The beginnings of a bong/nuclear cooler

P

phasmatis_nox

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jun 24, 2003
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After my PC was damaged by FedEx, I decided to venture into the world of water cooling. I've done a bunch of research on it in the past, but I never did it because I didn't have the extra cash around. My PC was insured for $500, so I can afford it now. I just got some 4" ABS pipe and fittings:
bongcooler01.jpg

I also just ordered a 400GPH submersible pump to power it, and I'm buying a MAZE2 waterblock. I plan on running plain water through a showerhead, with a large reservoir so I don't have to refill too often. Has anyone here ever made a bong cooler? Any tips or suggestions?

Note: Not a 'bong' and a 'nuclear cooler', but a 'bong/nuclear' cooler.

About bong cooling: http://www.overclockers.com/articles389/
 
Progress:
Chopped off the excess ABS of the tee and attached the 22.5* angle. The angle will keep water falling down the tower from exiting via the fan hole. I drilled and tapped eight 8-32 screws to keep them together. I'm going to use silicone sealant on it later.
bongcooler02.jpg
 
Elmntskater1588 said:
Just make the bong part.
tongue.gif
Youll be happier.
Click to expand...
Would you like to see my bong? ;) :D


Yea, looks great. Bong coolers are suppose to work great.
 
I cut the pipe to correct proportions and installed the fan with four 8-32 machine screws.

bongcooler03.jpg

bongcooler04.jpg
 
Looking good!

I thought about making a bong cooler, but I live in Florida with appx 85% humidity. It wouldn't be as effective if I am right. I also didn't want to live in a misty and more humid room :).

But yeah, go for it! Good luck.
 
wow its been almost 4 years since I've last seen a thread on here about this. and that was back when the guy figured it out
 
Randolf said:
wow its been almost 4 years since I've last seen a thread on here about this. and that was back when the guy figured it out
Click to expand...

They are the cheapest sub ambient watercooling one can make.. But they tend to have an Alge growth problem, and don't work well in humid environments.

==>Lazn
 
Lazn_Work said:
They are the cheapest sub ambient watercooling one can make.. But they tend to have an Alge growth problem, and don't work well in humid environments.

==>Lazn
Click to expand...


I'm going to try hydrogen peroxide as an anti-bacterial agent at first, the article mentions soluable solids as well so if H2O2 doesn't work, I'll try that.
 
You could make a really nice one out of like acylic tubes or something. Then call it a fountain. Add some LEDs, a CCFL , and your done.
 
Sloth said:
You could make a really nice one out of like acylic tubes or something. Then call it a fountain. Add some LEDs, a CCFL , and your done.
Click to expand...
The idea of a transparent bong cooler sounds more attractive to me than an opaque tube, no matter how pretty you paint it :)

Just imagine lights shining through the waterdroplets as they fall down the clear tube... a work of art by anyone's definition ^_-
 
lol.. so you want to make something like this...???
attachment.php

^--btw, thats a pic from my work. (DTE Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant, Newport, MI) ;)
Thats a pretty cool.. yet different idea for a cooling system in a computer. You have to keep adding water though from what you lose in evaporation. That wouldn't be a whole lot though if you were using it too cool a pc. When our plant is up and running, the cooling water evaporates into the atmosphere, and we replace it with fresh lake water from lake Erie, but no water goes back into the lake. (btw, the evaporating water is safe water, perfectly clean. It never comes in contact with anything radioactively contaminated)
 
Elledan said:
The idea of a transparent bong cooler sounds more attractive to me than an opaque tube, no matter how pretty you paint it :)

Just imagine lights shining through the waterdroplets as they fall down the clear tube... a work of art by anyone's definition ^_-
Click to expand...

though. I think the light would promote bacterial growth.
 
SpangeMonkee said:
though. I think the light would promote bacterial growth.
Click to expand...
Well, a living work of art might still be, if not more interesting ^_-
 
I don't understand why you don't use a clear pipe on the vertical rise so you can see the waterfall :)
 
GodSpeed said:
I don't understand why you don't use a clear pipe on the vertical rise so you can see the waterfall :)
Click to expand...

