Building a water cooled LED fixture
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Oh man, I feel for you. We have had a horrible run of luck recently (all year actually). I hope everything works out, and everyone is better again.
+1 ^ hope the wife if okay Paul !!!
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I will put this here because I don't want to type it again and the Supermodel is getting tired.
Two days ago I had some knee and hand surgery, just some tune ups because if you worked construction all your life and didn't ruin your joints, you didn't do it right. Yesterday I got a call from the GYM where my wife goes and a piece of machinery fell on her and clonked her in the back of her head. She also has MS so she doesn't need any more brain problems. When I got there five minutes later they were putting her in the ambulance to take her to the hospital. She also had this huge bandage around her head because it was also a nice gash. She looked like Mahat Maghandi. WE decided to take her to her neurologist instead of the hospital because as we all know. If they take you to a large hospital (and we are surrounded by them here) with a cut, you will be there on the gurney for 4 or 5 hours before anyone even knows that you are there. They will be bringing you coffee, doughnuts, magazines, crossword puzzles and flowers but no doctors because they will all be drinking coffee and taking care of the hospital fish tank in the other wing, a mile away. So unless you get taken to the hospital in an ambulance and you have 2- three foot arrows sticking through your head and one in your foot, they are not going to see you for days. Besides, her neurologist is a friend of ours.
So we call the neurologist on his cell phone and of course he is in Chicago visiting his Grand Children. We live on long Island and the ambulance driver wouldn't drive her the 500 or so miles to Chicago. OK, no problem, there are a bunch of neurologists in his office so we go there. I am not supposed to drive because of the pain meds they have me on and my knee is bandaged up from my toes to my neck and my hand is also out of commission so if I wanted to feed my fish, I would have to do it one flake at a time. That is if I used flakes, and I don't. So I drive her anyway and they give her an MRI. Everything is good but neurologists don't do stitches so we had to go to another doctor. We went to one of those "Docs in a Box" places because as I said, you don't want to go to a hospital. They installed 8 staples in her head. I would have used toggle bolts but what do I know? She seems fine now and I had to increase my pain meds because my surgeon said the stuff he put in my knee and hand would wear off today, and he didn't lie. I am not really typing this because my hand doesn't work so there is an out of work Supermodel sitting on my lap typing as I point to the places on the screen where I want her to put the words. Also these pain pills are rather nice and I could be typing this on my cat and not even notice it. Even though I don't have a cat. At least I don't think so.
My two surgeries went well, (even though I realize this is all about my wife) I had a great staff and many of them were Supermodels which is important.
My operation was delayed for 2 hours because the Jiboni before me overslept and came in 2 hours late so he pushed everyone back for that time. They should have let me operate on him just for fun. So it has been an exciting 2 days and today I need to get back to doing some stuff on my tank. I need to figure out how to do a water change without actually lifting anything or standing. I also want to complete building my water cooled LED fixture but I need my wife to tape the soldering iron to one hand and a drill to the other. But I can do it because I am not a Girly Man.
Two days ago I had some knee and hand surgery, just some tune ups because if you worked construction all your life and didn't ruin your joints, you didn't do it right. Yesterday I got a call from the GYM where my wife goes and a piece of machinery fell on her and clonked her in the back of her head. She also has MS so she doesn't need any more brain problems. When I got there five minutes later they were putting her in the ambulance to take her to the hospital. She also had this huge bandage around her head because it was also a nice gash. She looked like Mahat Maghandi. WE decided to take her to her neurologist instead of the hospital because as we all know. If they take you to a large hospital (and we are surrounded by them here) with a cut, you will be there on the gurney for 4 or 5 hours before anyone even knows that you are there. They will be bringing you coffee, doughnuts, magazines, crossword puzzles and flowers but no doctors because they will all be drinking coffee and taking care of the hospital fish tank in the other wing, a mile away. So unless you get taken to the hospital in an ambulance and you have 2- three foot arrows sticking through your head and one in your foot, they are not going to see you for days. Besides, her neurologist is a friend of ours.
