Well, I think they are right about the fridge running all the time + destroying itself (wear out quickly, etc)... but you can cool the water to damn near room temp if the radiator is big enough, that way the heat load for the dorm fridge is about 0 watts, but since the water is being cycled through it it will always be on.. it won't be over powered, but it will harm it from being on so long...
As for the lab chillers, what university do you attend? I'm sure they have surplus auctions.. mine had an auction and I got a helluva lab chiller that chills to like -40 deg C for $9... it was made in 1979, and it draws 15 amps, but it works like a charm... just damned heavy and draws too much.. I keep telling myself I'll hook it up to my current setup (just for a test...) but I haven't yet.
So, the biggest problems you'll face with having a secondary cooler (like a fridge, lab chiller, etc) is that it'll draw a lot of electricity from the wall (a consideration you'll have to deal with), it might detroy it from continuous use (not all equipment is made for continuous duty, etc), and if it is mechanical (ie, a compressor, etc.. I have seen peltier lab chillers.. but that leads to the next problem) it will break eventually. Period. The next problem is how much heat it can handle.... a dorm fridge, as discussed, isn't designed to handle much heat. The same problem arises with other small compressor setups and peltier based lab/medical chillers (although they can control the temperautre much better than compressors...). If they get 'overpowered' by the heat of the load, then they will not work very well and weird things will happen. The last problem is that if you do succeed in cooling down the water/antifreeze mix to below ambient, then you'll need to insulate every part of the hose... unless the output of the waterblock is warmer than ambient... and might as well insulate the rest if for some reason it does go below ambient. If you don't, you'll get condensation.
So, really.... I don't think I'd mess with a second cooler... just more to go wrong, more to haul around, more expense, more noise, more heat generated, more electricity used (and hence more cost).... all for just (in reality) most likely 5 or 10 degrees? I think I'd just keep the money, or spend it on a really good radiator + fan setup (quiet fans).. that'll get you close enough to room temp, and you won't have condenstation issues all over the tubes, excess power draw, excess heat, mechanical failure, etc.
Good luck!
Rich w.
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