Did you DIY your water cooling system?

[Welderooni]

i have a coolit II and it has a procon pump on it and its quieter then my welder running

Wookie,

a H20 cooler that is quieter than my 225LX Tig Welder? You have my attention! Would you mind sharing some pics or how much one of those setups would set me back? Thanks!

[DiabolicZ]

Doesn't get much quieter than this here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXuqjxMNdjw

[everlastsupport]

Doesn't get much quieter than this here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXuqjxMNdjw

As long as the water is clean/filtered and the 5 gallon bucket is clean, that is better than nothing. But that cooler will have a duty-cycle a bit less than one with a radiator and a fan. I think Habor Freight sells a little pump like that for $9.95-19.95 too.

[DiabolicZ]

As long as the water is clean/filtered and the 5 gallon bucket is clean, that is better than nothing. But that cooler will have a duty-cycle a bit less than one with a radiator and a fan. I think Habor Freight sells a little pump like that for $9.95-19.95 too.

Oh, absolutely. I was just making a point that it can be done for dirt cheap to make a cooler that works. People are spending upwards of 200+ dollars MAKING their own. At that point, I don't understand why they didn't just buy one already made in the first place.

The duty cycle on the bucket of cold water is probably just as good as the welder. Weld for 6 minutes replace your water while your welder is cooling down... Rinse and repeat...

You could probably throw some ice cubes in your bucket too, but I don't know if it would be a good idea to hit a really hot torch with ice cold water... Probably not.

[dirtyfarmer]

I've been using an in-tank 12v automotive fuel pump, and as long as the fluid being pumped has a lubricant added, it has been working fine, for almost a year. Currently I'm using a commercial branded tig welder coolant. Again, I used what I had on hand, cost was zero (other than the coolant itself).

[Welderooni]

great idea dirtyfarmer!

I also have an old fuel pump (with filter) laying around, I'll try re-using it. The only thing I'm stuck on, is a good sized radiator to put in the bottom of EverLast Cart. Does anyone know of any places that rate the thermal dissipation (or capacity) of the radiators? This would be easier to make the best bang for buck purchase decision . Also, does anyone know of a good website that allows one to calculate ideal flow rate through a radiator with a given fan cfm and radiator size?

[eide]

Thanks for the efforts and info Bradley. I think the Everlast unit is looking good.

[aaxiss]

As long as the water is clean/filtered and the 5 gallon bucket is clean, that is better than nothing. But that cooler will have a duty-cycle a bit less than one with a radiator and a fan. I think Habor Freight sells a little pump like that for $9.95-19.95 too.

here is the link to the HF pump with similar size, 190 gph ( they have 2 others with less gph ) . only thing that bothers me is of those 3 this one has the highest lift at 59". http://www.harborfreight.com/190-gph...ump-41287.html

[aaxiss]

Found a nice pump at HF going to build my own cooler and shoot for under $100 using cheap and free where I can . Link to build . doing it as a video series on you tube link on page http://www.everlastgenerators.com/fo...ghlight=cooler

[Ram48]

Like someone on here mentioned, If you are a DIY and looking for something to play with do your version of a cooler. If you have projects or jobs lined up get a commercial cooler like the w300 series, I am looking to build my own right now for a few reasons.
1.....I enjoy a challenge
2.....I ran across a buddy that had two procon pumps and motors and already did a fan conversion on the back of the motor shaft for $125.00 so I sholud be at $200 give or take when completed
3..... the W300 is not in stock right now ................

To be honest I spoke with Oleg and would have had a W 300 if they were in stock.

[Wookie]

Wookie,

a H20 cooler that is quieter than my 225LX Tig Welder? You have my attention! Would you mind sharing some pics or how much one of those setups would set me back? Thanks!

here is a link to the cooler i have scroll down and you will see it on this page http://www.easternweldingsupplyofohi...20Products.pdf

[Wookie]

also there is one on ebay currently http://cgi.ebay.com/Coolit-Tig-Weldi...-/300545235773

[Slick]

This thread makes my head hurt!

Sounds like a lot of work!

The W300 might make me run more power cable as it will not plug into my 256.

My current cooler is tap water from the shop spigot, then its ran out the window into the garden

[jameswswanson]

Not to put in a plug for arc zone or anything, but I found this video that might help people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr6ERxpn3Hw&NR=1

He say 45psi, and the pro-con pumps you can find on Ebay can be adjusted as long as they have a bypass valve. There's a scew behind one of the acorn nuts to adjust it.

[WaWelder]

ok, so there has been a ton of talk about types of coolers. I chose to go with the w300. I recieved it last week, hooked it up last weekend, but have not filled it yet. My question is what type of coolant to use. I plan to use distilled water, and am not worried about the coming months, but my shop is not heated. I dont want to have to drain the cooler every time i am finished welding in the winter. Can I use some type of antifreeze? If so, what type can I use?

[aaxiss]

sounds like you may need a heater for you cooler

good info here http://reviews.ebay.com/Maximize-Per...00000000798652

this looks like what your looking for http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=2614

miller, hobart and lincoln carry their own brands as well. Miller's Low Conductivity Coolant (part #043 810) used straight from the jug will protect down to -37 degrees F.

bottom of the page http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...ccessories.php

hope this helps