Man, this took me back to my time as a mechanical engineer for a custom manufacturer. Days of planning and design work followed by the inevitable hours spent in the machine shop doing sketchy hacks (complete with maniacal laughter) to solve unforseen problems. I love it when they do videos of these crazy ideas.
I mean that's prototyping in a nutshell: 1. Attempt to implement a "working" theory 2. Get it to work through any means (sketchy as hell) 4. Create new prototype with less sketch based on what you learned 5. Back to step 1
It's great to see another episode of "LTT Cooling Experiments"! Even more so that this one wasn't cut short by Linus not having time and we actually got to watch problems being fixed, not just "works for this video, will fall apart later" fixed.
Good call from Brian on making a (bit of an) orifice on the copper tube end. That tube opening was quite large, leading to an inefficient throttling. You want a very small opening (relatively) for a good Joule-Thompson (adiabatic expansion of gas) effect. Also, a tip: put the motherboard in a big box en put either dry ice or a container of liquid nitrogen in there. The sublimated/evaporated gas will push out any 'normal' air and keep most of the moisture out. And finally: CPU temp sensors typically can't report negative numbers, so will just say 0.
I was suggesting putting the system in a vacuum chamber, but this would be much easier. Purging the container with argon/CO2 from a welder would work too.
Hey LTT! hvac tech here. The mini split you're using (as most of them are) is "inverter driven", which means the computer inside varies the speed of the compressor based on various sensor inputs. Even if you trick it into coming on, that doesn't mean it will run at full power. It could run at as little as 10% capacity in some cases. It would be much easier to control and much more consistent if you replaced the 3 phase compressor with a single phase one, you could find in a window unit. You could just flip it on with a heavy duty light switch. Easiest solution is probably to take a working window unit, and steal the refrigerant lines going to the evap coil for your heat sink.
Great suggestions! I'm guessing that they might have run by this idea though and the only reason they decided not to was because that unit they used was the only one they wanted to gut for the project (possibly destined for a landfill so it didn't cost them much of anything).
Or even an unit from an old industrial freezer. Would work alot better. And u don't need a 3phase one just a small 1 phase unit can easy do it. I'm guessing 500-1000w is more then enough
Fellow HVAC tech here. I would rather drink bleach than watch this abomination of a video again. Their HVAC guy is an installer at best and a guy who took a couple trade classes at worst. He obviously knows nothing about HVAC yet he owns a 4 port Brute manifold??? A half assed metering device at best in a half assed evaporator and ridiculous slugging potential. The only thing that saved that compressor from blowing the valves into a million pieces is the massive accumulator in the condenser (that was bypassing 99.999% of the air, thus rejecting little to no heat). A tiny window shaker would have been more than sufficient BUT you actually lose capacity when you fail to boil all of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator into vapor. Because of MASSIVE dynamic load changes the refrigerant MUST be metered with a TXV or EEV (if not multiples manifolded together to make some level of half assed load shedding), hands down, no way around it. What they rigged up would never last 7 days in continuous operation. I need to stop clicking on random videos that have morons playing with refrigerant.
@@jman0870 I don't really think this kind of rig is intended for continuous use. It looks like something better suited for competitive overclocking, short bursts of use. Ideally you'd calculate the wattage of heat you're trying to move and select the appropriate compressor.
Alex has good presentation skills for YT. Cheeky yet humble and honest to boot, and even after all that, he's still a mad scientist at heart. Well done, 10/10.
As a physicist, and a huge nerd, I would REALLY want to see Alex and Brian do some more crazy projects together. If Linus is ok to fund their shenanegans, they could make some pretty amusing contraptions, it's like working for the ol'Mythbusters crew :D
@@Avboden Copper is gummy and will stick and fill up the spaces in the tap. It isn't hard to break a tap in it if you're not using tapping fluid and backing off enough to remove chips.
In my highschool shop class, a classmate was working on some older Japanese car, putting either the head gasket or valve cover back on and over torqued the bolt which broke off, recessed inside the engine block. I was right there and noticed it was prolly fucked and needed to get drilled out. Our teacher came over, and agreed, yup, its gonna be the hard way, and informed us the car was actually one of his personal cars, and he'll deal with it from here. He gets it out, calls us and few other students over and begins to explain to us what a tap and die is, what its used for, yada yada. So he begins his cruel journey and about halfway done, the tap broke damn near flush with the engine block. He stood up, stared at it for a good 3-5 seconds and chucked it across the shop floor, directly hitting his computer monitor on his desk, sending it to the floor. The "are you fucking kidding me" he let out was beyond epic and saddening at the same time, like a lone wolf howl. thus it became an inside joke among me and one of the classmates im still in touch with, and when i have some bs happen, ill mimic it nearly 10 years later. I have my tap and die set label with anger and sorrow because of that. Thankfully I've never had to use it.. yet.
Linus answered this prayer on WAN show, basically saying "If you liked that video, get ready for more LMG Labs stuff". I'm not super into the PC space anymore, but I have gotten more into the Maker scene. LMG Labs is going to be ballin.
3 things... 1). Think about removing some refrigerant from your mini split, you have much less capacity on your heat sink, if you are frosting up your A/c unit, you may restrict refrigerant flow ( I've seen this on an overfilled A/C unit) 2). Two-staging a heat exchanger is super effective, I think Applied Science did one a few years back on his channel. 3). Invert you motherboard, let gravity work for you and let the eater drip away from the Motherboard. You are still thinking that you are pouring coolant into a reservoir on top of the heat sink...you don't have to do that now.
I’ve also seen underfilled units freeze over, not saying your wrong in any way, but what led you to believe it’s overfilled and not under? And how did you keep from correcting his usage of “tvx” instead of txv lol
@@sargentcuddlepuff3490 ^^^ I know a tech who undercharged a system on purpose and wrapped thick lines around the base of a christmas tree for a parade display, he undercharged on purpose to cause the frost that could spread to the tree in this case. Brrrr
Brian is such a chill guy. Pun intended. Makes a mistake, laughs it off, learns from his mistake, very constructive and good at what he does... basically the guy you want in every team set to handle a project.
The annoying added background music while they're speaking ruins all of these videos for me. It's distracting and disrespectful to deliberately play music while speaking to someone. If we want to hear music while they speak, we could do it on our own, WITH ONE CLICK WE CAN HEAR ANY SONG IN THE WORLD. Why does every youtuber with good info subject us with this distracting shite music? What's wrong with just speaking?
If you wanna be smart like Alex join your university baja or FSAE team. Alex was apart of his and im sure thats where he picked up most of his knowledge.
@@thewhitemustang It helps people like me with adhd stay invested, my brain is constantly on the run that I don't even hear the music in the background, so I'm able to focus on what they're saying 100% of the time.
Nah. I prefer to see a 3He (apx -269°C boiling point) setup. Or something slightly more chilling than this ... cool box setup. Bring this CPU to 7 GHz ...
Holy shit. This. More of this, I had no idea how good an Alex and Brian spin off show would be but I am all for it. Get Brian onboard full time if he's willing, if not throw enough money at him so he can be more than just an occasional guest because a show with him and Alex doing wacked out projects with their combined expertise would be amazing
@@dicarlostrujillo I get that, but I was more talking about Brian and Alex in particular. They had a really good on camera dynamic of the old expert and the young gun, and with them both being from engineering backgrounds can get up to some wacky shit.
You should consider putting the mini split evaporator inline after the cpu block but without its txv to avoid sending liquid to the compressor. With a heat load being so small you might still grenade your compressor. If you put the evaporator back inline you’ll still be able to maintain -20c because that’s the temp your refrigerant can change phase at 40psi assuming it’s a 410a unit. Then the evaporator can fix the heat load issue and you won’t need to trick the sensors. Also you could direct the evaporators fan at the pc to help remove some humidity in the air and cool the rest of the pc.
I had the same thought, not enough heat load. If your load is too small, you can have liquid refrigerant still getting to the compressor (which as you stated, is a bad thing).
Agreed, with everything you said. I would imagine this unit is also over-pressurizing and tripping the safeties to protect the compressor. If they really wanted to control the system well, they could drop the evap coil in a bucket of water with a circulator and some propylene glycol (maybe even a small heater) to artificially load the AC unit and keep it from tripping, and keep the AC unit running for as long as they need.
