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WTD: Electric water pump
tegwin - 8/6/09 at 11:09 AM

I am planning on building a watercooling system for a TIG welder...

Does anyone have a 230V water pump suitable for pumping hot coolant at a reasonable pressure?

Something from a drinks vending machine or carbonator would be perfect....



[Edited on 8/6/09 by tegwin]

ash_hammond - 8/6/09 at 11:10 AM

What do yo want?

cd.thomson - 8/6/09 at 11:10 AM

I've got two, do you want the purple or the fast one?

Antnicuk - 8/6/09 at 11:34 AM

surely a central heating pump would be the best thing, designed to run for years, takes the heat, small and easy to get connections for. 3 wires to make it work and it has 3 speeds on it.

they are only 40 or 50 quid new so you must be able to pick up a second hand one for not a lot, most plumbers replace them as a matter of course when changing the boiler.

tegwin - 8/6/09 at 11:57 AM

Good idea.. but would a CH pump be capable of pushing coolant through 10 meters of 4mm bore pipe?

The intake would be in a tank, so no recirculatory back pressure into the pump...

Mr Whippy - 8/6/09 at 12:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
Good idea.. but would a CH pump be capable of pushing coolant through 10 meters of 4mm bore pipe?

The intake would be in a tank, so no recirculatory back pressure into the pump...


How is the heat from the electrics (presumably the transformers) going to be transferred to the water? Would it not be better and easier and safer to increase the air flow through the machine? Perhaps just fitting a much more powerful fan would do the trick. Most fans I’ve seen in these machines are very basic, a good blower from a kitchen extractor fan would be considerably more effective

tegwin - 8/6/09 at 12:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
Good idea.. but would a CH pump be capable of pushing coolant through 10 meters of 4mm bore pipe?

The intake would be in a tank, so no recirculatory back pressure into the pump...


How is the heat from the electrics (presumably the transformers) going to be transferred to the water? Would it not be better and easier and safer to increase the air flow through the machine? Perhaps just fitting a much more powerful fan would do the trick. Most fans I’ve seen in these machines are very basic, a good blower from a kitchen extractor fan would be considerably more effective



Being a TIG welder, the torch itself has a water jacket on it... so you can weld all day long at high current without setting fire to your fingers!


Hence why the small bore pipe is so long... has to go from the cooler, to the torch and back again via a radiator..

"proper" water coolers are about £400... I dont see why when all they are is a water pump, pipes and a small rad with fan on it! So in true LocoBuilders style... I am going to build a locost version (for less than £250!)

[Edited on 8/6/09 by tegwin]

dinosaurjuice - 8/6/09 at 01:15 PM

a caravan water pump flows about 10l a minute MAX but have quite a high head (pressure). if it was between rad output and torch input heat wouldnt be too much of an issue. really cheap too.

Bluemoon - 8/6/09 at 02:21 PM

If your not on a water meter you could always go open loop.....

One thing to watch is water fouling; for a closed loop system this can be a problem (green goo will quickly stop up you 4mm pipe...) You might find the commercial unit has something to deal with this...

Dan

[Edited on 8/6/09 by Bluemoon]

tegwin - 8/6/09 at 02:46 PM

Sadly I am on a meter... and nowhere near a tap...


I could fit a partiulate filter to help pick up blobs in the coolant..

I was planning on using nearly 100% motorcycle antifreeze/coolant stuff which apparently is finer than normal car stuff and does not give too many problems...

britishtrident - 8/6/09 at 02:57 PM

Drive it off a battery and use a 12v caravan/camper/boat hot water pump --- ebay search on Whale pump