Budget Custom Loop

[The Flying Sloth]

So I just saw this youtube video and it got me thinking, would it be viable to do the same thing but with a car copper heater core and a copper block? I'm not looking for the best performance or the most reliable cooling, I'm looking for something to do for fun that will cost me very little, look cool (no pun intended) and have some practical use. The temps shown in the vid seem to make it look worthwhile.

Thoughts??

 

[W-L]

1 hour ago, The Flying Sloth said:

So I just saw this youtube video and it got me thinking, would it be viable to do the same thing but with a car copper heater core and a copper block? I'm not looking for the best performance or the most reliable cooling, I'm looking for something to do for fun that will cost me very little, look cool (no pun intended) and have some practical use. The temps shown in the vid seem to make it look worthwhile.
Thoughts??

It's definitely doable if you don't mind the work only thing is with loops like that they are usually mixed metal so if you can get a hold of a copper or brass rad and block those issues would be eliminated. One thing to mention is the tubing though, you will want to look for plasticzer free stuff so it doesn't leech into the fluid and clog up the blocks.

[The Flying Sloth]

11 minutes ago, W-L said:

It's definitely doable if you don't mind the work only thing is with loops like that they are usually mixed metal so if you can get a hold of a copper or brass rad and block those issues would be eliminated. One thing to mention is the tubing though, you will want to look for plasticzer free stuff so it doesn't leech into the fluid and clog up the blocks.

I am ordering a copper car heater core and will be using a solid copper variant of the block in the video, probably will still use radiator fluid just because it's anti-corrosive and it doesn't support algal/fungal growth

[v-raze]

4 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

I am ordering a copper car heater core and will be using a solid copper variant of the block in the video, probably will still use radiator fluid just because it's anti-corrosive and it doesn't support algal/fungal growth

Watch out with using antifreeze designed for cars in a loop like this. It doesn't actually have any biocides or growth inhibitors in it because the coolant in a car is usually running at well over the boiling point of water- it's hot enough that algae is a nonissue. Linus found this out the hard way back in whole room water cooling. I would definitely still use a kill coil- they're cheap and won't have the chance of reacting poorly with the additives in the antifreeze like a biocide would.

 

Also, Tech Yes City recently did a few videos on what you're talking about- he had bad results but mostly because of the blocks he used. I always enjoyed his channel. 

Building the loop

Rebuilding the loop

Final computer

 

And here's another thread where someone else on the forums is doing something very similar.

[The Flying Sloth]

12 hours ago, v-raze said:

Watch out with using antifreeze designed for cars in a loop like this. It doesn't actually have any biocides or growth inhibitors in it because the coolant in a car is usually running at well over the boiling point of water- it's hot enough that algae is a nonissue. Linus found this out the hard way back in whole room water cooling. I would definitely still use a kill coil- they're cheap and won't have the chance of reacting poorly with the additives in the antifreeze like a biocide would.

 

Also, Tech Yes City recently did a few videos on what you're talking about- he had bad results but mostly because of the blocks he used. I always enjoyed his channel. 

Building the loop

Rebuilding the loop

Final computer

 

And here's another thread where someone else on the forums is doing something very similar.

His are aluminium, I will be using the copper variant