Wow, I've never thought about that. That would look so kickass if done right...
 
I work in the prepared foods industry (E/M Maint) and I can tell you first hand, that bacteria doesn't need light to multiply. Your best bet with a bong cooler would be to go to a local pool supply store and pick up an anti-bacterial chemical, and an algecide.
 
Sheldron said:
I work in the prepared foods industry (E/M Maint) and I can tell you first hand, that bacteria doesn't need light to multiply. Your best bet with a bong cooler would be to go to a local pool supply store and pick up an anti-bacterial chemical, and an algecide.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this, and you REALLY need to look into solutions other than chlorine because it evaporates! In a room this isn't so good. Another option would be to go with a substance which can't suport alge/bacteria such as different oils and other things which won't evaporate either.
 
GodSpeed said:
I don't understand why you don't use a clear pipe on the vertical rise so you can see the waterfall :)
Click to expand...

'cause the pipe and fittings were free, and clear pipe costs several pints of virgin blood per foot.
 
GodSpeed said:
I totally agree with this, and you REALLY need to look into solutions other than chlorine because it evaporates! In a room this isn't so good. Another option would be to go with a substance which can't suport alge/bacteria such as different oils and other things which won't evaporate either.
Click to expand...

Oil doesn't mix with water... it'll just sit on top of it. Specificly, you can look for the pool additive called "Softswim"
 
Evaporative cooling rocks! Sub ambiant without any condensation worries: Water only evaporates/cools until the air is saturated. Condensation only forms when the air is oversaturated.

With radiator cooling water siphons down in the downward pipes so you dont have to worry about pump head. Its important here though.

Works well in dry areas as long as the window/s are kept open. Otherwise the air in the room will become saturated and cooling/evaporation stops.

Algae and fungus are a problem. UV light will work to kill the 'gogas' but the intensity and frequencys reqd will sunburn and blind you! Google up UV fishtank ...
These things will add heat to the water, but I think if you put one after the CPU block - before the shower head, the extra heat will just cause the water to evap faster; No added temp.

Fishtank algaecides should be safe if they dont kill fish. Dont know what the effects of hydrogen peroxide will be. All bad I think:
Corrosion in your loop
Rusty Furniture etc.
Toxic fumes
Bleached everything :eek: :D

Because the dissolved salts etc. in the water do not evaporate the water becomes oversaturated with them. They then crystalize?? out and form scale just like that in a kettle. This is easily cleaned out with Vinegar. Alternativly; use water from a water softener/purifier (Google resin ball ??) this will have the added advantage of water with nothing for algae to feed on.

Why not connect a toilet cistern up to your softener --- house plumbing and put it in the res? No more filling!

I,m hoping my project will give me the best of radiator and evaporative cooling. (pimping :D )
 
Would there be any way to rig a dehumidifier to the exhaust of the tower?

update: guess I found out the answer

Q: Would it be a good idea to recondense the evaporated water and reduce coolant loss?

A: NO!! I cannot stress this enough - once the water has evaporated, you want to get rid of it and not take it back. It takes tremendous energy to convert water into vapor, and to return it to liquid it takes MORE ENERGY than it did to vaporize it. This is one of the fundamental Laws of Thermodynamics. To recondense the vapor, you'd need a cooling system MORE POWERFUL than the cooling tower, and if you had one, you might as well attach THAT to your CPU and throw out the cooling tower. You guys are trying to create perpetual motion which (I hope) you know is not possible.
 
Dunno said:
Evaporative cooling rocks! Sub ambiant without any condensation worries: Water only evaporates/cools until the air is saturated. Condensation only forms when the air is oversaturated.

With radiator cooling water siphons down in the downward pipes so you dont have to worry about pump head. Its important here though.

Works well in dry areas as long as the window/s are kept open. Otherwise the air in the room will become saturated and cooling/evaporation stops.

