Car radiator chiller

[Shaun Sweeney]

I'm going to take heat for this idea, but part of my new build will include an old car radiator. A couple of years ago, I plumbed a heat exchange unit (home made from schedule 200 PVC) into my sump and then ran the lines to a car radiator sitting out on the deck. Next I hooked the circulating pump and radiator fan to the outlet of my Alpex and programmed it to come on when the temp reached 81 degrees. It worked like a "hot dang". Has anyone else tried this?

 

[Breadman03]

It should work, though I do see several challenges you will need to consider:

• Airflow-a cat radiator has small air passages and relies on air being forced through it via a combination of a fan and air forced through the grille as the vehicle travels.
• Small passages can be clogged up relatively easily by debris/insects/etc.
• Car radiators can be damaged easily.
• Radiators are copper. Copper is bad for reefs, so you will have to ensure that the "coolant" never contacts the reef directly.
• What's your location? Freezing weather could damage your system, so winterizing the system may be necessary.

Other stuff might come to mind, but that's a start.

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[CJBuckeyes]

A heat exchanger will only be effective in a setup like this if the air being forced through it is much cooler than the water temp. If the ambient air is not cooler, then using a fan to promote evaporation would be more effective.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

It should work, though I do see several challenges you will need to consider:

• Airflow-a cat radiator has small air passages and relies on air being forced through it via a combination of a fan and air forced through the grille as the vehicle travels.
• Small passages can be clogged up relatively easily by debris/insects/etc.
• Car radiators can be damaged easily.
• Radiators are copper. Copper is bad for reefs, so you will have to ensure that the "coolant" never contacts the reef directly.
• What's your location? Freezing weather could damage your system, so winterizing the system may be necessary.

Other stuff might come to mind, but that's a start.

​

So much fun here ...
1. Agreed but it still worked very well when I tried it last. I'm not trying to cool a big block chevy
2. I'll keep my radiator stationary to avoid the bugs. I'll take it off the car... :)
3. As I mentioned, I'll take it off the car to avoid accidents.... :)
4. Yup, copper is bad but as I said, I'm using a heat exchange unit so no contact between radiator coolant and my reef.
5. Yes indeed. Now that you mention it, I had a little bit of coolant in the system but we seldom get freezing on the coast. In any case, this time around, the radiator will be in the basement off to the side of my sump. Last time, it was out on my sundeck.

Good start.