New team member saying hello

[Area 51]

I can see the reason for the multiple loops as it can be tricky to balance the flow on 4 parallel loops. It sounds like you have the radiator aspect covered. If you find you need more and price is getting high a heater core from a car can do a very nice job as well. My father was able to find a copper heater core from a car that works well for him. I started with a koolance setup and have found their stuff to be getting to expensive for my hobby. The GPU water blocks especially as they are out dated with the next generation of cards. I would be interested in seeing some pictures of your setup when you get it done

I've seen some great pictures of car rad' cooled setups and certainly, if you cant get a pump with enough balls to push the fluid through (and keep the joints water-tight), they make good sense - providing you can also keep the noise down. I know that feeling about the water blocks all to well; whilst the rest of the cooling setup will be able to handle the next, and probably the next generation of GPUs, I can't help feeling that the water-block are the weak (and expensive link).

I think there is a solution though - its just not commercially available atm. I used to work as a miller, and I know I could easily have got a better finish (read smoother) than the contact surfaces of the water-blocks from Aqua Tuning that I use (I've seen the video of their production, and I'm not impressed). I cannot see why 'shims' can't be used. If you had shims that were manufactured to a stated thickness, to a very high tolerance (say 1 micron - which is quite easy to do today) with a very smooth surface finish, you could quite easily build a 'universal' water-block that contacted the shims, placed on critical surfaces) via thermal paste. Since the critical dimension is the thickness (the other dimensions are nowhere near as critical), these would be quite cheap to produce. Yes you would loose a degree of thermal conductivity, but that could be allowed for. This way, you would only have to swap out the shims for the relevant thickness when you upgraded.

Perhaps I shoud patent the idea........

[Area 51]

I'm in the process of finishing a new study atm, which will be a lot cooler than my current study (which sits above and behind a very hot wood burning stove!!!!!) and doesn't have a window to speak of.

Unfortunately, I have to move my rig to the new study once its finished - which is a real problem due to the weight of the setup and the fact I only have ladder access to it!!! Santa has bought me a new toy (after some gentle sterring and hinting) - which will help a great deal with my case real-estate issues and rig transport. Providing my quick release couplings turn up within the next 10 days, I will be spending a whole day re-plumbing the externals of my setup (incorporating the new toy and said QR couplings) during my extended 4 day xmas break. Once this is done, I'll be happy to supply internal and external shots and provide fedback on any of the compnents I have used.

[Nflight]

I like to read about someone so interested in heating and cooling, it encourages me to step up and say I feel proud that I am not the only one who thinks this way in the team effort. Nice Job Area 51, I am impressed. Yet, wasting that heat in Scotland in this time of year could be detrimental, double heating and double cooling in the summer just rubs me the wrong way sometimes. Imagine the computer in a room, in the house; Simply stated you vent the heat from the radiators into the house then the house cooling or heating system has to work against the heating and cooling of the weather outside. If only you can visualize a box in a box scenario. Vent the excess heat outside of the house from your CPU's is much better energy valued then having to use a secondary HVAC system to do it all over again. Cramped quarters near the stove sounds hazardous to controlling the heat. Good Luck I will continue to keep reading this marvelous work your doing.

My Knowledge base is in Sustainable Energy Engineering.

[Tamaster]

I've got a geothermal conversion going into my place next week (we start the dig on the 27th). I've got (many) friends that have recommended based upon their experience. I've already got two possible buyers for the Heat Pump system that it replaces.

[Nflight]

Great Tamaster - Are you going for a single zone or multiple zones. I know Indiana gets some serious snow fall if you live around the Great Lakes snow belt! Winters can be mighty chilly too!

[Jason1478963]

That is great....I do hope your able yo claim the tax credit this year as I keep hearing they have not been renewed after this year.

I am also experienced in the Renewable Energy field.

[Tamaster]

I actually live in the south-central part of Indiana, and while the snow-fall is not at serious as it can get up by the lakes, the temperature can get REALLY cold. Season over season swings of 130 degrees F (25 below to 105 above) make geothermal a 'no-brainer'. The system is going to be a single-zone 29.7 EER 5 ton ClimateMaster with 2-stage compressor and variable speed fan; a 20Kw auxiliary backup and running 600 feet of buried horizontal tubing five feet down. The Hot Water Generator will provide pre-heat for an on-demand tank-less water heater. We will be qualifying for the 30%, no-limit Federal Tax Credit due to the completion and payment middle of next week. I just hope we don't hit too much lime stone...

[NeoGen]

I am amazed at these renewable energy solutions... and I am trying to save for one, although it may take a little while yet, but around how much will a setup like that cost approximately?

[Nflight]

Every Geothermal Install for one homeowners benefit is very expensive. To accomplish quality work you need to find an experienced geothermal company or someone who has credentials that says they worked for a quality installer and is starting out on their own. If geothermal contractors do not have any references of work they have accomplished then, do not use them.

For an honest opinion on what it might cost; A lot of the design and layout depends on the geology/hydrology of the land your home or site is located on. So pointing to a figure is very difficult without an observation of your land you have to install this. Lots of factors come into play that could lower your total cost by $10,000 if you have the right land arrangement (hence - a small spring fed pond of close to one acre in size). Most people do not have this equation so the price will be nearly $15,000 per 2400 Square Foot home. That would be about a 4 Tonne HVAC install using existing hot/cold air circulation converted over from an existing Heat Pump system. If you need to run ducting through out your home add more then $5,000.oo to the equation. All in all a nice geothermal system could run you any where from $8,000 to $25,000 depending on so many factors. Again I point to this web site for many answers: http://www.hvac-for-beginners.com/geothermal.html plus if your curious about the Direct Expansion type here is more explanation: http://www.trane.com/COMMERCIAL/Hvac...ant.aspx?i=864

NeoGen I will search out a quality Arkansas Dealer in your area so that you don;t have to make poor judgment calls in finding the right dealer! Your Welcome.

[NeoGen]

Your Welcome.

"Thank you" should come before it, but you read my mind before I even thought it Nflight!!

Boy these things are expensive!