Home Distiller

I am looking for an alternative way to cool the water going into my condenser. I've been using the frozen bottle technique and that along with extra ice.
But it seems like even then, I am not finishing a run without cutting it extremely close to running the still too hot.
I live pretty far in the middle of no where with no ice around for a good while (And cannot leave the still unattended to get some)
I don't have very much room to hold spare ice.
I have well water, but I am wary to run that through the still because the outside hose is unreliable in controlling temperature.

Is there a submersible piece of hardware I can cool the water with?
Not necessarily a pump, because I already have one. Just submersible cooler.
Or any alternative ideas would be extremely helpful.
Thank you
-V

Car radiator with fan and 12v power supply will cool your cooling water very efficiently.

Yes yes. This idea seems good. Just make sure it is clean or unused?
And most radiator inlets and outlets are rather large sizes. Over one inch.
What would be the best way to adapt a <1" tubing to a 1/2" (Is the largest my bump will take)
I am not pipe/tubing savvy (Ironic hobby to get into)
The still was mind bending enough on this puny brain

Here is the answer to all your cooling problems. It works great.

The picture of the pump, notice its a dish washer pump found on junk dishwashers, a common part.
It fits the lower rad. outlet.
Fan came from the attic.

You can certainly use a used radiator, this one came from a front wheel drive chrysler product.
If used, clean it out good.
Say goodbye to cooling problems
Bent

Fiend wrote: I have well water, but I am wary to run that through the still because the outside hose is unreliable in controlling temperature.

-V

Here' s your answer here for free. You don't need to control the water temp. As long as it's a pot still all you need is water well below the vapour temp. Anything less than 100 degrees F will be fine. You can even catch the output water in a rain barrel for further use.
Sways in cooling water temp won't hurt as long as you run for the warmest of the sways.

Fiend wrote: I have well water, but I am wary to run that through the still because the outside hose is unreliable in controlling temperature.V

Could you explain that a little more please. I'm running 300+ feet of garden hose out of a pond using a submersible pump and my incoming temp is steady. No problem.

BTW , If you use your well water you should return your coolant back to the well to avoid any supply issues for the house.

Hope to hear from you about that temp. control.


FMH

FreeMountainHermit wrote:

Fiend wrote: I have well water, but I am wary to run that through the still because the outside hose is unreliable in controlling temperature.V

Could you explain that a little more please. I'm running 300+ feet of garden hose out of a pond using a submersible pump and my incoming temp is steady. No problem.

BTW , If you use your well water you should return your coolant back to the well to avoid any supply issues for the house.

Hope to hear from you about that temp. control.


FMH

It is just a normal garden hose running outside (Not sure what it is hooked up to. Was here before I got here)
Really dependent on what time of year it is. But most of the time it will stay REALLY cold for about 15 minutes then get to a bearable cold temp. Then about 30-45 minutes it gets scalding hot. To the point where you can even touch the spout.
No temp control. Just the typical pressure valve.
I don't use inside water sources. It's a really complicated situation in locations of all of my stuff. And I really prefer not to do runs in my house.
Only thing that is good about my situation is living in the middle of no where, I have 9 acres of land to keep my privacy for it all.

BentJar wrote:Here is the answer to all your cooling problems. It works great.

The picture of the pump, notice its a dish washer pump found on junk dishwashers, a common part.
It fits the lower rad. outlet.
Fan came from the attic.

You can certainly use a used radiator, this one came from a front wheel drive chrysler product.
If used, clean it out good.
Say goodbye to cooling problems
Bent

That's quite a set up. Well done.

If your willing to use a pump, you just need a bigger reservoir. A hot tub, a kiddy swimming pool, a 300 gallon animal trough, multiple plastic barrels, a cistern under the porch,...the bigger the reservoir the less critical the temp rise.

Fiend wrote: It is just a normal garden hose running outside (Not sure what it is hooked up to. Was here before I got here)
Really dependent on what time of year it is. But most of the time it will stay REALLY cold for about 15 minutes then get to a bearable cold temp. Then about 30-45 minutes it gets scalding hot. To the point where you can even touch the spout.

Let your kitchen faucet run on cold for an hour and see if it gets hot. I'm guessing you have plumbing issues.

(Not sure what it is hooked up to. Was here before I got here)

Relocate your hose to another outside spigot and see if it does the same thing.

FMH.

I made a 3000 gallon water tank.
The neighbors call it a pond. Wife stuck some fish in it.

Bigger amount of water mass. Your reservoir is obviously just to small. If you need to use that much ice. For that mater any ice at all.

My radiator cooling system (seen above) uses no resivoir at all. It cools all day using just whats in the radiator and condensers. Just a bit over 5 qts. of water. I have made many stripping runs fast and hard and it knocks it all down just fine.
Just turn the fan up a notch.
A little food coloring in the water will show you whether you have a condenser leaking internally.

During the summer we run twice a week. I got tired of dragging hoses around and running over them with the John Deer,,,and dumping blue barrels of water.

Bent