11:29 this whole contraption on the desk with you both working on it looks like the time when Tony stark and the other guy in the cave making the DIY arc reactor and suit 😂
I just love when Alex is in a video, the amount of "fuck it, let's see what it does" is incredible, the segment with Kyle was really fun also, never seen him before :D
Finally got it up and running. The only delays we had was because we realized we needed some extra parts (I’ll list that below) ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxihMYiJNXcHdbH-7ihymsLz61l7jVyb5O . So we have a loft where our current hvac just couldn’t seem to keep cool during the summer. We have been using a window unit since we bought this house over 6 years ago (all the houses in this neighborhood were built in the 80’s and majority of the houses built like ours use a window unit). I hate window units because they are just so noisy and the one we had really only cools one side of the loft. I had contemplated upgrading our current HVAC, but with all the rising prices these days, it would take years before saving up enough to do that. With the advice of my father-in-law (used to run an HVAC business), he recommended we get an inverter instead. We thought we bought everything we needed, but there were just a few other parts we didn’t anticipate needing (which is what caused most of our delay). My friend and father-in-law did all the work to get it installed and running and now we have nice cool air circulating nicely throughout the entire loft. It is very quiet and even the outside unit is much quieter than our main HVAC unit. Saved ourselves thousands getting this.
LTT presents _Canucksmith: Make It Surreal_ "So, after welding the cooling block to the vise, it's over to Alex for vaseline lube-ing and lying to the temp regulation thermocouples."
A mini split was probably the worst type of AC unit to do this with lol, they have an incredible amount of sensors and safeties integral to the system. Im actually surprised you guys got it to run at all. A small window unit may be a better choice, much less going on internally. Also, you may consider simply running the cooling block in line with the evap coil, after the metering device and before the coil, although this may not reach the temps you guys would like. Perhaps a fix to that may be to restrict the airflow through the coil, either by disabling the fan, or blocking most of the coil. Also note that the compressor will suffer damage from all of this, and the head pressure may jump to extreme levels- worst case scenario it ruptures a line, especially if the high pressure safety is bypassed. If it does, evacuate the room and ventilate it, as refrigerant displaces oxygen. -HVAC Tech
That's a clever idea. Their problem is getting it to stop cycling, and having an extra load downstream of their cpu "evaporator" would allow that without sacrificing subcool temps. Yeah, I bet they'd have better luck with a water fountain cooler or a thermistor window unit
@@airgliderz Looks like a small unit, but its a word of caution simply because id rather them not take the chance. Must suck having such a shit attitude all the time 👍
Holy shit, whoever edited this deserves an award. Just as I was recovering from "unintentional VATS effect", "forbidden tiramisu" came and broke me, just in time for the Patrick face to absolutely slay me
As other comments have pointed out, i'm not convinced that evaporator block is actually causing all the refrigerant to evaporate and there is lost potential to get even better cooling performance. I'm also pretty sure that when the CPU is off/idle, there is less energy to facilitate the phase change, a lot of the refrigerant remains a liquid. The low pressure line (blue I think) shouldn't have frost on it, as this suggests to me liquid is going back to the compressor (backed up by the compressor getting all frosted). Liquid going into compressor = bad. Maybe try a larger volume/more heat fins for the CPU block? Somebody else suggested an expansion valve instead of an orifice which might help.
I agree, the unit used is for a large room/small apartment. They could reduce the refrigerant charge to minimize the fluid back flow, or a 2nd txv to a separate heat load.
@@Darkmattermonkey77 reducing refeigerant charge, might result in the compressor not being able to build up enough pressure to liquify the refrigerant if im not mistaken. Reducing the amount of refrig. mass flow would be a smarter option here i think.
Some liquid to go back to the compressor is usually fine, since it uses some of the refrigerant to cool its motor coils. But being careful with liquid backflow is probably a good advice.
@@ducktant slugging the compressor is not good at all. Hey that's one of them fancy inverter controlled units. could try adjusting the frequency to change the speed of the compressor.
$200 is a drop in the bucket. If you break down the finances this video earns LMG 4 digits from UA-cam ads and another 4-5 digit figure from sponsor spots, plus change from affiliate links.
in hindsight, you could have probably just wire knotted the low voltage compressor wires on the mini split's board to the 24v and the common, and it wouldve made the compressor run without the time delay cycle and without having to warm up the ambient air thermistor. i could be wrong but this is what i do to test cooling while out in the field.
⛓️ Highly experienced HVAC Tech here… Evaporator coil’s are usually designed to operate at a specific temperature (42°F or so) dependent upon its metering device but is made not to exceed below the freezing temperature of water so that it will not freeze, make ice, expand, and break the evaporator coil releasing all of the refrigerant 👍 That’s another reason why it is good to change your air filter when you are supposed to (replacement time depends on the size and the thicknesses of your filter) And never run a system without a filter or with a cheap filter that you can see through 🫣 The metering device also helps to keep the system balanced and keeps the compressor from getting flooded with liquid refrigerant which will immediately destroy the compressor because it is a vapor pump and not a liquid pump. Non condenables would usually destroy a compressor pretty quickly by throwing a rod or breaking a scroll plate compressor in multiple ways but in this case it is a mini split heat pump which will save you for a while because it has something that will capture and store that liquid refrigerant for a while! It’s called an accumulator and is usually installed on heat pumps to help the compressor from getting flooded by liquid refrigerant 🎉
HVAC tech Here with 15 years exp. You would have a much much easier time using a drinking fountain to build your chiller. You can get a capillary tube that works as a perfect TXV any refrigeration shop can look up the length for you based on the compressor. Also, those fancy controls would go away and it would be simple as a closed contact to turn the compressors on.
@@fail2160 A second evaporator for the GPU and any other component too. Like maybe just a general air evaporator just for cooling the air inside the case. Subco has a chart showing what length/diameter of capillary tube to use. I would honestly recommend a fairly high evaporator temperature though, just for the reason that you REALLY don't want condensation on electronics.
I hope so just so we see more of him, but I bet Brian makes plenty working for himself, so I bet he would need a big number to be convinced to work for someone else.
Hi, mechanical engineer here, active in the field of HVAC&R, from residential stuff to big industrial/commercial. I would prefer a simpler on/off unit ( not a frequency inverter one ) mainly because i wouldn't need to reverse engineer the controller. I would just use a simple digital thermostat and a relay to power the compressor. Also, some of those have an electronically controlled expansion valve, PITA for your use case. I would try to design the evaporator as an assembly tightened with fasteners and flanges. We use a lot valves and filters in the field that are made similarly. And I would try to put a cavity for the probe of the digital thermostat. Did Bryan use an oxy-acetylene torch, or an acetylene only? An oxy--acetylene kit would be better for this one ( hotter flame, faster heating, faster brazing ). You evacuate the circuit, first of all because humidity can plug the expansion orifice ( capillary tube, orifice, or expansion valve ). Secondary, some refrigerants can form acids if there is humidity in the circuit , and this causes premature wear in the components. Thirdly, because with flammable refrigerants there is a possibility for explosion ( air and fuel under pressure, is what makes diesel engines go brrr ) The compressor in the unit is probably three-phase. I haven't seen a vfd driven unit with a single phase AC current compressor. Though, it might be higher voltage than the one provided in Canada, in order to use smaller cross section of cables for a given amperage, and ( if I am not wrong) better efficiency.
I think the idea here with the VRF is the load. I reckon your compressor would short cycle into thermal overload with a traditional binary set-up given how fast the heat of a CPU would make your tstat call. Thought the same thing with the torch though, haven't touched a turbo in ages but would recognize that sound from miles way.
There's a good chance they are hitting the low pressure cutout since that's not likely a low temp compressor. And very much agreed on not using a brushless DC compressor, unless they're going to spend a boatload of time reverse engineering the ESC. (Industrial refrigerating design engineer w/ electrical engineering background... this was a little painful to watch but very, very understandable if ya don't do it every day!)
@@SITHRootz The digital thermostats I use have a min on/off timer, to prevent short cycling in harsh operating conditions ( for example, reach ins near stoves/grills etc during the summer, with a lot of door opening and shutting ).
