Hanging a Rad outside

Elcs · 05-10-2003, 08:39 AM

This may sounds stupid but Ive been thinking about this for about 2 seconds but what about shoving a Radiator physically outside the house.

Im in the UK so Id benefit from generally crap weather. Then I thought... Winter = Snow + Ice = Bad with water. Even if the freezing point of water is changed slightly by Waterwetter.... would it be enough to survive say constant -10C weather? It might not reach -10C often or for a long time but giving myself some general clearance...

I also thought of water.... a very occaisional occurance is water falling from the sky. Electricity isnt a fan of water and when fans are running, there is a problem of killing the fans. Ideas about a passive radiator were rather stupid of me, it shouldnt be able to cool that fast without fans.

Next I thought of the fact that if the water is very cold in winter, that id be having trouble internally with condensation.

Is this a workable idea, good dream or just a bad nightmare waiting to happen if I buy and try?

tippey · 05-10-2003, 09:10 AM

hi m8 here's a link to someone who has done it
http://www.overclockers.com/tips944/

JSimmons · 05-10-2003, 09:25 AM

Seems to me that if you're going to have the radiator outside, you wouldn't need a fan. However, if you want a fan, you could go to a hardware store and but one of thos big a/c duct vent hoods, and shield the whole thing with it.

To prevent the water from freezing, either keep your system on all the time, and/or add anti-freeze to the system (I would say at least a 40/60 mix.).

Elcs · 05-10-2003, 09:48 AM

Thanks.... I havent used watercooling before but Ive read enough to discuss a number of topics. I know what parts Im after, DD waterblocks and a nice large radiator that can support 3 x 120mm fans on either side if need be.

My dad expressed his concerns about Anti-Freeze eating through tubing and leaking. This didnt cross my mind but the idea of the Anti-Freeze reducing the thermal conductivity of water did. How will the Anti-Freeze affect the tubing and water? Would I still need to add something like Water Wetter? And as for Tubing, I have the choice between the DD Clearflex and Tygon. Im thinking Tygon but any opinions on this with relevance to Anti-Freeze being in the water.

I wouldnt feel happy about the radiator being passive... however it is windy enough around here to cool the radiator down for the majority of the year. One of those hoods sounds like a decent idea because the radiator will probably end up being stuck in sunlight. I cant help that unless I can move my room

but the hood would stop the wind from cooling it down so Id be back to fans.

JSimmons · 05-10-2003, 11:01 AM

As long as all of the components are copper, you shouldn't have a problem with corrosion. Micing metals is when you start to see problems.

Copper blocks, copper core radiator, and plastic or brass fittings should be fine.

Elcs · 05-11-2003, 04:06 AM

Im still wondering about the problems that anti-freeze might have with tubing. Any more opinions?

Im also thinking of grabbing a Heater core or 2 instead of paying so much for a huge radiator. However Im not looking forward to search for one or modifying one. Going OT on that but Ill do a bit research on it before posting here.

Tweety · 05-11-2003, 12:53 PM

As long as the tubing you get is marked/specced to be oil resistant and such it should be fine... there are tubing in most cooling loops on a car too...

As for putting the rad outside... I use a rad that way...
Up here north it's a great idea... especially in the winter... free subzero coolant...

without a peltier...

I wen't kinda chicken on the fan issue thoo and decided to put the whole rad and fans under our house instead, I don't know the words to describe it in english... but our house is built on a 40-50cm high ventilated ground (common up here becase of the way the ground settles each winter/spring when frozen/thawed, a flat slab would break easily) and this place is free from rain but still somewhat damp... so I isolated well and haven't had any problems for the last 8 months...

Elcs · 05-11-2003, 02:22 PM

Tweety, What kind of temperatures do you get where you live? and what ratio of Water:coolant:Water Wetter do you use? Could you also give me temperatures on an average day? Take outside temps, room temps and report on CPU temps? would be very helpful.

Also, what kind of tubing did you actually use and is it widely available? I was thinking that Tygon Tubing should suffice since I assumed that being Laboratory Grade, it would have to survive some laboratory chemicals involving some weak acids.

I think I'll run passive at first and worry about passive later. It will be easy enough to turn the stuff off, rig up a surround before anything gets dangerously hot or am I misinformed here?

EDIT: How does Anti-Freeze affect parts like the pump or water blocks? Does it damage these in any way?

Tweety · 05-12-2003, 04:23 AM

I run mine with about 10% antifreeze no other additions...

Average?? Well today I got about 20-22C outside and about the same inside, about 10C down under the house (Spring isn't really here yet) and that gives me an operating temperature about 32-34C on my Dual running modded XP 1800+. Running a single case fan for venting the hdd's and such... Homemade blocks, an eheim 1048 pump and a huge industrial oilcooler (It's supposed to cool more puters later on...)

The tubing I'm not very sure about... rather soft silicone tubing... bougth in the nearest autoparts store, oil and fuel resistant...

I haven't tested this much during the "hottest" part of summer...ie it ain't very hot for very long here... but during the winter I had at the most -18c under the house... without any problems... although I wouldn't recommend shutting down the puter or pump at that time...