So we call the neurologist on his cell phone and of course he is in Chicago visiting his Grand Children. We live on long Island and the ambulance driver wouldn't drive her the 500 or so miles to Chicago. OK, no problem, there are a bunch of neurologists in his office so we go there. I am not supposed to drive because of the pain meds they have me on and my knee is bandaged up from my toes to my neck and my hand is also out of commission so if I wanted to feed my fish, I would have to do it one flake at a time. That is if I used flakes, and I don't. So I drive her anyway and they give her an MRI. Everything is good but neurologists don't do stitches so we had to go to another doctor. We went to one of those "Docs in a Box" places because as I said, you don't want to go to a hospital. They installed 8 staples in her head. I would have used toggle bolts but what do I know? She seems fine now and I had to increase my pain meds because my surgeon said the stuff he put in my knee and hand would wear off today, and he didn't lie. I am not really typing this because my hand doesn't work so there is an out of work Supermodel sitting on my lap typing as I point to the places on the screen where I want her to put the words. Also these pain pills are rather nice and I could be typing this on my cat and not even notice it. Even though I don't have a cat. At least I don't think so.
My two surgeries went well, (even though I realize this is all about my wife) I had a great staff and many of them were Supermodels which is important.
My operation was delayed for 2 hours because the Jiboni before me overslept and came in 2 hours late so he pushed everyone back for that time. They should have let me operate on him just for fun. So it has been an exciting 2 days and today I need to get back to doing some stuff on my tank. I need to figure out how to do a water change without actually lifting anything or standing. I also want to complete building my water cooled LED fixture but I need my wife to tape the soldering iron to one hand and a drill to the other. But I can do it because I am not a Girly Man.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I am working on the pump/power supply/ shut off switch/ LED drivers etc and it is all in this enclosure, I tested the pump and am very surprised that that little pump pumps faster than my sink can supply. The pump pressurizes the system, pushing up the glass with the magnet in it, engaging the magnetic switch to turn on the relay that energizes the LEDs. It all works seamlessly and I may try to wire it all together permanently. My hand is all bandaged up so I will have a little trouble, but not insurmountable. I am now waiting for the copper tubes to build the radiator. If it all works together on a bench, I will go out and get the splash shield. I don't want to get that yet because I have to go to the Bronx for it and it will not be cheap so I will test the system first but I think it will all work perfectly.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I re-designed and re built the water pressure switch and although it works better, I am still not happy with it so I can't install this fixture over my tank yet. That and I need to get a bunch of stitches out of my hand. The pump I have works good enough to circulate the water through the fixture, but it is hardly powerful enough to push the plunger all the way up in the switch so that it maintains a magnetic connection with the magnet switch to keep the LEDs energized. I need a stronger pump or a lighter plunger in the switch. There is a magnet in the plunger which weighs quite a lot and pushes back on the tiny pump a little too much. Tomorrow I will go to a LFS to get some of that cheap, thin walled plastic tubing they sell and build a much lighter plunger. If that works better, I will get the acrylic shield and find some help to aid me in getting this thing over the tank without dropping it in the water.
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
Why not just a regular ATO float switch sealed into the tube?
I got mine on eBay for about $2 ea just for sounding water alarms.
I got mine on eBay for about $2 ea just for sounding water alarms.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
That wouldn't work. A float switch would tell me that there is water in the system, but not that the water is flowing. I want the LEDs to turn off if the pump stops. The thing accidently tested itself a little while ago. I had the system running to see how warm it got and there was a leak in the new flow valve I just built. I used the valve/switch before the glue dried and it sprayed out water. The water level got low and the flow switch turned off the leds.
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
I was assuming when the pump shuts off, the water level in the tube drops ?
Or are you mounting the switch tube horizontal?
Or are you mounting the switch tube horizontal?
Paul B
Well-Known Member
The water level in the tube stays constant because the volume of the water is constant. The plunger in the tube moves with the flow. The plunger is not tightly fitting in the tube so the water pressure pushes it up to the point of the bottom of the "tee" so that the water will pass through the Tee and feed the fixture. When the pump or water flow stops, the plunger falls down about 5" releasing the magnet switch so it turns off the power to the LEDs. That valve is an ingenious system and I wish I invented it, but I didn't.
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
That clarifies a bit. I haven't seen one before, but then again ive only been on this earth half as long..
