Trunk line cooling

[Merkur]

Before doing this, any ideas on how you could fasten the copper coil to the plate, to ensure there's close contact, without compromising the cooling system?

I am thinking that the input & output of the copper tube will be held by P-clips under the head of two of the screws that hold the Evap plate. If I straighten the malleable copper tube, it should be in contact with the plate or within a couple of mm. I could get some of that heat conducting foam tape that is used for 3D printer beds or under-floor heating. The Evap plate itself is not flat as it has passageways molded in it for the refrigerant. I could put a slight set on the tube so that when the screws are cinched down the tube is in contact with the plate.

I could drill through the Evap plate in between the pipes and hold the copper tube in place with zip-ties but that seems risky. I could also JB Weld the tube in place but that could get messy.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm assuming you would just use an inline pump rather than a submersible and just run it as a continuous loop. You'd need to bleed the air out of the system but that would give you space back for the extra keg.

 

[Merkur]

This is what I am thinking to start with. An externally mounted inline pump will circulate the glycol.

It's a difficult balance of cooling loads. This kegerator already runs harder (more often and hotter) than the other Komos I have alongside it. I could add a much longer copper cooling loop and undoubtably that would result in lower tower temperatures, at the expense of putting more load on the kegerator's refrigeration system - which wasn't designed to handle it. The good news is that the kegerator is rated to work at ambients up to 80F and this is in a basement at around 68F.

 

[Broken Crow]

I could add a much longer copper cooling loop and undoubtably that would result in lower tower temperatures,

still just spitballin but I gotta say; that coil on coil idea sounds brilliant, in terms of efficiency though, I'd go with more mass, ie; @shoengine s coil and thermal adhesive suggestion and top it of with a temp controller, maybe an STC1000 coupled with a diaphram pump: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/supersucker.htm connected via a tee https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tee12.htm and a couple compression fittings https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/comp38tx12mnpt.htm with a temp sensor https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_131_15&products_id=249 so that it doesn't run 24/7. ..if noise is an issue, take a look at what @stamandster did: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/transfer-pump-housing-diy.734201/
Whatever you finally do...please keep this thread updated... you got me invested

 

[Merkur]

I have the existing system plugged into a WiFi outlet that turns off every day at midnight. I turn it on manually when I need the cooling.

Once again, this is with the existing system that uses 5 gallons of water in a corny keg and a submersible pump providing the trunk line cooling. When I turn on the pump, the corny keg has 5 gallons of 39F water in it and it will chill the inside of the tower down from 72F to 51F in 10 minutes. The problem is that after an hour the reservoir temperature has increased to 50F and the tower temp starts climbing.

 

[cfrazier77]

Here is an idea. Keep the keg, put the pump outside the kegerator.
https://www.amazon.com/bayite-BYT-7..._csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM=

Then add a small radiator with computer fans to the output and input of the keg, or at least one of them.
https://www.amazon.com/DIYhz-Comput...29&sprefix=small+radiator,aps,174&sr=8-4&th=1


Moving the pump out will give you a couple of degrees and the radiators may also as well, getting you to 40 without modifying the kegorator.