Efficiency loss from one more thermal junction is not something I worry about with this water-cooler - especially if I use copper tubing for the section that sits in the cold water bath.
Now that I think about it more, it's probably best to use a copper loop submerged in the cold bath. If the coolant in my system isn't moving around enough it could freeze when it's near/in the water-cooler part of the fountain machine. Only the turbulence of the mixer in the cooling system keeps it from freezing solid now, I don't know if my little ViaAqua moves enough water to keep it liquid. If I run antifreeze or something in the entire coolant mix I have to modify the ice-sensor for the compressor, and still I worry that (at least very near the evaporator) I will get at least some freezing happening. But, I can run a bit of antifreeze in my cooling loop, and keep it a closed loop. Run that through a copper pipe that will be almost completly encased in ice, and tap-water in the cold-tub.
And maybe I didn't explain it too well before, but the compressor is ventilated. "Behind that is a good sized rad and a large 120V but very quiet fan - under those is the compresser." The fan sucks it air over the compressor, and blows it out through the rad (or I could reverse the fan, either way both things are cooled). When I get home I'll try and take a pic or two of it.
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