I started an HVAC apprenticeship 2 years ago. And since then have desperately been looking for a video about cooling PCs directly with a heatpump. Thank you LTT for providing me with interesting content :) Edit: After watching the video i would love to see you use a proper expansion valve in the follow up video. It makes controlling temperatures and condensation much easier. It would also probably bypass most of the issues you are facing with controlling the hvac unit, since it's set up to be used with an evaporator that uses an EV. Due to the CPU thermal load characteristics an EEV (Electronic Expansion Valve) is probably a good option.
Really the only benefit of a EXV vs a TXV is the absence of a sensor bulb and that removes a risk of failure. Not to mention they were using gauge lines
Dude if ur an apprentice for 2 years about couldn't figure out how to do this loop they are not teaching you enough of what you need to know no offense. Less then 1 months in I was install full commercial grade systems trust, mini splits, and water source heat pumps. I guess the employer has other motives then his or her staff. I hope you have your CFCs by now at least. Im universal.
It already has a metering device inside the condenser section, that's how minisplits work. It might even be an EXV, but I don't know this model to be sure.
damn I wish youtube had a better messaging system. I am considering joining the HVAC trade as the systems fascinate me and it's basically in demand everywhere. I have some questions for you and the guy that apperently only took 1 month to get in
When tapping a hole, remember to only do quarter turns at a time, and continually back out the tap to clear out the picked-up debris. That prevents excess strain on the taps :)
Also remember you can go a little bigger on your pilot hole than the chart recommends, helps a bit when you're hand tapping gummy material like copper. 60% thread height is fine for many situations, especially if you're doing a one-off like this.
I love this. As a fabricator and PC guy this is right up my alley. More please! (coper work hardens, that will break your taps. If you're doing alot of work on the coper, quench it to make it soft again. Also, use flux to make soldering much easier and faster)
There's a super easy way to prevent the whole condensation issue with subzero cooling, just put the PC in an airtight enclosure. The volume of air in the enclosure won't contain anywhere near enough water vapor to cause problems, even if it condenses at a single point (you can do the math with the humidity and volume of air to see for yourself). You get condensation issues because you're exposing the cold elements to the entirety of the air in the room (plus more due to the room's ventilation), which does contain a significant amount of vaporized water. Using an airtight enclosure would allow you to bypass the standard sub-zero condensation mitigation practices that essentially ruin the PC components (vaseline etc.). This is not hard to achieve. While I have you here, to prevent algal formation in water-cooling loops (the gunk that you have to clean out of the loops periodically) simply boil the water for ~20 minutes before adding to the loop. This is not to sanitize the water. This is to degas the water, meaning there no dissolved CO2 for any biological contaminants to feed on.
You might want to check out Tech Ingredients' AC cooler video ua-cam.com/video/DWVfaxqTyl4/v-deo.html They just used the dry AC output air as intake, which avoids condensation. Worked even better with an air cooler for the CPU instead of an AIO.
Is this electrical engineering? This seems very much a day in the life of an electrician. I mean, I'm an electrician and I do things like this. Not sub-zero cool a PC like this but troubleshoot sensors like that on industrial machinery. And retrofit in new capabilities by modifying stuff. All normal automation/controls electrician work.
I have wanted to hook up my pc to a ac for a few years now but this video helped me change my mind because it doesnt seem to be worth it. I have been expecting sub 0 cpu temps.
@@GamrGalore3K Sometimes, but mostly PLC's. I'm not saying this isn't electrical engineering. Just its also what many electricians have to deal with. If he would have had to start tracing out that board instead of talking about it then that's something, well something electricians sometimes still have to do but much more rarely. They do teach it up here in Canada in the electrician apprenticeship courses for a reason. An electrician who does a lot of repair work on restaurant equipment will also have to deal with stuff like this.
The comment about using the aircon to cool the cryocooler is actually pretty sensible. I used to work, many years ago, for a company that made and distributed heavy-duty cryo freezers for laboratory use, and at the extreme, they used up to four stages. This is for the type of labs that deal in class 4 pathogens, so each system of multi-stage compressors and refrigerants is dualled with a parallel one running from a completely independent power source with ultimate fallback to liquid nitrogen. Total redundancy there, but which thankfully, you don't need. If you think you know who we were supplying you may well be right, but I can't confirm or deny it. Those freezers are extremely bulky, extremely heavy, and eye-wateringly expensive! Less extreme ones though (2 or 3 loops, no redundancy) weren't nearly as bad in price or unwieldiness. The difficulty outside that very specialised industry is in obtaining suitable refrigerants, as each stage needs to operate within a different temperature range. The readily available ones just don't go as cold as you might want - they stop evaporating and go back to the compressor as liquid, with predictable and messy results., so as you get in from the outer loop towards the inner one(s) you need refrigerants which have lower and lower boiling points. And each stage needs to be thermally insulated inside the one outside it. I'm afraid that as a lowly entry-level into that company I do not know what compounds were used as inner loop refrigerants, and it may have changed since then anyway - this was back in the late '70s. The best way to avoid condensation and frosting is to run it in an anhydrous atmosphere - totally remove the humidity - and luckily the outer loop of refrigeration is rather good at doing that. Be careful of static in a completely dry (as in below 5% humidity) environment though. Normally, the water in the air gives a nice slow leak-down of static, but dry air doesn't do that. So grounded wrist straps all round, or one fingerpoken will cause spitzensparken mit puffensmoke und blitzkaput 😞.
ACHTUNG! ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENSPEEPERS! DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKEN. IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS. ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
I love that Linus is investing in a CNC machine shop. I’m quality engineer for Northrop Grumman. We program all the CMM and manage the quality department. If y’all keep pushing this direction you will get a CMM soon too. LETS GOOOO
4:24 - wouldn't it be easier to spread solder powder between layers, clamp it together and then heat the whole thing rather than to mess around with regular solder stick?
As someone who works with a ton of mini-split/ductless and knows how the inverter and controls work... this was the most entertaining video ever. you were brutally abusing this machine, and she was hurting the whole time, and I could hear the sounds it was making and the compressor wanted to die. @15:26 when I saw the frost on the compressor inlet, it made me bust out laughing. Thank you for combining my two passions, HVAC and computers, and making me laugh.
Honestly they could have circumvented so many of their problems with a traditional split system. They could've abused one of those puppies so much easier.
The comprrssor has usually an liquid seperstor so nothing to worry ^^ at least to a certain ammount xD I was more wondering why the havav guy didn't used an capillary tube instead of making it like they did ^^ coud have looked way cooler tho
@@jasonheidel3738 could’ve just used a refrigeration circuit low back pressure comp, all the usual trimmings with it would’ve got a lot lower than this split
Videos with Alex are amazing. Videos with Brian too. Put those two together and you get this kind of genius entertainment! Well done everyone involved!
"Hey Brian, you wanna help us turn a Household Aircon into a CPU cooler?" "I'm sorry, what?" "Well, we DO have a Huge Fabrication workshop now.." "*sigh* Fine..."
By the way. Next time you try this if ever you should try a small plate exchanger. So refrigerant in and out one side of the plate then water pumped through and into a standard CPU cooler. Would be much easier to deal with. Essentially a small chiller system
I've been doing commercial and residential hvac for about 15 years now and I've considered doing this for a long time, but using a mini-split would have not been one of my choices because pretty much all of them are DC. You could have gotten any of a trillion used but good mini compressor for just about free out of any refrigerator or freezer in 110v AC. I want to judge your block and orifice theory as well but I'm old and have already complained enough today. Good video.
I remember as a young enthusiast staring at phase change rigs that guys would post on old overclocking forums, and i loved the idea, i wanted to build one so bad, eventually did the closest thing i could and built a chilled water loop... after prepping my first motherboard for sub 0, i realized ho impractical the whole thing was. TLDR art eraser haunts me to this day
the first 20 seconds of this video is pure gold, have not even seen the rest yet but that was such a well organised well edited enthusiastic hype dump of information that was so good i just had to give kudos for it, even managed to squeeze Brian the electrician guy into it somehow like wow
Really cool project. You absolutely have to have a proper ESC to close feedback loop control that compressor, if you just let it run full power without a heat load the refrigerant will stop evaporating and you will flood your compressor, this is why it kicked into defrost (or just tripped the under temperature safety) Also just because you have low temperatures, doesn't mean you have heat transfer capacity. That's why your temps shot up to 38 that quick. A saner approach to this would be to cool a 5 gallon of ethanol to the lowest temp you can. Bonus is you can reuse HVAC evaporator for this, just dunk in the 5 gal. Next step is auto cascade, do you have a tank of CO2 ?
yeah, thermal resistance between the refrigerant and the copper block is probably the thermal bottleneck... Need an actual heat sink with fins, not just a smooth evaporator surface.
