TEC/Peltier CPU Chilled Water Cooling

[4Ryan6]

So, what sort of peltiers could I run on it?
(Sorry, not studied electricity yet, so don't know if you add the measurements or if they need to be that high or what)
Thanks for the help.

You have to start somewhere and you had already linked a cheap peltier, start there.

If I had listened to those casting their fears, doubts, suppositions, and ignorance, (ignorance meaning a lack of knowledge on a specific subject), I would not have this cooling today.

Some things you need to learn the hard way!

Smaller scale experimentation will require some, learning the hard way.

If you do not want to learn the hard way, then duplicate exactly what this thread covers and you will get the same exact results.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

No chance, learning something new is why I'm here in the first place. So, the psu I have will have no prob runnong the peltier I linked?
Thanks for the help.

 

[4Ryan6]

I have already donated or bartered everything I had that was useably shelved, besides you live in Italy right, overseas private shipping is expensive.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

No, the guy I helped also lives in america, so it would have been added to the box, and I am chipping in for shipping as well if it is a lot. It was just a thought, because you said you changed coolers and blocks a few times to experiment, but it's fine. So, back to the peltier thing, will the power suplly I have run the one I linked? Thanks for the help.

 

[4Ryan6]

No, the guy I helped also lives in america, so it would have been added to the box, and I am chipping in for shipping as well if it is a lot. It was just a thought, because you said you changed coolers and blocks a few times to experiment, but it's fine. So, back to the peltier thing, will the power suplly I have run the one I linked? Thanks for the help.

It is a 15a draw peltier and a 15a max 12v load power supply, the power supply would be 100% maxed out to run that peltier, so to be on the safe side, No!

To run a 15a peltier by itself you would need an absolute minimum 20a capable power supply 25a would be better so you are not approaching overloading the power supply, remember a peltier is a constant power draw.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Yep, so better run a 10a peltier, any you recommend?

 

[4Ryan6]

Yep, so better run a 10a peltier, any you recommend?

Try Google

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Ah well, my hopes and dreams have been thoroughly dragged through the dirt. The best 10A 12V (ish) pelier is only 85W, so that's actually less than the cpu, and I would need at least 3. No way I'm running 3 psus just to power the cooling system, even if it is only 1 hour a week in the IT lab. I guess I'll hang around this thread, but no way I can ever pull this off at the moment. Oh yeah, and the next time anyone upgrades their cooling system, send me a message because I might be willing to buy the old parts off you. Thanks guys, and good luck to all of you.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

A thought just occured to me: what about modding a wall cable? You know, the ones that power laptops and things. How would that work out? I would need some sort of converter or power.brick to dial down the voltage, but it out to have a good enough amperage right? Sorry, this could be the dumbest post of the century, but as I said, I haven't studied electricity yet. Is this even a remote possibility, or am I just grasping at straws?

 

[tech-wreck]

most laptop chargers are around 19V 3.5A.
sure, a buck converter will easily get you to 15V, but 3.5A will run one low powered peltier, so not really an option...

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=181641792716&alt=web

you don't need to open it up, just solder on a few wires, and bingo! more amps than you will ever need.

edit: okay, that is an example of one local to me and they don't ship overseas... but there's squillions more in america and elsewhere.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

I was looking at these guys:
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20151118135703&SearchText=12v+30a+power+supply
Any of them woth the cash? Would I even be able to use them? What does "switching" and "dim rail" mean?
Thanks for the help by the way.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Nah man, uk is fine, I have family there and I'm visiting this Xmas. You wouldn't happen to have any old components your self lighing around that you don't use anymore that have been retired from your cooling system? Thanks for the help.

 

[tech-wreck]

i'm not sure what a dim rail is, and i don't fully understand how switching power supplies work but from what i gather from research for my own work in progress (haha), you need (total load)A + about 25% for best results.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

So, in theory, one of those PSUs would run 20A of peltier no prob?
Not sure I'm confortable with the psu you linked. 1300 watts?! Is that going to give me like, 1.21Gigawatts (ehh... amps)? Seems slightly overkill and super dangerous (my soldering skills are not even mediocre, my dad is great at it though). Wouldn't want it to go up in flames, would be rather counterproductive (see what I did there? ).