05-10-2003, 08:39 AM	#1
Elcs Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: England Posts: 22	Hanging a Rad outside This may sounds stupid but Ive been thinking about this for about 2 seconds but what about shoving a Radiator physically outside the house. Im in the UK so Id benefit from generally crap weather. Then I thought... Winter = Snow + Ice = Bad with water. Even if the freezing point of water is changed slightly by Waterwetter.... would it be enough to survive say constant -10C weather? It might not reach -10C often or for a long time but giving myself some general clearance... I also thought of water.... a very occaisional occurance is water falling from the sky. Electricity isnt a fan of water and when fans are running, there is a problem of killing the fans. Ideas about a passive radiator were rather stupid of me, it shouldnt be able to cool that fast without fans. Next I thought of the fact that if the water is very cold in winter, that id be having trouble internally with condensation. Is this a workable idea, good dream or just a bad nightmare waiting to happen if I buy and try?

05-11-2003, 02:22 PM	#8
Elcs Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: England Posts: 22	Tweety, What kind of temperatures do you get where you live? and what ratio of Water:coolant:Water Wetter do you use? Could you also give me temperatures on an average day? Take outside temps, room temps and report on CPU temps? would be very helpful. Also, what kind of tubing did you actually use and is it widely available? I was thinking that Tygon Tubing should suffice since I assumed that being Laboratory Grade, it would have to survive some laboratory chemicals involving some weak acids. I think I'll run passive at first and worry about passive later. It will be easy enough to turn the stuff off, rig up a surround before anything gets dangerously hot or am I misinformed here? EDIT: How does Anti-Freeze affect parts like the pump or water blocks? Does it damage these in any way? Last edited by Elcs; 05-11-2003 at 02:41 PM.

05-10-2003, 09:10 AM	#2
tippey Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: wales uk Posts: 17	hi m8 here's a link to someone who has done it http://www.overclockers.com/tips944/

05-10-2003, 09:25 AM	#3
JSimmons Cooling Savant Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: 4-sided room with an exit going east, and an exit going south Posts: 392	Seems to me that if you're going to have the radiator outside, you wouldn't need a fan. However, if you want a fan, you could go to a hardware store and but one of thos big a/c duct vent hoods, and shield the whole thing with it. To prevent the water from freezing, either keep your system on all the time, and/or add anti-freeze to the system (I would say at least a 40/60 mix.).

05-10-2003, 09:48 AM	#4
Elcs Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: England Posts: 22	Thanks.... I havent used watercooling before but Ive read enough to discuss a number of topics. I know what parts Im after, DD waterblocks and a nice large radiator that can support 3 x 120mm fans on either side if need be. My dad expressed his concerns about Anti-Freeze eating through tubing and leaking. This didnt cross my mind but the idea of the Anti-Freeze reducing the thermal conductivity of water did. How will the Anti-Freeze affect the tubing and water? Would I still need to add something like Water Wetter? And as for Tubing, I have the choice between the DD Clearflex and Tygon. Im thinking Tygon but any opinions on this with relevance to Anti-Freeze being in the water. I wouldnt feel happy about the radiator being passive... however it is windy enough around here to cool the radiator down for the majority of the year. One of those hoods sounds like a decent idea because the radiator will probably end up being stuck in sunlight. I cant help that unless I can move my room but the hood would stop the wind from cooling it down so Id be back to fans.

05-10-2003, 11:01 AM	#5
JSimmons Cooling Savant Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: 4-sided room with an exit going east, and an exit going south Posts: 392	As long as all of the components are copper, you shouldn't have a problem with corrosion. Micing metals is when you start to see problems. Copper blocks, copper core radiator, and plastic or brass fittings should be fine.

05-11-2003, 04:06 AM	#6
Elcs Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: England Posts: 22	Im still wondering about the problems that anti-freeze might have with tubing. Any more opinions? Im also thinking of grabbing a Heater core or 2 instead of paying so much for a huge radiator. However Im not looking forward to search for one or modifying one. Going OT on that but Ill do a bit research on it before posting here.

05-11-2003, 12:53 PM	#7
Tweety Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 11	As long as the tubing you get is marked/specced to be oil resistant and such it should be fine... there are tubing in most cooling loops on a car too... As for putting the rad outside... I use a rad that way... Up here north it's a great idea... especially in the winter... free subzero coolant... without a peltier... I wen't kinda chicken on the fan issue thoo and decided to put the whole rad and fans under our house instead, I don't know the words to describe it in english... but our house is built on a 40-50cm high ventilated ground (common up here becase of the way the ground settles each winter/spring when frozen/thawed, a flat slab would break easily) and this place is free from rain but still somewhat damp... so I isolated well and haven't had any problems for the last 8 months...

05-12-2003, 04:23 AM	#9
Tweety Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 11	I run mine with about 10% antifreeze no other additions... Average?? Well today I got about 20-22C outside and about the same inside, about 10C down under the house (Spring isn't really here yet) and that gives me an operating temperature about 32-34C on my Dual running modded XP 1800+. Running a single case fan for venting the hdd's and such... Homemade blocks, an eheim 1048 pump and a huge industrial oilcooler (It's supposed to cool more puters later on...) The tubing I'm not very sure about... rather soft silicone tubing... bougth in the nearest autoparts store, oil and fuel resistant... I haven't tested this much during the "hottest" part of summer...ie it ain't very hot for very long here... but during the winter I had at the most -18c under the house... without any problems... although I wouldn't recommend shutting down the puter or pump at that time...

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