I absolutely love when you guys and gals do these kind of projects! They are fun, sciencey, and you learn about engineering of both backyard and somewhat professional kind. Also, I hope you hire Brian the Electrician. He seems to be a really good fit for the LTT Crew!
The Kryonaut is actually a really good heat paste, definitively worth it's money, though applying it might be a bit.. tedious, it's not like regular thermal goop, more like clay. I bought the tiny little 1 gram Kryonaut, applied as specified and still had some paste left in the applier tube after applying on both one CPU and replacing old paste on a GPU, (spread thinly over whole thermal region).
im a licensed plumber in colorado and superintendent of construction and as a plumber that solders a lot with acetylene. brian should be choking the end of the torch till it feathers(it looks like a feather and whistles higher pitch) then turning it all the way up so that the torch actually focuses the heat and thats why he ended up burning the copper block initially. the copper doesn't need to blacken to solder, you only blacken while brazing. soldering is under 500f and brazing is 800f-1200f+. he could've used a smaller head for heat and focused about 6 inches from his work to use it more efficiently. please take this as a professional tip from someone utilizing similar everyday and not as an insult. im aware he used to do air conditioning but AC units are typically brazed so they can be purged with nitrogen.
Man, this took me back to my time as a mechanical engineer for a custom manufacturer. Days of planning and design work followed by the inevitable hours spent in the machine shop doing sketchy hacks (complete with maniacal laughter) to solve unforseen problems. I love it when they do videos of these crazy ideas.
Ltt is hiring
@@bige5848 he should apply
If it works and the client cant see it... is it a problem.
@@wobblysauce ya? Reliability?
I mean that's prototyping in a nutshell:
1. Attempt to implement a "working" theory
2. Get it to work through any means (sketchy as hell)
4. Create new prototype with less sketch based on what you learned
5. Back to step 1
Brian and Alex are seriously a great duo, you can see the chemistry between them, definitely want to see more of them soon
@Miley Cyrush💦🍎 what in the actual devils gates of hell are you on about
@@Maxypad05 this shit got me wheezing lmaooo idk why that was so funny
@@Maxypad05 it's just random YT spam, just report it so it'll slowly go away
Man, just hire him already. i want to see more brian, he is so chill.
get it, chill
Yeah!!!!!!
Nah he is probably an independent contractor, gets that sweet sweet Linus money and still makes more.
he's cool
@nomasporfavor and you know how?
As an HVAC guy there were some things rough to watch but awesome project
Like what? Just curious
@@Whyyousnoopin like CHICKEN BUTT
OWNED
I’m sorry
i’m with you there, very rough to watch
@@Whyyousnoopin a lot of little things like not instantly knowing the size of the allen key size, knowing it would shut off very quickly etc
Hvac guy from germany here, i‘m with you man
Brian the Electrician: A more single-skill focussed, and qualified Linus.
does Linus know about firebricks?
@DIANA TAYLOR 🔥 Stop Spamming and Scamming
@@hristosmourselas3939 Heck Do You Even See The Entire Comment, The Bot Steal Someone's Comment Too In The Middle
please hire brian I want more brian
@@TheRealEncy It is not a stoled comment, it says that in every comment it makes.
It's great to see another episode of "LTT Cooling Experiments"! Even more so that this one wasn't cut short by Linus not having time and we actually got to watch problems being fixed, not just "works for this video, will fall apart later" fixed.
Yeah, no Linus sounds great.
Yeah these type of videos are my favorites for sure so interesting and I love how they don’t get cut short
Holy shit Alex and Brian work so well together. You guys definitely need to have them work together more!
Good call from Brian on making a (bit of an) orifice on the copper tube end. That tube opening was quite large, leading to an inefficient throttling. You want a very small opening (relatively) for a good Joule-Thompson (adiabatic expansion of gas) effect. Also, a tip: put the motherboard in a big box en put either dry ice or a container of liquid nitrogen in there. The sublimated/evaporated gas will push out any 'normal' air and keep most of the moisture out. And finally: CPU temp sensors typically can't report negative numbers, so will just say 0.
yes
I was suggesting putting the system in a vacuum chamber, but this would be much easier. Purging the container with argon/CO2 from a welder would work too.
Wonder what would happen if you oil submerge this, oil would propably turn to slush round the cpu but who cares
@@andrewt9204 I've always wanted to build a chill box.
Hey LTT! hvac tech here. The mini split you're using (as most of them are) is "inverter driven", which means the computer inside varies the speed of the compressor based on various sensor inputs. Even if you trick it into coming on, that doesn't mean it will run at full power. It could run at as little as 10% capacity in some cases.
It would be much easier to control and much more consistent if you replaced the 3 phase compressor with a single phase one, you could find in a window unit. You could just flip it on with a heavy duty light switch.
Easiest solution is probably to take a working window unit, and steal the refrigerant lines going to the evap coil for your heat sink.
Great suggestions! I'm guessing that they might have run by this idea though and the only reason they decided not to was because that unit they used was the only one they wanted to gut for the project (possibly destined for a landfill so it didn't cost them much of anything).
Or even an unit from an old industrial freezer. Would work alot better. And u don't need a 3phase one just a small 1 phase unit can easy do it. I'm guessing 500-1000w is more then enough
hvac tech myself also and i second this!
Fellow HVAC tech here. I would rather drink bleach than watch this abomination of a video again. Their HVAC guy is an installer at best and a guy who took a couple trade classes at worst. He obviously knows nothing about HVAC yet he owns a 4 port Brute manifold??? A half assed metering device at best in a half assed evaporator and ridiculous slugging potential. The only thing that saved that compressor from blowing the valves into a million pieces is the massive accumulator in the condenser (that was bypassing 99.999% of the air, thus rejecting little to no heat). A tiny window shaker would have been more than sufficient BUT you actually lose capacity when you fail to boil all of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator into vapor. Because of MASSIVE dynamic load changes the refrigerant MUST be metered with a TXV or EEV (if not multiples manifolded together to make some level of half assed load shedding), hands down, no way around it. What they rigged up would never last 7 days in continuous operation. I need to stop clicking on random videos that have morons playing with refrigerant.
@@jman0870 I don't really think this kind of rig is intended for continuous use. It looks like something better suited for competitive overclocking, short bursts of use.
Ideally you'd calculate the wattage of heat you're trying to move and select the appropriate compressor.
Alex has good presentation skills for YT. Cheeky yet humble and honest to boot, and even after all that, he's still a mad scientist at heart. Well done, 10/10.
Idk about the mad scientist part though. I guess he may just not be the best explainer in some videos.
@@therealb888 He has 5% of the skills he and the rest off LTT think he has ^^
I wish Brian was a full time employee. I’d love to watch basic electrical videos, running wire, vintage pc hoarding, etc.
Yes!
As a physicist, and a huge nerd, I would REALLY want to see Alex and Brian do some more crazy projects together. If Linus is ok to fund their shenanegans, they could make some pretty amusing contraptions, it's like working for the ol'Mythbusters crew :D
Before they started blowing everything up due to lack of inspiration.
Especially with the Savage Apron, Alex has
Canadians. They are like Americans, with most of the crap removed.
THISS!! YES!! PLEASE!!!
Agreed!!
That is the calmest reaction to anyone breaking a tap in a finished machined part. "Welp, my tap just broke" 🤷♂️
in COPPER, how the hell soft is that tap to break in copper!
Judging by my behavior when I snap a bolt I definitely would have chucked the copper through a window
$200 worth of copper
$2 tap from Harbor Freight
@@Avboden Copper is gummy and will stick and fill up the spaces in the tap. It isn't hard to break a tap in it if you're not using tapping fluid and backing off enough to remove chips.