 

[tech-wreck]

well, a bit overkill, maybe...
how about this one
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=271059222404&alt=web

 

[toolmaker_03]

here is a nice selection of power supplies for TEC's

http://www.impactbattery.com/inverters-converters/ac-to-dc-power-supply/?gclid=CK3T1YCfmckCFQRrfgodOHYCuw

pick the Volt and enough Amps for the TEC being powered + 25% on the Amps sounds like a good idea so that you are not maxing the PSU.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Ok, so I want to update my situation if anyone is interrested:
I can get the blcok for FREE off my friend, he will make the baseplate out of copper and the top blocks out of plexiglass, because he doesn't have the drill heads for metal work.
I have a friend with an unused aquarium, he will tell me in a few days if he will just give me his pump.
Use the psu linked, that can supply at least 40 amps
Use 2 150W peltiers
Get some cheap tubing and insulation
I think the main expense will be the cpu coolers, does anyone know of some way to cool the peltiers for a lower cost, or maybe someone who has some old coolers lighing around they wouldn't mind donating/selling for a really low price?
Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[4Ryan6]

or maybe someone who has some old coolers lighing around they wouldn't mind donating/selling for a really low price?
Any thoughts?

Toms has a Classified Section for that type of thing.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Never thought of that, thanks.

--Update--
Just read the classifieds rules, seems pretty intimidating, guess I better delete a few previous posts here just to be on the safe side. I think I will stick to either buying new when I get a bit more cash (a few months and I can get a job, wierd laws here in Italy) or just peruse ebay, anyway, thanks for the help.

 

[4Ryan6]

Today December 30th 2015 my chilled water cooling setup crosses another threshold of now being in operation for 3 years, all is well with it and it still works great!

It is definitely a long term dependable cooling solution!

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Congrats Ryan and happy 2016 to all!

 

[4Ryan6]

Thanks c_a_f, and the same Happy New Year back at you, and to all reading this! Ry

 

[TweakGames]

Hello again.

I just wanted to come back in and say that I have been doing this about 8 months now I think, and it has been running perfectly well! I have been gaming extremely hard on it, and I never seem to get the CPU up above 40C, as far overclocked as I could go. Wanted to again, thank the OP for putting this thread up and sharing his data. Wouldn't have even tried it without it.

Although the OP had bad results using water to cool the hot side, I plan sometime soon to purchase a mega 9 x 120 radiator to give it a shot. I have never been able to turn my voltage on the peltiers past about 9 volts before I see no benefit. I suspect my heatsinks are to blame. Would like to see how much further it can drop it down with a colder hot site.

I also need an excuse to change my water out. Have had the same tap water for 8 months, but there doesn't appear to be any issues or side effects of any kind yet!

Thanks.

 

[4Ryan6]

Hello again.

I just wanted to come back in and say that I have been doing this about 8 months now I think, and it has been running perfectly well! I have been gaming extremely hard on it, and I never seem to get the CPU up above 40C, as far overclocked as I could go. Wanted to again, thank the OP for putting this thread up and sharing his data. Wouldn't have even tried it without it.

Although the OP had bad results using water to cool the hot side, I plan sometime soon to purchase a mega 9 x 120 radiator to give it a shot. I have never been able to turn my voltage on the peltiers past about 9 volts before I see no benefit. I suspect my heatsinks are to blame. Would like to see how much further it can drop it down with a colder hot site.

I also need an excuse to change my water out. Have had the same tap water for 8 months, but there doesn't appear to be any issues or side effects of any kind yet!

Thanks.

A 9 x 120 should handle the hot side with no problems, when you do it, post your results in this thread please?

Congratulations!

 

[4Ryan6]

Many of you would say it is about time!!!

I finally added a temperature controller because winter time was bringing some problems to the table as we were experiencing many very cold days so I was not able to run my office AC unit and the peltiers running actually heat my office without the home heating so my floor vents are blocked off so no additional heat enters the office.

The heat in the office is very tolerable when it is 29f outside the home, I have my TEC assemblies balanced to a 22c room temperature, meaning they always run a 10c coolant temperature when the room is at 22c, and 22c is very nice when it is 97f outside the home.

However that balance of 10c @ 22c, changes when the ambient rises as high as 26c ~ 28c, and I am gaming so a few times I saw my coolant temperature rise to 18c and at that point I switched on the 3rd TEC assembly, the problem with that is it can reach temperatures in the low danger zone and it is too easy to forget I've switched it on, which I did the other day and my coolant temperature was down to 4c when I caught it.

A good friend of mine said Ry, you need to do something about this as you have been extremely lucky and you know it, but one day you're not going to catch it and have a disaster of a perfectly good setup!

So I searched the internet looking for plans to build a temperature controller, I knew all the parameters had to be spec'd to run my 12v, (200w, 20a, Actual Measured Power Draw), peltier, no getting around that, so found the plans, and started pricing out what I needed to put it all together.

Then stumbled across the website below and bought the controller in the link, it works great, it is 12vDC, with a 30a internal relay, I set my temperature to 10c it cuts on at 11c and off at 9.8c, so now I do not have to worry about it any longer!

http://www.thermomart.com/digital-automatic-temperature-control-instruments?product_id=251