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I am testing the thing again after a few small modifications. If I can get it to run for 24 hours with no problems I may put it on the tank. There are a couple of small concerns but I am working them out. I think this thing will be about twice as bright as my old fixture and if it is, I may go out and get some more SPS to test it out.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Completed heat exchanger. I am so glad I decided to build it rather than buy a car heater core. It was a fun build and a core would have been very heavy and over-kill as I don't need that much cooling. I am getting the stitches out of my hand tomorrow and if I get the time I need to drive to the Bronx to buy the acrylic to make the splash guard. Then it is ready to install. I am rather proud of this thing and am glad I built it.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
That is outrageous. Did you drill for the 1/4" tubes? What size is your "main" with the headers 1"? They look pretty square to me. Great job! If you get through the prototype, you will look into brazing?
I thought back to this post the other day as I was sorting through an old electronics box. Out come my old custom made cpu cooler and fan. Ill be damned if I know where the radiator is. I wish I did now, because I would liquid cool my computer again in an instant.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Squatch XXL the tubing is thinner than that. It is 3/16" and the Main is 1/2" tubing. That's why I put in the pencil, to see the size but I can see it is dubious. I did drill all the holes and they were perfect because I had to bang in each tube so it was a tight fit. I do have a welding and brazing torch but I don't need it for this simple low pressure system. I was going to make an enclosure around the radiator to encase the fans and get more flow through the tubes but I don't need it as it runs very cool.
I just came back from the surgeon who took out the stitches in my palm and knee but he said I was over doing it and need to rest more because the knee is swelling up. I won't be able to get to the Bronx for the acrylic so I won't be able to install this for a few days. It is completed as much as I can but more work is needed when I put it over the tank because I need to make more counterweights to lift the cooling system as it is all connected. The radiator and fans will hang off the back of the tank and will be connected to the LED frame with solid PVC pipe so that part will rise and fall with the fixture on a counter weight system as my lights are on now. I need to build that in place and custom build the weight. I also need to get 2 PVC unions so it is easy to remove this thing from the tank if I need to without unscrewing everything. If this all works well as I think it will, I may build another more compact model where everything will fit into a self contained enclosure above the tank. Just for fun of course because I have an idea.
I just came back from the surgeon who took out the stitches in my palm and knee but he said I was over doing it and need to rest more because the knee is swelling up. I won't be able to get to the Bronx for the acrylic so I won't be able to install this for a few days. It is completed as much as I can but more work is needed when I put it over the tank because I need to make more counterweights to lift the cooling system as it is all connected. The radiator and fans will hang off the back of the tank and will be connected to the LED frame with solid PVC pipe so that part will rise and fall with the fixture on a counter weight system as my lights are on now. I need to build that in place and custom build the weight. I also need to get 2 PVC unions so it is easy to remove this thing from the tank if I need to without unscrewing everything. If this all works well as I think it will, I may build another more compact model where everything will fit into a self contained enclosure above the tank. Just for fun of course because I have an idea.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
As a plumber, I can do nothing but give kudos to you for your solder work on your heat exchanger. I know you had a long career as an electrician (?) but you certainly have what it takes to be a pipe fitter. I tell you what professionally. I am among the best when it comes to pipe fitting, but I cannot come close to the skill that sparkys have with tube bending. I wish I could bend pipe as efficient as the electricians do conduit. I would have brazed this either way, only because of the amount of holes. Professionally I have a few problems that affect my career....I use torches way too hot, and I hate soldier....which Is why I am sentenced to work with carbon and stainless.....This I can live with....but I am quite competent at brazing. I make a good amount of coin from hospitals as well. Braze certs make easy money.
I got a laugh the other day again because of this thread. We are still in the process of unboxing after our move into the new home. Out pops an old amd cpu box....Inside of the box is my old water cooler and hardware. I have yet to find the heat exchanger/radiator......If/when I do find it I guarantee that I am hooking it back up.
Another thing I wanted to add that is back on topic. When I ran my water cooler I am 100% certain that I used a mag drive 5. It was overrated and overkill, but it worked a treat. There are a few schools of thought about water cooling....mine is more about getting the entirety of the coolant moving so fast that it maintains a constant temp. Others prefer to push water slow. Both methods accomplish the same thing. I think I had a 3 degree difference in water temps from air temp, and I wager half of that thermal was from the pump.
