Water cooled LED fixture

Paul B · Nov 16, 2015

I started making the frame of my water cooled LED fixture. Now I am going to clean it up and connect the LEDs to it, them build a radiator. Does anybody need a water cooled LED fixture? Of course not. It is just very cool.

Here is a better picture

twon8 · Nov 16, 2015

Very nice. How many LEDs are going on it?

Shep · Nov 16, 2015

Is there a reason you are going water cooled?

twon8 · Nov 16, 2015

Shep said:
Is there a reason you are going water cooled?

Is there a reason not to?

Shep · Nov 16, 2015

twon8 said:
Is there a reason not to?

Not really, its just fans work just fine and water cooling seems over kill and adds a lot of extra work, plus it is going to weigh a lot more than an air cooled one. So no reason not to but it does not seem like it offers anything over air cooled

jsker · Nov 16, 2015

Question; are you going to use the tank water to cool the LED.s and recirculate the water to the tank and not need a heater? What about the summer when I is hot, will it drive your thank temp to high?

redfishbluefish · Nov 16, 2015

Copper pipes.....he better not use tank water to cool it!

Paul B · Nov 16, 2015

twon8 said:
Is there a reason not to?

Exactly.

I am going to put 60 LEDs on it. I am taking them from this fixture.
No, the water in the copper pipes will destroy my reef in seconds. It will use fresh water in a sealed system. Actually this is a lot lighter than an air cooled system because I don't need to mount fans to it or have a heavy heat sink. The frame is the heat sink and it has circulating water in it. It is a lot simpler than an air cooled system and it will stay a lot cooler. (In more ways then one) Besides, I realize I don't need a water cooled system. But I like to build things. This frame will be connected to a radiator under the tank with flexible hoses so it will be able to be raised out of the way on counterweights just like my DIY air cooled system does now.
The light I am taking the parts from weighs about 10lbs and has 8 fans in it.

MrDJeep123 · Nov 16, 2015

Shep said:
Is there a reason you are going water cooled?

Because @Paul B is retired and he is a tinkerererer. That's what tinkererers do. They tinker with stuff. :p

Looks pretty cool so far.

twon8 · Nov 16, 2015

I love this idea. Water cooled PC CPUs can run overclocked, as water is a much better heat conducter than air. I imagine this will allow you to run LEDs at very high power with little heat.

JasReef · Nov 16, 2015

I was just thinking of this exact thing. I have used water cooling on a pc I built and thought it would be possible.
Then I remembered that it ran smoothly for about a year and then one day leaked all over my duel sli graphics card. Haha. Should be awesome!

Paul B · Nov 16, 2015

MrDJeep123 said:
Because @Paul B is retired and he is a tinkerererer. That's what tinkererers do. They tinker with stuff. :p

Looks pretty cool so far.

twon8 said:
I love this idea. Water cooled PC CPUs can run overclocked, as water is a much better heat conducter than air. I imagine this will allow you to run LEDs at very high power with little heat.

Finally, someone gets it. :D Of course I don't need to do this just like no one has to go to the moon, climb Mount Everest or try to date a Supermodel. It's just a cool Idea. And if it don't work, there is a scrap metal yard about half a mile from here. This is very cheap to build being I already have the lights. I made the frame in half an hour. The radiator may be a car heater core because I am having trouble finding 1/4" rigid copper tubing to build a radiator. This fixture will also raise out of the way on counterweights like my existing air cooled fixture does now.

scardall · Nov 16, 2015

Use a PWM type power supply. Less heat issues than the cheap stuff. Go with American Cree or German Leds. It matters. My heatsink in a ok vented hood peaks at 104F with no fans. Aqua ray gen 3. hmmmm

joshkirkland83 · Nov 16, 2015

Awesome. Next, central cooling and heating for aquariums. Glad ppl like @PaulB are around!!

Dtackett · Nov 16, 2015

I got about 400 feet of 1/4 inch rigid copper tubing here in the shop. too bad you aren't closer lol you need this wall.

Paul B · Nov 16, 2015

Dtackett, I don't see any rigid tubing in that picture. Are you hiding it? I got plenty of flexible stuff. I need rigid so I will just get a heater core from a car.

Dtackett · Nov 16, 2015

lol yeah, its upstairs and don't feel like walking into that oven. heater core is easier anyway. tell ya what, if I could take some of this stuff home my tank would be insane lol I could build a full diy setup with the stuff we got here. even got acrylic up to 1.5 inches thick. strange considering we make paper cups... lol

Paul B · Nov 17, 2015

paper cups are cool. I will try to get a heater core. I would rather build one out of 1/4 or 3/16th tubing but I don't feel like going to Freeport about 30 minutes away to get it. I also have to solder in a restriction in my water circuit because if I don't, most of the water will flow in the outside tube with very little going through the center. They sell a restrictor for that which I also may use.