Algae and fungus are a problem. UV light will work to kill the 'gogas' but the intensity and frequencys reqd will sunburn and blind you! Google up UV fishtank ...
These things will add heat to the water, but I think if you put one after the CPU block - before the shower head, the extra heat will just cause the water to evap faster; No added temp.

Fishtank algaecides should be safe if they dont kill fish. Dont know what the effects of hydrogen peroxide will be. All bad I think:
Corrosion in your loop
Rusty Furniture etc.
Toxic fumes
Bleached everything :eek: :D

Because the dissolved salts etc. in the water do not evaporate the water becomes oversaturated with them. They then crystalize?? out and form scale just like that in a kettle. This is easily cleaned out with Vinegar. Alternativly; use water from a water softener/purifier (Google resin ball ??) this will have the added advantage of water with nothing for algae to feed on.

Why not connect a toilet cistern up to your softener --- house plumbing and put it in the res? No more filling!

I,m hoping my project will give me the best of radiator and evaporative cooling. (pimping :D )
Click to expand...

A lot of interesting info there. Do you know of any more specific brands of anti-stuff-I-don't-want-in-my-system products? I'm using a copper waterblock so hopefully nothing that will corrode that.
 
phasmatis_nox said:
A lot of interesting info there. Do you know of any more specific brands of anti-stuff-I-don't-want-in-my-system products? I'm using a copper waterblock so hopefully nothing that will corrode that.
Click to expand...

As your system is using water all the time you dont want to be running off to the shops all the time to buy additives. The fumes of which could be realy bad for you.

I would go with a water softener/filter and the UV light, and inline filter, to kill badies. Perhaps with some Fishtank Algaecide now and then if things get bad. Just use Vinegar to get rid of any scale buildup. You could probably just add it to the water for a while. Should also help to kill badies and some alcohol in the air could be fun! :D

To avoid corosion try to use all the same metal in the loop. Similar metals (brass) are OK. You should be able to find a Brass shower head and fittings. Plastic would be even better! Otherwise go for things that dont normally rust easily (Chromed, Galvanised, Gold Plated- Koolance Block)
DONT use any aluminium in the loop.

Using a copper container ( if the block is copper) to fill the Bong will also help a little:
Ther water will pre-abzorb ions from the copper container rather than taking them from your block. (rust it)
Grandma probably has a copper kettle. :D

Are you going to use a cistern and/or softener/filter?

UV discussion
 
Sheldron said:
Oil doesn't mix with water... it'll just sit on top of it. Specificly, you can look for the pool additive called "Softswim"
Click to expand...

I mean replacing the water all together with an oil like substance.
 
UV is looking viable, but expensive. Does anyone know if simply having a high flow rate will discourage bacteria? My pump is 400GPH.
 
phasmatis_nox said:
UV is looking viable, but expensive. Does anyone know if simply having a high flow rate will discourage bacteria? My pump is 400GPH.
Click to expand...

It helps, but doesn't get rid of anything. What is the max head of your pump? Keep in mind that the shower head (assuming you use one) will add a decent amount of resistance.
 
phasmatis_nox said:
UV is looking viable, but expensive. Does anyone know if simply having a high flow rate will discourage bacteria? My pump is 400GPH.
Click to expand...

No
:)
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
It helps, but doesn't get rid of anything. What is the max head of your pump? Keep in mind that the shower head (assuming you use one) will add a decent amount of resistance.
Click to expand...

I think I'm going to use a watering can dealie for minimal flow restriction. Maybe a homemade water deck if I get ambitious.
 
not sure if anybody has suggested this or if it will work. but why not add chlorine? works in pools, why not this? just a table spoon of it should work.
 
Because:
1. Chlorine Evaporates (you would need to keep adding more)
2. Chlorine is highly poisonous if inhaled (and there would a lot to inhale in the room if this tower was evaporating chlorine all day :p )
 
yes i know its going to evaporate. your adding water anyway. i forgot about the fumes tho. it shouldnt be that bad. i help clean pools as a side job, fumes are that bad all day, then again its outside.
 
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