"Carla Fong" wrote in message
news:M9c7f.3357$HW5.395@trnddc04...
Ignoramus5533 wrote:

I am thinking of making a homemade TIG water cooler. If I buy a
carbonator pump with motor, and I already have a nice condenser heat
exchanger (actually about 20 of little cute 12" ones), then all I need
in addition is a water reservoir (like a 5 gallon bucket), a 24 v
relay to turn on when my welding machine says so, and a little fan to
cool the heat exchanger. I have a lot of such fans. Am I missing
something?

thanks

Nobody has yet commented on the appropriateness of a carbonator pump for
this application -

I think it's a bad idea - carbonator pumps are high speed vane pumps,
(they're not positive displacement but they get unhappy (and hot enough to
boil the water in them) when throttled down...) And generally use a 1/4 or
1/3 HP motor - noisy and consume a lot of power.

For as little flow and pressure as you'll need, a pump from a garden
fountain should be fine - probably cheaper, too if you're buying one new.

Carla

I didn't know what a carbonator pump was so didn't say anything If it is
truely that big a pump it is overkill. A swamp cooler pump would be a good
choice also. They come in a 220V variety that may be handy if you want to
run it from the welder.
Glenn