passing above them you still have turbulence in that area and taking advantage of this.


I was joking about the bio balls. I used to use them in my reef tank and totally understand why they're in the system you put together.

I tried a silver coin and never had any luck. If you to start getting any Growth add some liquid colodial silver to the water. My loop has been clean since day one and have nada growing in it.


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## Bones (Aug 25, 2017)

I figured as much but wanted to say "Why" they were there in the first place for those not understanding their purpose. 
Believe it or not with the old setup that was an open res I NEVER had anything grow in it with nothing to keep it from doing so if it tried to. A small capfull (Such as from a 20oz bottle of Coke) of bleach per fillup is really all it takes for a system of this size, used chlorine tablets when I was maintaining cooling towers for work and those did well.


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## infrared (Aug 25, 2017)

I'd love to build one of these evaporative coolers myself, nice work


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## Bones (Aug 25, 2017)

It isn't as difficult as you'd think, more time consuming than anything to do. 
Makes for a great weekend project which this turned out to be, I know I worked on it for 2 days getting it ready and that included going out and getting what I needed to complete it. The results I've been getting has shown it was well worth the effort and should last for years with periodic cleanings and minor maintenance performed on it.


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (Aug 25, 2017)

Love your work ,i really do


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## the54thvoid (Aug 25, 2017)

Looks.... utilitarian.

But I like it.


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## Bones (Aug 26, 2017)

Thanks guys - I know from a point of "Beauty" if you could say it that way it certainly isn't all that - Would be the last gal at the party to leave with someone everytime compared to the others BUT this gal can party! All you have to do is look at the HWmonitor readings as proof of that. 
Maybe she's not the best porportioned gal but she's a keeper!


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## Vayra86 (Aug 26, 2017)

But what if you want to go to a LAN party?


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## the54thvoid (Aug 26, 2017)

I had always thought that a huge reservoir would also work well as a nearly passive cooing system.  Like a 20 litre drum with an inlet at the top (hot water rises right?) and and outlet at the bottom.  The tank itself would slowly wick heat from the water and even some low level fans would increase the transfer?


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## infrared (Aug 26, 2017)

the54thvoid said:


> I had always thought that a huge reservoir would also work well as a nearly passive cooing system.  Like a 20 litre drum with an inlet at the top (hot water rises right?) and and outlet at the bottom.  The tank itself would slowly wick heat from the water and even some low level fans would increase the transfer?


Building on that idea - you could always get an air pump to bubble cold air through it, that would work pretty well i reckon.


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## Bones (Aug 26, 2017)

Vayra86 said:


> But what if you want to go to a LAN party?



Awwww.... You would challenge my insanity.
That's what quick-disconnects, jugs of water and a set of handtrucks are for. 

The volume of water in it is enough that it takes awhile for it to start heating up, the fact the water is spraying from the nozzles inside helps to dissapate heat from it. Has a cooling effect not unlike freon when it expands, releasing some of the heat as it sprays - The air moving through it makes it more efficient.


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