In my highschool shop class, a classmate was working on some older Japanese car, putting either the head gasket or valve cover back on and over torqued the bolt which broke off, recessed inside the engine block. I was right there and noticed it was prolly fucked and needed to get drilled out. Our teacher came over, and agreed, yup, its gonna be the hard way, and informed us the car was actually one of his personal cars, and he'll deal with it from here. He gets it out, calls us and few other students over and begins to explain to us what a tap and die is, what its used for, yada yada. So he begins his cruel journey and about halfway done, the tap broke damn near flush with the engine block. He stood up, stared at it for a good 3-5 seconds and chucked it across the shop floor, directly hitting his computer monitor on his desk, sending it to the floor. The "are you fucking kidding me" he let out was beyond epic and saddening at the same time, like a lone wolf howl. thus it became an inside joke among me and one of the classmates im still in touch with, and when i have some bs happen, ill mimic it nearly 10 years later. I have my tap and die set label with anger and sorrow because of that. Thankfully I've never had to use it.. yet.
Genuinely would love to have Brian be brought on full time and start doing crazy shit and having new and interesting content.
Yeah!
Brian Electric Tips, aka BET
Pretty sure he's already on lmg payroll, maybe just as a consultant and still gets to do his freelance repair
“Let’s strap a turbofan to a PC and see what happens“
As an electrician, he's probably already making a lot more than he would at LMG.
ProTip at 3:59 Always spark up torches while they point at your face! Brain is a danger in the shop.
Dang, I really hope LTT starts churning out a lot more content like this. One of the most interesting videos in a while.
I've missed this too
I used to be pretty obsessed with ltt and this is definitely the most interesting video in a long while. Love Alex and Brian!
I like your nickname
only if ur into electrical engineering or whatever. I literally skipped to the results bc i didnt care about how ACs work.
Linus answered this prayer on WAN show, basically saying "If you liked that video, get ready for more LMG Labs stuff". I'm not super into the PC space anymore, but I have gotten more into the Maker scene. LMG Labs is going to be ballin.
3 things...
1). Think about removing some refrigerant from your mini split, you have much less capacity on your heat sink, if you are frosting up your A/c unit, you may restrict refrigerant flow ( I've seen this on an overfilled A/C unit)
2). Two-staging a heat exchanger is super effective, I think Applied Science did one a few years back on his channel.
3). Invert you motherboard, let gravity work for you and let the eater drip away from the Motherboard. You are still thinking that you are pouring coolant into a reservoir on top of the heat sink...you don't have to do that now.
(3) So obvious it’s genius.
@@hackjealousy agreed
I’ve also seen underfilled units freeze over, not saying your wrong in any way, but what led you to believe it’s overfilled and not under? And how did you keep from correcting his usage of “tvx” instead of txv lol
That last one is enginous.
@@sargentcuddlepuff3490 ^^^ I know a tech who undercharged a system on purpose and wrapped thick lines around the base of a christmas tree for a parade display, he undercharged on purpose to cause the frost that could spread to the tree in this case. Brrrr
i love how brian is just laughing and giggling throughout the entire first part of the video lmaoo
hes loving hes job :)
He laughs like Brian from Tekken
I'd be love to see brian on weed
@@Tacgonmaner his*
Makes this video so much more enjoyable, hope he is in more!
Brian is such a chill guy. Pun intended. Makes a mistake, laughs it off, learns from his mistake, very constructive and good at what he does... basically the guy you want in every team set to handle a project.
Yep. I want more of THIS content. Let Alex’s engineering background flourish.
The annoying added background music while they're speaking ruins all of these videos for me. It's distracting and disrespectful to deliberately play music while speaking to someone. If we want to hear music while they speak, we could do it on our own, WITH ONE CLICK WE CAN HEAR ANY SONG IN THE WORLD. Why does every youtuber with good info subject us with this distracting shite music? What's wrong with just speaking?
If you wanna be smart like Alex join your university baja or FSAE team. Alex was apart of his and im sure thats where he picked up most of his knowledge.
Kelvin
@@thewhitemustang It helps people like me with adhd stay invested, my brain is constantly on the run that I don't even hear the music in the background, so I'm able to focus on what they're saying 100% of the time.
Nah.
I prefer to see a 3He (apx -269°C boiling point) setup.
Or something slightly more chilling than this ... cool box setup.
Bring this CPU to 7 GHz ...
Holy shit. This. More of this, I had no idea how good an Alex and Brian spin off show would be but I am all for it. Get Brian onboard full time if he's willing, if not throw enough money at him so he can be more than just an occasional guest because a show with him and Alex doing wacked out projects with their combined expertise would be amazing
They are building a new lab for more specialized stuff, so likely we will see more tech in the techtips
@@dicarlostrujillo I get that, but I was more talking about Brian and Alex in particular. They had a really good on camera dynamic of the old expert and the young gun, and with them both being from engineering backgrounds can get up to some wacky shit.
@@jamesclark5905 Don't forget Kyle
They already have a theme song for Brian... did I miss it or did they not play it in this video?
@@Pileot you might missed it
You should consider putting the mini split evaporator inline after the cpu block but without its txv to avoid sending liquid to the compressor. With a heat load being so small you might still grenade your compressor. If you put the evaporator back inline you’ll still be able to maintain -20c because that’s the temp your refrigerant can change phase at 40psi assuming it’s a 410a unit. Then the evaporator can fix the heat load issue and you won’t need to trick the sensors. Also you could direct the evaporators fan at the pc to help remove some humidity in the air and cool the rest of the pc.
Comment to bump this up, v good knowledge.
I had the same thought, not enough heat load. If your load is too small, you can have liquid refrigerant still getting to the compressor (which as you stated, is a bad thing).
Bump this up
I have no idea what you are sayin but you sound correct.
Agreed, with everything you said. I would imagine this unit is also over-pressurizing and tripping the safeties to protect the compressor. If they really wanted to control the system well, they could drop the evap coil in a bucket of water with a circulator and some propylene glycol (maybe even a small heater) to artificially load the AC unit and keep it from tripping, and keep the AC unit running for as long as they need.
11:29 this whole contraption on the desk with you both working on it looks like the time when Tony stark and the other guy in the cave making the DIY arc reactor and suit 😂
So happy to see Alex doing wacky cooling experiments again
Realy missed him.
Peak Alex for sure! With just the right amount of jank.
Alex is made for this stuff, it's even better when there's no linus rushing and breaking stuff.
Im so happy Linus let his kids title the video, such a good father.
S
@DIANA TAYLOR 🔥 nice.. now get tf out
that pun though
who said that
or madison
I just love when Alex is in a video, the amount of "fuck it, let's see what it does" is incredible, the segment with Kyle was really fun also, never seen him before :D
He's a new guy
Finally got it up and running. The only delays we had was because we realized we needed some extra parts (I’ll list that below) ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxihMYiJNXcHdbH-7ihymsLz61l7jVyb5O . So we have a loft where our current hvac just couldn’t seem to keep cool during the summer. We have been using a window unit since we bought this house over 6 years ago (all the houses in this neighborhood were built in the 80’s and majority of the houses built like ours use a window unit). I hate window units because they are just so noisy and the one we had really only cools one side of the loft. I had contemplated upgrading our current HVAC, but with all the rising prices these days, it would take years before saving up enough to do that. With the advice of my father-in-law (used to run an HVAC business), he recommended we get an inverter instead. We thought we bought everything we needed, but there were just a few other parts we didn’t anticipate needing (which is what caused most of our delay). My friend and father-in-law did all the work to get it installed and running and now we have nice cool air circulating nicely throughout the entire loft. It is very quiet and even the outside unit is much quieter than our main HVAC unit. Saved ourselves thousands getting this.
"Linus can we have hacksmith?"
Linus: "we have hacksmith at home"
Hacksmith at home: *gestures to alex and Brian*
That implies they’re inferior
@@eomoran i think superiority in engineering can be measured by the amount of tormach machines u have 😂
I was just coming to the comments section to point out that LTT is turning into HackSmith...
LTT presents _Canucksmith: Make It Surreal_
"So, after welding the cooling block to the vise, it's over to Alex for vaseline lube-ing and lying to the temp regulation thermocouples."
Honestly this is better than modern Hacksmith. It feels like reality TV.
I love Alex crazy experiments! More please!
Probably my favorite type of LMG content
Those crazy newfies, i'm telling ya
YES PLEASE! We want to see the PS5 water cooled! 😭😭
His jank engineering videos always feel like What-If XKCD series in a video form. Absolutely love it!
