So, here's v0.2. I tidied up some of the plumbing, put a mat under the chiller, added some steps with storage inside, and an outdoor shower.

    laborde Thanks for doing some tests! What is interesting is that for me testing with my filter and chiller but no filter in the housing I get 8-9 GPM which is much higher than you get even without the chiller. But you also have much more friction from fittings than I do.

    I like your setup, that is a really cool idea to have an outdoor shower.

    When you say you added silicon to your bulkhead gasket, did you use sealant or grease?

        wintermute I'm starting to appreciate that the plumbing is limiting flow quite a bit. I still think the chiller is the main limiter, though, and there's not much I'm willing to do about that. I could introduce a bypass valve to increase the net flow, but I'm not convinced it is worth the trouble.

        I used silicon sealant on the gasket. Worked like a charm!

            Another observation: When I refilled the Grizzly, it was about 100 degrees out, and the water out of the tap was 80. I turned on the chiller around 6pm, and set it to 45 degrees on "Boost" and the water was 45 at 6am. So this little chiller exceeds my expectations, and it is quite possible a 1/10hp unit would have done the trick.

            Next time I change the water, I'll do it in the morning, and chart the temperature drop hourly. This time, though, I ran it for a few hours with the chiller off to do leak testing. That's how I found the bulkhead leak. The sheer amount of condensation in this Texas weather makes small leak detection impossible.

            laborde In your case it appears the chiller is the limiting factor. In my testing it appeared that the filter was the limiting factor. At some point in the near future I'll remove my filter and make sure I can repeat the 8-9 GPM flow rate results. Maybe I'll be a hero and test flow without the chiller too!

            I too believe that the 1/10 HP model would work fine for me. But I'm wondering if it restricts flow more than 1/4HP and if it would actually save on energy costs.

            Yeah I can't imagine the condensation outside! I actually have a dehumidifier in my garage since it's also my gym and that really cuts down on the condensation.

              2 months later

              Thanks to you and Wintermute for the great build logs. I just finished mine and had zero leaks from the start thanks to all the tips and tricks.

              One question: can one of you guys explain how to plug everything in to the switched surge protector and/or a digital temp controller. I currently have the pump (master) and chiller (switched) in the surge protector, and that's plugged into a GFCI outlet. What I don't know how to do is automate the pump and chiller to only run once water temp rises. Should I be adding a temp controller?

              Also, I am building an enclosure for the chiller since it's all outside. If anyone has tips on ventilation and whatnot that would be helpful.

              Thanks guys!

                8 days later

                alman111 The chiller will only turn on when it needs to. The pump however would need to be plugged into a temp controller if you don't want it running all the time. Alternatively you could run the pump on a schedule with a smart plug if that's more preferable to you. I have everything running 24/7 so I can't show you an example.

                If you're building an enclosure make sure it has plenty of ventilation so that heat doesn't build up inside the enclosure. Also, a common problem I have seen is people build enclosures that are much too small. Make sure the chiller has plenty of room. I have seen people install small fans inside their enclosure to help with heat build up due to poor design. Build the enclosure with enough ventilation including on the top to exhaust the heat and you might not need a fan. Needless to say, it also depends on your outdoor temperatures and conditions.

                  3 months later

                  laborde Nice looking setup. How do you drain this? … is the inlet above the water line?

                    2 months later

                    laborde I see from your pics that you used the pre-manufactured grizzly drain as your outlet vs. drilling a new one (as Andrew Connor did in his DIY). Is there any benefit to doing it your way? I was thinking if I drilled a new outlet hole above then I could still use the grizzly drain to drain water from my cooler to outside since it will be inside my garage. How do you drain if you are using that?

                        4 days later
                        17 days later

                        @laborde what size hole saw did you use and which 1" MPT x 3/4" tubing adapter did you use? TIA!