I got a laugh the other day again because of this thread. We are still in the process of unboxing after our move into the new home. Out pops an old amd cpu box....Inside of the box is my old water cooler and hardware. I have yet to find the heat exchanger/radiator......If/when I do find it I guarantee that I am hooking it back up.
Another thing I wanted to add that is back on topic. When I ran my water cooler I am 100% certain that I used a mag drive 5. It was overrated and overkill, but it worked a treat. There are a few schools of thought about water cooling....mine is more about getting the entirety of the coolant moving so fast that it maintains a constant temp. Others prefer to push water slow. Both methods accomplish the same thing. I think I had a 3 degree difference in water temps from air temp, and I wager half of that thermal was from the pump.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Squatch, before I got drafted I worked for a HVAC company which was the best thing I could have done at the time because we did everything and I learned everything. I had to install a commercial boiler once and it had to go through the sidewalk. I had to chop out a 6'X6' hole through the sidewalk. Cut up with a torch and hoist out the old coal boiler (with some help) Shovel into buckets the coal, hoist it up and take it to a dump, Then I had to steam clean the room, white wash the walls, hoist in a new boiler, put it together, pipe it, wire it, paint it, cover it with asbestos and lime, then paint that and insulate all the pipes. Put in an oil tank, and fill it with oil, cement up the sidewalk. I did all of that myself except for the hoisting. For a couple of years I did jobs like that mostly by myself because I went to school to be an electrician but I am a dam good plumber and would much rather do plumbing work than electrical because of the much less fittings. I also love to bend pipe and did many large jobs with 4" conduit. I especially like to do concentric bending which they don't even do any more because the skill or time is not there any more. I re did all the electrical/control rooms of the Chrysler building and installed the fire alarm system in the Empire State building. Of course the Playboy Club was my favorite and I was the general foreman for Penthouse Magazine, another place I would have worked for free. I had my share of varied work and I was very lucky for that. I was also a mechanic for Oldsmobile.
Copper is a hobby of mine and I like to make copper fountains that move all sorts of ways with water.
Car radiators are soldered as that is all that is needed and they run on 15lbs pressure. This simple lighting system has zero pressure, but of course brazing is always better, but sometimes not needed.
This top picture is me hanging off the top of the Plaza Hotel installing lights. Iused those same lights in my reef. That is snow covered Central Park below me.
The lower picture is me Cad welding on a New York City garbage incinerator.
This job I was most proud of. See the building to the right of the curved glass building? It is the second from the right. That is One New York Plaza. That dark band around the building is on the 20th floor.
That dark area is a 22' set back to the building's machine floor. The building sets out again on the next floor. I had to hoist a 37,000lb generator into that set back on the "left" side of the building from the street which is about 100 yards away. I did it in 3 lifts each one costing us $74,000.00 (30 years ago) and I used the largest mobile crane in the world at the time. I designed the method we used to do that and that method is used today all over New York City to lift things into set backs. My boss made millions on that job and took care of me (a little)
Designing the jobs is what makes my wheels turn and I loved it. Now I take out my frustrations on my poor fish.
Copper is a hobby of mine and I like to make copper fountains that move all sorts of ways with water.
Car radiators are soldered as that is all that is needed and they run on 15lbs pressure. This simple lighting system has zero pressure, but of course brazing is always better, but sometimes not needed.
This top picture is me hanging off the top of the Plaza Hotel installing lights. Iused those same lights in my reef. That is snow covered Central Park below me.
The lower picture is me Cad welding on a New York City garbage incinerator.
This job I was most proud of. See the building to the right of the curved glass building? It is the second from the right. That is One New York Plaza. That dark band around the building is on the 20th floor.
That dark area is a 22' set back to the building's machine floor. The building sets out again on the next floor. I had to hoist a 37,000lb generator into that set back on the "left" side of the building from the street which is about 100 yards away. I did it in 3 lifts each one costing us $74,000.00 (30 years ago) and I used the largest mobile crane in the world at the time. I designed the method we used to do that and that method is used today all over New York City to lift things into set backs. My boss made millions on that job and took care of me (a little)
Designing the jobs is what makes my wheels turn and I loved it. Now I take out my frustrations on my poor fish.
