Designed for large-scale hydroponic grow rooms, hydroponic chillers from Klosco Solutions can achieve the close temperature control required for optimal plant growth.
Why You Need a Water Chiller System for Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a special type of hydroculture that grows plants in nutrient-rich, water-based solutions rather than soil. Like regular nurseries, hydroponic systems require light from the sun or grow lights for crops to develop properly.
Temperature management is also critical to growing plants hydroponically as several plants develop optimally at specific temperatures. For example, cucumbers thrive at higher temperatures.
There are several ways to control the ambient temperature of hydroponic reservoirs such as using water-cooled systems, reflective metal to shield the reservoir from ambient heat, or investing in a hydroponic water chiller. Of all the temperature control methods, industrial chillers provide the best cooling efficiency.
What Is a Hydroponic Chiller?
A hydroponic chiller is a system that provides process cooling for hydroponic reservoirs. High water temperatures can have a severe impact on the growth of your plants. The ideal water temperature for hydroponics fosters a good balance between oxygen usage and metabolism of your plants. For commercially-cultivated plants, this can be anywhere from 59 to 86°F.
How Do Hydroponic Chillers Work?
Hydroponic water chillers have the same principle of operation as standard industrial chillers. The nutrient-rich solution within the system is circulated through the chiller which contains cooling coils that chill it to the required temperature.
Benefits of Hydroponic Water Chillers
Industrial chillers can be used to achieve temperature control within hydroponic cultures to aid proper plant growth. A water chiller system for hydroponics offers the following benefits over other process cooling methods:
- High-efficiency cooling with reliable operation
- Suitable for large-scale hydroponic systems
- Some manufacturers offer custom chiller sizes
- Remote operation via PLCs to monitor and regulate process temperatures
What Size Chiller Do I Need for My Grow Room Cooling Systems?
To find the best water chiller for hydroponics, you may use the following steps:
- First, determine the approximate volume of water in your hydroponic system (in gallons).
- Next, try to find the maximum temperature of your process. You can achieve this by turning on all appliances that generate heat or recording the temperature of the system during the hottest period of the day.
- Cool the system down to the required temperature using ice packs to avoid increasing the volume of water in the system.
- Once you reach the desired temperature, remove the ice from the system and circulate the process water.
- Record the temperature of the system after you first removed the ice packs.
- After an hour, record the current temperature of the system.
- Subtract your starting temperature from your current temperature and record this value, known as the temperature differential.
- Find your ideal chiller capacity in BTU/hr using this simple formula: Volume of water in the system (in gallons) * 8.34 * Temperature Differential (in °F)