Shop Swamp Cooler

[skysharks]

Hey all, I know I havent been around much. But I have been busy.
In the summer in my shop it gets quite HOT. I do have an a/c unit but the electric bill always upsets me.
Well this year I have come up with an alternate system.
Behold MAC's redneck Swamp cooler.

I have taken a coil from an old heat pump, hooked up water (from my well) to the inlet, and hooked the outlet to a return line to another hole in the ground.
Ground water (well water is a constant 62 degrees, or there abouts) by doing this and blowing air thru the coils, I have cool air.
Of course it won't take the humidty out of the air.
I was able to cool off my shop (20x40') from 95 degrees to 78 degrees in 1 hour.
The only energy that I am using is to run the fan and the well pump.
I found out what was the best flow rate for the water is, (ended up being 2.5 gals per minute) so I put an in line reducer in, so my well pump is not running constantly.
Additionaly I hooked everyhing up to a thermostat. I am using a irragation valve to turn the water on and off, and of course the fan.
I am so excited about this cheap cooling set up.
Oh I also mounted a filter behind the fan, to try and keep it clean.

[NCPete]

ingenious idea!

[Mark Anderson]

if the dew point rises above the temp of the coil you will start to take moisture out of the air, might want to incorporate a drain pan.

[MikeH]

That's awesome Mac. I would love to be able to do something like that in my garage.

[froglips]

Thats the coolest swamp this side of Louisiana!

Jim

[toolferone]

Verry very cool! And I mean that both ways.

[Robert Arrowood]

Kool deal. You could try hooking the line up to a CLEAN copper coil thats in a cooler full of ice. Might cool it down a little more.

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by Robert Arrowood

Kool deal. You could try hooking the line up to a CLEAN copper coil thats in a cooler full of ice. Might cool it down a little more.

Copper coil, ice humm where did I see that before? I just don't know...

Mac that is really cool. I like Mac's Redneck Swamp Cooler !!!

[4yanks]

Good job. I'm impressed with your mechanical ingenuity.

[skysharks]

Thanks guys for the compliments.
I am just so excited that this thing worked and is working as well as it does.
Yes I had thought about the condensation thing, and it has already presented itself.
I did angle it high from back to front and from right to left, so all the condensation will run to the left front corner. Then I can catch it in something. But since I made the casing out of scrap ply that I had laying around, I think that I will form a metal trough out of some flashing that I have. Hopefully this will protect the wood casing and I won't have to rebuild it in a couple of years.
Other than that, everyone that I have pulled in ,off of,the street to see it , thinks that it is awesome.
I am just tickled that it doesn't cost me but pennys to operate it.
This all started a couple of years ago with a buddy of mine and I discussing geothermal heating and cooling.

We started out with a well pump I had sitting in the back of the shop and a box of pvc fittings. We came up with a smaller version of what I am running now. He is using 2 small car radiators front to back, with a simple box fan driving the air through it.
We have tracked the results for 2 years now. No problems and it works very well.
He preheats and cools his entire office building/house with this set up.
In the winter, he saves over a 100.00 a month in electric bill. Roughly the same in the summer. So I decided to try it in my shop.

[Dutchman]

Great set up! I like your ingenuity.

[mkepke]

From your description, you are returning the water back to the well.

I would be concerned about introducing contaminants into the drinking water supply, either from whatever used to run in the evaporator coils or the materials used themselves. Especially with car radiators and used parts.

That aside, it is a clever idea.

BTW, I think you have made a straight up heat exchanger. Isn't a "swamp cooler" an evaporative cooler ?

-Mark

[junquecol]

Instead of trying to get rid of heat in shop, why not keep it out? Several years ago, my wife and I stopped at a flea market on 421, near Yadkinville. When we went into the building (a tobbacco warehouse) it was sunny. In a few minutes you could hear the rain pouring on the roof. But when I looked out the door, the sun was shinning brightly. What the heck? Found out that when the temp rose above a set point, the sprinklers on the roof came on till temp dropped. What an idea! Do the same on your shop, get a couple of full circle shrub heads from Lowes and mount them on the roof. Using a combination of timer and thermostat for controls, wet the roof periodally. The evaporation of water will drastically lower the temp of the roof. This time of the year when I am working on the roof, I take the water hose up with me to wet the roof.

[skysharks]

No contaminets are being introduced into the water system, I assure you the coil was throughly cleaned. And it is a Mac's Redneck Swamp cooler. Jeesh some people , lol .

Seriously, I called it a red neck swamp cooler cause it's the first thing that came to mind for a name. Wether it's the right term or not, who cares.
As far as contaminating anything, I did clean it out the with water and then let a solution of heavy bleach and water set in it for a day. I'm pretty sure that it is clean.

Hey I like that idea about the sprinkler head system over the roof. That makes allot of sense. And It would be fairly easy and cheap to do.

Oh by the way, yesterday when it was hot in the afternoon, it was a cool 75 degrees in my shop. And I didn't have to get a loan to pay the electric bill.

[DavidF]

What a great idea! How did you return the water to the well? ours is 500' deep!