@Simon Franklin Interesting...microwave communication I suppose. I've also heard the use graphene films in optical trans receivers
A mini split was probably the worst type of AC unit to do this with lol, they have an incredible amount of sensors and safeties integral to the system. Im actually surprised you guys got it to run at all. A small window unit may be a better choice, much less going on internally. Also, you may consider simply running the cooling block in line with the evap coil, after the metering device and before the coil, although this may not reach the temps you guys would like. Perhaps a fix to that may be to restrict the airflow through the coil, either by disabling the fan, or blocking most of the coil. Also note that the compressor will suffer damage from all of this, and the head pressure may jump to extreme levels- worst case scenario it ruptures a line, especially if the high pressure safety is bypassed. If it does, evacuate the room and ventilate it, as refrigerant displaces oxygen. -HVAC Tech
That's a clever idea. Their problem is getting it to stop cycling, and having an extra load downstream of their cpu "evaporator" would allow that without sacrificing subcool temps.
Yeah, I bet they'd have better luck with a water fountain cooler or a thermistor window unit
I'd rather use a refrigerator compressor
@@lauratiso Wouldnt this just burn out due to the duty cycle?
Not enough refrigerant to displace the oxygen in this large room. Real hvac tech.
@@airgliderz Looks like a small unit, but its a word of caution simply because id rather them not take the chance. Must suck having such a shit attitude all the time 👍
I love this content and I need more like it. Jank engineering is what I live for. This is the most entertaining thing I've watched in a long while
Holy shit, whoever edited this deserves an award. Just as I was recovering from "unintentional VATS effect", "forbidden tiramisu" came and broke me, just in time for the Patrick face to absolutely slay me
Credits at the end says Alex P. (Aprime) edited it. He's their resident memelord & this is his usual editing style
time stamps?
"Yo, what's the CPU temp?"
"Negative forty degrees."
"Celsius or Fahrenheit?"
"Yeah."
celsius because Canada
nobody uses fahrenheit in pc building
kelvin one?
These replies are missing the fact that -40 is where C and F meet
@@SystemBot there are like 3 countries in the whole world that don't use the metric system, so its more like Fahrenheit because 'murica
As other comments have pointed out, i'm not convinced that evaporator block is actually causing all the refrigerant to evaporate and there is lost potential to get even better cooling performance. I'm also pretty sure that when the CPU is off/idle, there is less energy to facilitate the phase change, a lot of the refrigerant remains a liquid. The low pressure line (blue I think) shouldn't have frost on it, as this suggests to me liquid is going back to the compressor (backed up by the compressor getting all frosted). Liquid going into compressor = bad. Maybe try a larger volume/more heat fins for the CPU block? Somebody else suggested an expansion valve instead of an orifice which might help.
This is really interesting I understood not everything but still really interesting
I agree, the unit used is for a large room/small apartment. They could reduce the refrigerant charge to minimize the fluid back flow, or a 2nd txv to a separate heat load.
@@Darkmattermonkey77 reducing refeigerant charge, might result in the compressor not being able to build up enough pressure to liquify the refrigerant if im not mistaken.
Reducing the amount of refrig. mass flow would be a smarter option here i think.
Some liquid to go back to the compressor is usually fine, since it uses some of the refrigerant to cool its motor coils. But being careful with liquid backflow is probably a good advice.
@@ducktant slugging the compressor is not good at all. Hey that's one of them fancy inverter controlled units. could try adjusting the frequency to change the speed of the compressor.
Love these extreme cooling vids! Ever tried inverting the test bench so the condensation drips on the ground and not the mobo?
I imagine Alex walks into work everyday thinking "How can I make Linus spend a ridiculous amount of money for the next video?" 😂
Solid gold CPU block!
Bonus, they can use the Xbox controller as raw material.
Linus is already spending on new office lab, so guess Linus is looking forward too.
1m views in 14 hours tho so worth it
$200 is a drop in the bucket. If you break down the finances this video earns LMG 4 digits from UA-cam ads and another 4-5 digit figure from sponsor spots, plus change from affiliate links.
"I'm legally required to say no, I think."
Next time on Inside LTT: "Send it."
Alright ok a little passive but I see you 👀 invite me over and let’s cool a PC with a custom loop filled with refried beans
Yoooo I love your video on the Mini Fridge PC! I instantly thought about you when I saw this LTT video.
Ooh I hope you find home soon 🥺💔
Yesssss!! Refried are the best baby
They ripped your video idea off big time, Mr. Hummus.
It’s the man with the wii remote! Love the pc builds btw!
in hindsight, you could have probably just wire knotted the low voltage compressor wires on the mini split's board to the 24v and the common, and it wouldve made the compressor run without the time delay cycle and without having to warm up the ambient air thermistor. i could be wrong but this is what i do to test cooling while out in the field.
You can tell Kyle is a real Canadian engineer when he reminds himself that he's legally obligated to say no.
I've seen like 60 seconds of Kyle and he's already my favorite LMG member
I think Kyle is South African.
Pretty sure he isn't Canadian lol
@@mikeamber2528 yea but he has to be registered in Canada to practice as one tho.
@@mikefung9145 bingo
⛓️ Highly experienced HVAC Tech here… Evaporator coil’s are usually designed to operate at a specific temperature (42°F or so) dependent upon its metering device but is made not to exceed below the freezing temperature of water so that it will not freeze, make ice, expand, and break the evaporator coil releasing all of the refrigerant 👍
That’s another reason why it is good to change your air filter when you are supposed to (replacement time depends on the size and the thicknesses of your filter)
And never run a system without a filter or with a cheap filter that you can see through 🫣
The metering device also helps to keep the system balanced and keeps the compressor from getting flooded with liquid refrigerant which will immediately destroy the compressor because it is a vapor pump and not a liquid pump. Non condenables would usually destroy a compressor pretty quickly by throwing a rod or breaking a scroll plate compressor in multiple ways but in this case it is a mini split heat pump which will save you for a while because it has something that will capture and store that liquid refrigerant for a while! It’s called an accumulator and is usually installed on heat pumps to help the compressor from getting flooded by liquid refrigerant 🎉
We need more Brian content, this guy just makes me smile whenever I see him in an episode, kinda like Anthony
And bill
I love his laugh.
Yeah he's the cool hoarder guy lol that's all I can remember. 😂 But he's really handy
I miss the guy
HVAC tech Here with 15 years exp.
You would have a much much easier time using a drinking fountain to build your chiller. You can get a capillary tube that works as a perfect TXV any refrigeration shop can look up the length for you based on the compressor. Also, those fancy controls would go away and it would be simple as a closed contact to turn the compressors on.
I think a second evaporator after the cpu would be realy helpful for the pressure and freezing of the collector.
@@fail2160 A second evaporator for the GPU and any other component too. Like maybe just a general air evaporator just for cooling the air inside the case. Subco has a chart showing what length/diameter of capillary tube to use. I would honestly recommend a fairly high evaporator temperature though, just for the reason that you REALLY don't want condensation on electronics.
I like how the thumbnail shows the exhaust blowing the cpu.
I already love Kyle's accent and sense of humor, can't wait to see him in more videos
True I love him so much already
yea bro me too
I feel like Linus will eventually hire Brian. Dude is a master of his craft.
I can't wait!!
I hope so just so we see more of him, but I bet Brian makes plenty working for himself, so I bet he would need a big number to be convinced to work for someone else.
Hi, mechanical engineer here, active in the field of HVAC&R, from residential stuff to big industrial/commercial.
I would prefer a simpler on/off unit ( not a frequency inverter one ) mainly because i wouldn't need to reverse engineer the controller. I would just use a simple digital thermostat and a relay to power the compressor. Also, some of those have an electronically controlled expansion valve, PITA for your use case.
I would try to design the evaporator as an assembly tightened with fasteners and flanges. We use a lot valves and filters in the field that are made similarly. And I would try to put a cavity for the probe of the digital thermostat.
Did Bryan use an oxy-acetylene torch, or an acetylene only? An oxy--acetylene kit would be better for this one ( hotter flame, faster heating, faster brazing ).
