What coolant to use??

[don_jarr]

Hi all

I have a water cooled spindle and just wondered what coolant people used with it. It will be plumbed into a 4 litre reservoir, and I wondered if people used just distilled water, auto coolant or computer coolant or something else.

Many thanks

J Don

[wiatroda]

I use tap water with addition Savlon - disinfectant. Now it is few months in a tub, ran from time to time and there is no any funny smells or algae.
In my computer water cooling system (http://malamuterun.co.uk/CPU%20water%20cooler/cpu_water_cooler.htm) I was using tap water with Zoflora (smells nice:smile: ).
Now since a cooling unit is a small fish tank it is just water. I have free heating in a aquarium from computer :smile:. Plants growing great, but after a time I had to add some anti algae treatment to stop them growing in a system.

[Jonathan]

Tap water with something in it to stop the algea is fine so long as you don't keep replacing it. Once the tap water had deposited the ions conained within it (which won't be much) you're not adding more so it won't get any worse. Could just buy de-ionised water... some supermarkets have it in 2.5L bottles.

What are you using to cool the water? If you're relying on natural radiation/conduction from the tank 4L is probably not sufficient.

[wiatroda]

Once the tap water had deposited the ions conained within it (which won't be much) you're not adding more so it won't get any worse. Could just buy de-ionised water... some supermarkets have it in 2.5L bottles.

Jonathan is right 4l is a bit low volume. To cool my 2.2kW spindle I have water in 20 L plastic tube of water with 3 holes in a cap. 2 holes for pipes and 1 for submersible 12V pump. Because it's with cap with tight fit there is no evaporation hence no top-ups and no extra deposits. Never replaced so far since filled up. BTW I have RO filter at home but couldn't bother to us it to fill a cooling system. :whistling:

[don_jarr]

Hi

It's also running through long computer radiator which has four 120mm fans on it.

As for coolant additives is anti freeze like use in the car ok?? Its I have loads of that.

J

[JAZZCNC]

Hi

It's also running through long computer radiator which has four 120mm fans on it.

As for coolant additives is anti freeze like use in the car ok?? Its I have loads of that.

J

Yes it is ok.
I just use Distilled water mixed with good car antifeeeze, simple setup 30ltr barrel (25ltr water) with submersible pump dropped in.
It's been in my barrel now for best part of 3yrs and still ok.

[Jonathan]

Hi

It's also running through long computer radiator which has four 120mm fans on it.

4L will be plenty with that ... or you could sell the heat exchanger on eBay and just use a bigger tank. Should be a lot cheaper overall.

[wiatroda]

... or you could sell the heat exchanger on eBay and just use a bigger tank. Should be a lot cheaper overall.
...and replace with fish tank

4804

That's how my cooling unit looks like in my PC cooling system after I replaced 3l bucket with fish tank 11l I think:heehee:. 100% pure tap water + antialgae some time ago:smile:

[AdCNC]

IMO i would like don_jarr uses, is a CPU rad with a few 120mm fans on it. ive seen many of these working. and with this if your system is "adequate" mount it in the Z or Y.

I personally like this idea as its a sealed cooling system.

Of cause you would need to add a header tank to allow for water expansion when temperature of the coolant increases.

[don_jarr]

Hi all

Many thanks, as I will stick with my rad and fans and just add a slightly bigger tank to allow for expansion.

:)

[Jonathan]

and with this if your system is "adequate" mount it in the Z or Y.

The obvious consideration there is what difference the extra mass of the cooling system (as opposed to just the pipes) would make to the stability of the gantry. Difficult to say... there's a fancy looking one on Youtube that did this.

[don_jarr]

Hi All
I was just wondering where it is best to put the rad. Between the pump in the reservoir, so it pumps the water through the rad before reaching the spindle, or between the spindle and reservoir so it cools it coming out the spindle before it goes back into the reservoir??

:)

[Jonathan]

I was just wondering where it is best to put the rad. Between the pump in the reservoir, so it pumps the water through the rad before reaching the spindle, or between the spindle and reservoir

It does not make a difference. Since the flow rate is reasonably high, once the system has reached equilibrium the temperature of the water at any point in the system will be virtually the same...only a couple of degrees difference, if that.
What does make a significant difference is the length of the pipes (flow resistance), so if either system uses shorter pipes overall that's the one to go for.

[black5f]

Liquid Paraffin Oral Emulsion BP or baby oil? The advantage, if there is a leak, this won't short any of the electronics, in fact, they can be completely submerged in it! I know a guy who has an Xbox currently running, sitting in a fish tank full of baby oil to cool it! (he is a liitle ecentric though).

Tom