You evacuate the circuit, first of all because humidity can plug the expansion orifice ( capillary tube, orifice, or expansion valve ). Secondary, some refrigerants can form acids if there is humidity in the circuit , and this causes premature wear in the components. Thirdly, because with flammable refrigerants there is a possibility for explosion ( air and fuel under pressure, is what makes diesel engines go brrr )
The compressor in the unit is probably three-phase. I haven't seen a vfd driven unit with a single phase AC current compressor. Though, it might be higher voltage than the one provided in Canada, in order to use smaller cross section of cables for a given amperage, and ( if I am not wrong) better efficiency.
I think the idea here with the VRF is the load. I reckon your compressor would short cycle into thermal overload with a traditional binary set-up given how fast the heat of a CPU would make your tstat call.
Thought the same thing with the torch though, haven't touched a turbo in ages but would recognize that sound from miles way.
There's a good chance they are hitting the low pressure cutout since that's not likely a low temp compressor. And very much agreed on not using a brushless DC compressor, unless they're going to spend a boatload of time reverse engineering the ESC. (Industrial refrigerating design engineer w/ electrical engineering background... this was a little painful to watch but very, very understandable if ya don't do it every day!)
I'm glad that they actually used brazing rods and not soft solder, but why does he keep calling it solder?
@@SITHRootz The digital thermostats I use have a min on/off timer, to prevent short cycling in harsh operating conditions ( for example, reach ins near stoves/grills etc during the summer, with a lot of door opening and shutting ).
@@Beastphilosophy brazing is often referred to as silver solder in hvac world.
You could have put the CPU block in loop of the actual AC. Also make a vacuum chamber to properly combat condensation.
I started an HVAC apprenticeship 2 years ago.
And since then have desperately been looking for a video about cooling PCs directly with a heatpump.
Thank you LTT for providing me with interesting content :)
Edit: After watching the video i would love to see you use a proper expansion valve in the follow up video. It makes controlling temperatures and condensation much easier. It would also probably bypass most of the issues you are facing with controlling the hvac unit, since it's set up to be used with an evaporator that uses an EV.
Due to the CPU thermal load characteristics an EEV (Electronic Expansion Valve) is probably a good option.
Really the only benefit of a EXV vs a TXV is the absence of a sensor bulb and that removes a risk of failure. Not to mention they were using gauge lines
@@saiya2521 that is a fair point. I didnt take into account that you couldnt really read out the cpu wattage to feed into a system to control the eev
Dude if ur an apprentice for 2 years about couldn't figure out how to do this loop they are not teaching you enough of what you need to know no offense. Less then 1 months in I was install full commercial grade systems trust, mini splits, and water source heat pumps. I guess the employer has other motives then his or her staff. I hope you have your CFCs by now at least. Im universal.
It already has a metering device inside the condenser section, that's how minisplits work. It might even be an EXV, but I don't know this model to be sure.
damn I wish youtube had a better messaging system. I am considering joining the HVAC trade as the systems fascinate me and it's basically in demand everywhere. I have some questions for you and the guy that apperently only took 1 month to get in
When tapping a hole, remember to only do quarter turns at a time, and continually back out the tap to clear out the picked-up debris. That prevents excess strain on the taps :)
When tapping a hole in copper, don't use your worst tap haha. I knew it felt bad from the start and it broke while doing the turn back -AC
@@LinusTechTips This is also good advice! Carry on and wonderful work! That cooler is a work of art!
@DIANA TAYLOR 🔥 This is also good advice! Carry on and wonderful work! That cooler is a work of art!
Also remember you can go a little bigger on your pilot hole than the chart recommends, helps a bit when you're hand tapping gummy material like copper. 60% thread height is fine for many situations, especially if you're doing a one-off like this.
@@LinusTechTips first rule in tapping dont use crappy taps... XD mighty decent video!
I am a big fan of Brian's laugh, it just makes you smile.
This has such a mythbusters vibe to it. I love Alex and his shenanigans.
I love that LTT has turned into a variety show, now with a custom shop for building crazy things like this!
@Check my about page link gtfo out of here pls
Odd profile choice
Seeing Brian laughing and giggling warms my heart, for real. And I love seeing more of Alex.
Brasil sil sil
I love this. As a fabricator and PC guy this is right up my alley. More please!
(coper work hardens, that will break your taps. If you're doing alot of work on the coper, quench it to make it soft again. Also, use flux to make soldering much easier and faster)
also the copper was getting way to hot during soldering
“PROPER TOOLS!!”
*lights torch with a Bic*
Brian the electrician is the only laugh track LTT needs
We need more of Alex doing crazy shit!!!!
As an HVAC installer, I really enjoy seeing you guys do things with Air Conditioners
It entertains me, but also scares me that Brian is their "expert"
Was fun but had to close my eyes whenever he started brazing, how hard would it of been to at least run a purge feed 😬
@@1480750 My thoughts too! 😂
@@tuitaco Yah It's a little cringe.They definitely need more research. A 410a unit is not the best option. or a heat pump for that matter.
Possibly my favourite project from Alex, Brian is the cherry on top
There's a super easy way to prevent the whole condensation issue with subzero cooling, just put the PC in an airtight enclosure. The volume of air in the enclosure won't contain anywhere near enough water vapor to cause problems, even if it condenses at a single point (you can do the math with the humidity and volume of air to see for yourself).
You get condensation issues because you're exposing the cold elements to the entirety of the air in the room (plus more due to the room's ventilation), which does contain a significant amount of vaporized water.
Using an airtight enclosure would allow you to bypass the standard sub-zero condensation mitigation practices that essentially ruin the PC components (vaseline etc.).
This is not hard to achieve.
While I have you here, to prevent algal formation in water-cooling loops (the gunk that you have to clean out of the loops periodically) simply boil the water for ~20 minutes before adding to the loop.
This is not to sanitize the water.
This is to degas the water, meaning there no dissolved CO2 for any biological contaminants to feed on.
Wouldn’t the caps get angry?
Sub zero oil PC.
@@PhaTs00p now we’re talking
@K B Two-three stage peltier + airtight enclosure would handle it the best
You might want to check out Tech Ingredients' AC cooler video ua-cam.com/video/DWVfaxqTyl4/v-deo.html
They just used the dry AC output air as intake, which avoids condensation. Worked even better with an air cooler for the CPU instead of an AIO.
I love seeing Alex do Electrical Engineering things, this is exactly the kind of things I'd want to do if I got an electrical engineering degree
I got one but hadn't the chance for such fun projects!
Is this electrical engineering? This seems very much a day in the life of an electrician.
I mean, I'm an electrician and I do things like this. Not sub-zero cool a PC like this but troubleshoot sensors like that on industrial machinery. And retrofit in new capabilities by modifying stuff. All normal automation/controls electrician work.
@@Morberis you work with embedded systems? C?
I have wanted to hook up my pc to a ac for a few years now but this video helped me change my mind because it doesnt seem to be worth it. I have been expecting sub 0 cpu temps.
@@GamrGalore3K Sometimes, but mostly PLC's.
I'm not saying this isn't electrical engineering. Just its also what many electricians have to deal with. If he would have had to start tracing out that board instead of talking about it then that's something, well something electricians sometimes still have to do but much more rarely. They do teach it up here in Canada in the electrician apprenticeship courses for a reason.
An electrician who does a lot of repair work on restaurant equipment will also have to deal with stuff like this.
The PC in a mini fridge was my first ever LTT video (thanks to the UA-cam algorithm). Amazing to see how far you guys have come!
it was also one of my first.
As an HVAC technician this is giving me an aneurysm.
The comment about using the aircon to cool the cryocooler is actually pretty sensible.
I used to work, many years ago, for a company that made and distributed heavy-duty cryo freezers for laboratory use, and at the extreme, they used up to four stages. This is for the type of labs that deal in class 4 pathogens, so each system of multi-stage compressors and refrigerants is dualled with a parallel one running from a completely independent power source with ultimate fallback to liquid nitrogen. Total redundancy there, but which thankfully, you don't need. If you think you know who we were supplying you may well be right, but I can't confirm or deny it. Those freezers are extremely bulky, extremely heavy, and eye-wateringly expensive! Less extreme ones though (2 or 3 loops, no redundancy) weren't nearly as bad in price or unwieldiness.
The difficulty outside that very specialised industry is in obtaining suitable refrigerants, as each stage needs to operate within a different temperature range. The readily available ones just don't go as cold as you might want - they stop evaporating and go back to the compressor as liquid, with predictable and messy results., so as you get in from the outer loop towards the inner one(s) you need refrigerants which have lower and lower boiling points. And each stage needs to be thermally insulated inside the one outside it. I'm afraid that as a lowly entry-level into that company I do not know what compounds were used as inner loop refrigerants, and it may have changed since then anyway - this was back in the late '70s.
The best way to avoid condensation and frosting is to run it in an anhydrous atmosphere - totally remove the humidity - and luckily the outer loop of refrigeration is rather good at doing that.
Be careful of static in a completely dry (as in below 5% humidity) environment though. Normally, the water in the air gives a nice slow leak-down of static, but dry air doesn't do that.
So grounded wrist straps all round, or one fingerpoken will cause spitzensparken mit puffensmoke und blitzkaput 😞.
what happened to you in last sentence? Did german inside you came out?
Although a very interesting topic you talked about
Sounds like a fun experiment for here in Arizona, unfortunately I doubt I even have funds for the cpu block, but otherwise schadenfreude!
ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENSPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Does it werf flammen?
@@MiGujack3 No, you need Hans for that.
2:25 such perfect, perfect timing. Alex you are a true machinist
I love that Linus is investing in a CNC machine shop. I’m quality engineer for Northrop Grumman. We program all the CMM and manage the quality department. If y’all keep pushing this direction you will get a CMM soon too. LETS GOOOO
I think they already have one in the making. You can tell by their job openings.
4:24 - wouldn't it be easier to spread solder powder between layers, clamp it together and then heat the whole thing rather than to mess around with regular solder stick?
solder powder doesn't handle higher pressures as well as a regular solder stick in some cases
DIYPerks used an oven to similar effect in his slim PS5 video
As someone who works with a ton of mini-split/ductless and knows how the inverter and controls work... this was the most entertaining video ever. you were brutally abusing this machine, and she was hurting the whole time, and I could hear the sounds it was making and the compressor wanted to die. @15:26 when I saw the frost on the compressor inlet, it made me bust out laughing. Thank you for combining my two passions, HVAC and computers, and making me laugh.
Honestly they could have circumvented so many of their problems with a traditional split system.
They could've abused one of those puppies so much easier.
@Check my about page link
Yep, nothing sketchy about that.
The comprrssor has usually an liquid seperstor so nothing to worry ^^ at least to a certain ammount xD I was more wondering why the havav guy didn't used an capillary tube instead of making it like they did ^^ coud have looked way cooler tho
@@jasonheidel3738 could’ve just used a refrigeration circuit low back pressure comp, all the usual trimmings with it would’ve got a lot lower than this split
Thank you Linus for letting the guys make some videos! It's good to see more of your crew in the videos that you guys produce.
Alex: "Does anybody want hearing protection?"
Brian: "WHAT!?"
Too late
I've been a cnc programmer for years and this was cool to see you guys doing machining
Videos with Alex are amazing. Videos with Brian too. Put those two together and you get this kind of genius entertainment! Well done everyone involved!
"Hey Brian, you wanna help us turn a Household Aircon into a CPU cooler?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Well, we DO have a Huge Fabrication workshop now.."
"*sigh* Fine..."
"Running a PC in a minifridge just doesn't work"
Basically Homeless would like a word
this needs more likes
Mr. Hummus Fridge Overclocking Gang in da house
Well, you mentioned minifridge, but is it a GFuel Minifridge?
By the way. Next time you try this if ever you should try a small plate exchanger. So refrigerant in and out one side of the plate then water pumped through and into a standard CPU cooler. Would be much easier to deal with. Essentially a small chiller system
Whenever Alex is on a video you know it's going to be a crazy one!. We need Alex's videos more often!.
This is exactly the kind of crazy shit I've been missing from LTT.
Linus!
More crazy shit please!
I swear Brian and Jake share genes. Same laugh, same humor, even the voice is 90% there.
1:01 Linus in the background getting screws 😂😂😂😂
"Wait, brrr because the cpu is cold, or brrr because it's running so fast?"
"Yes."
Or because the conditioner makes the Brrrr sound? 🤔
Both
I LOVE the Alex-Brian Combo, they should do more crazy projects together!
PS: And Kyle is a treat too!
It’s been a while since we got a jank set-up from Alex. It feels like coming home.
5:43 got the fallout vats sound (real)
I've been doing commercial and residential hvac for about 15 years now and I've considered doing this for a long time, but using a mini-split would have not been one of my choices because pretty much all of them are DC. You could have gotten any of a trillion used but good mini compressor for just about free out of any refrigerator or freezer in 110v AC. I want to judge your block and orifice theory as well but I'm old and have already complained enough today. Good video.
Fridge compressor won't pump enough heat most likely. Probably want 300 Watts and change at peak temperature differential.
I remember as a young enthusiast staring at phase change rigs that guys would post on old overclocking forums, and i loved the idea, i wanted to build one so bad, eventually did the closest thing i could and built a chilled water loop... after prepping my first motherboard for sub 0, i realized ho impractical the whole thing was.
TLDR art eraser haunts me to this day
Wen need more Brian! He's smart AND lighthearted. Great qualities for an on screen personality for these more technical videos!
I love how I could leave this video halfway through and come back an hour later and be less confused.
the first 20 seconds of this video is pure gold, have not even seen the rest yet but that was such a well organised well edited enthusiastic hype dump of information that was so good i just had to give kudos for it, even managed to squeeze Brian the electrician guy into it somehow like wow
Really cool project. You absolutely have to have a proper ESC to close feedback loop control that compressor, if you just let it run full power without a heat load the refrigerant will stop evaporating and you will flood your compressor, this is why it kicked into defrost (or just tripped the under temperature safety)
Also just because you have low temperatures, doesn't mean you have heat transfer capacity. That's why your temps shot up to 38 that quick. A saner approach to this would be to cool a 5 gallon of ethanol to the lowest temp you can. Bonus is you can reuse HVAC evaporator for this, just dunk in the 5 gal.
Next step is auto cascade, do you have a tank of CO2 ?
yeah, thermal resistance between the refrigerant and the copper block is probably the thermal bottleneck... Need an actual heat sink with fins, not just a smooth evaporator surface.
I don't think they can get a heat exchanger that's rated for CO2 pressures... At least never seen one!
I got a feeling we gonna see Brian more often in the future. I suspect Linus hired him as a part of his huge expansion.
Even though that mini-split condenser works well, now try putting a whirlpool HVAC condenser on it.
Brian is a legend for helping you guys. Trade qualified and experienced, and happy to help you out and have fun. MVP
Brian's laugh gives me life. 😊
This is something I had thought of doing myself in my first year of engineering when I was learning refrigeration. So cool to see it come to life!
As an HVAC technician and a computer nerd I am in love with this video 🤓👨🔧😄 I wish more people tried this stuff
They did in 1999. The product line lasted for a few years but ultimately remained too niche and too expensive.
I absolutely love when you guys and gals do these kind of projects! They are fun, sciencey, and you learn about engineering of both backyard and somewhat professional kind.
Also, I hope you hire Brian the Electrician. He seems to be a really good fit for the LTT Crew!
The Kryonaut is actually a really good heat paste, definitively worth it's money, though applying it might be a bit.. tedious, it's not like regular thermal goop, more like clay. I bought the tiny little 1 gram Kryonaut, applied as specified and still had some paste left in the applier tube after applying on both one CPU and replacing old paste on a GPU, (spread thinly over whole thermal region).
The amount of Canadian coming out of Brian's mouth is hilarious
im a licensed plumber in colorado and superintendent of construction and as a plumber that solders a lot with acetylene. brian should be choking the end of the torch till it feathers(it looks like a feather and whistles higher pitch) then turning it all the way up so that the torch actually focuses the heat and thats why he ended up burning the copper block initially. the copper doesn't need to blacken to solder, you only blacken while brazing. soldering is under 500f and brazing is 800f-1200f+. he could've used a smaller head for heat and focused about 6 inches from his work to use it more efficiently. please take this as a professional tip from someone utilizing similar everyday and not as an insult. im aware he used to do air conditioning but AC units are typically brazed so they can be purged with nitrogen.