# Vortex Chiller Instructions?



## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

I was reading a thread from Sept.-Oct. 2006 regarding the construction of a vortex fog chiller (the thread was called Vortex Chiller). The thread went on for 83 pages. I looked but there is a ton of information, and people were changing construction mid forum. Anyways I got really confused, and could not pull up alot of the links that were on the thread that may have given instructions. After reading almost half of the forum I couldn't tell what was an inlet, where was the outlet, where the 90 degree went, how big the expansion chamber was and so on. I have a 48 quart cooler that I was going to turn into a chiller like the gotfog one (straight mesh tube through cooler, with fogger on top of cooler). I already have one it works fine but the vortex idea looked like it worked better. I will use a 400 watt fogger unless I can find a 700 watt in the next couple of months. Can I use this type of chiller with a 400 watt fogger? If so does anyone have detailed instructions that I could use to build this, pictures of how to would also help. If anyone has this please let me know.
Thanks


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

I remember that thread - it's huge, alright. There were a lot of design iterations and changes as the thread evolved, and it would be difficult to pull the details out. To take a look at the instructions for the Vortex chiller, go here:
http://www.vortexchillers.com/
Look for the text (60 LBS) and click on the exclamation point at the end of that sentence. The link will take you to a page showing the manual for the chiller.


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## gmacted (Jan 18, 2006)

The first post in the Vortex Chiller thread has a working link to the manual. I updated it a couple of years ago and I just checked it and it still works.

The thread is so long and who would think that the first post would have a working link!

Long live the Vortex Chiller thread!


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

I have seen the Vortex link before but I still don't understand how to build it. Is this set up similar to the Fog on the Rocks design. I kinda understand how to build that one. I see that there is a 90 degree elbow that goes throught the ice tray but I can't tell how much room is left over, I am assuming that this is the inlet pipe. Do I need to use a "Y" pipe for the inlet? Basically what I am asking is that somebody has a detailed step by step plan to build this thing that I could use. I am going to keep checking the web. If anybody has detailed plans possibly with pictures it would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks


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## dionicia (Aug 4, 2007)

Have you tried the how to on www.gotfog.com? I build several using those plans.


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

I have a gotfog chiller. I like it but I thought I would try something different. I am hoping to find instructions similar to the gotfog chiller, but for the vortex type. It looks like it might work well and seems to be well tested.


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## gmacted (Jan 18, 2006)

Night Watchman said:


> I have seen the Vortex link before but I still don't understand how to build it. Is this set up similar to the Fog on the Rocks design. I kinda understand how to build that one. I see that there is a 90 degree elbow that goes throught the ice tray but I can't tell how much room is left over, I am assuming that this is the inlet pipe. Do I need to use a "Y" pipe for the inlet? Basically what I am asking is that somebody has a detailed step by step plan to build this thing that I could use. I am going to keep checking the web. If anybody has detailed plans possibly with pictures it would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks


The "Fog on the Rocks" design led to the "Vortex Chiller" design. The only difference between to two designs is that the Vortex Chiller does not use the "Y" pipe at the inlet and the Vortex Chiller uses a square shaped cooler. When the "Fog on the Rocks" design first came out there were no "ice cube" shaped coolers on the market. I personally like the "Y" pipe at the inlet with a 90 degree bend leading to the top of the cooler. That works best for me, but as you can tell from the thread, everyone has had differing opinions based on their cooler size and shape and the wattage of their fogger.

Unfortunately, I do not have any detailed plans for the chiller, but I know there used to be several detailed pictures scattered throughout the thread.

Member "Fright Zone" did the most testing and posted his results as videos.

If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me and I will answer them to the best of my memory. To be honest the whole project was fairly simple and didn't take all that long to complete.

You could also "revive" the thread and I'm sure you will get a lot of feedback from other members who have posted in the thread as most people were very good at posting their experiment results.


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## screaminscott (Oct 13, 2006)

*Vortex fog chiller.*

If you search for "vortex fog chiller" on you tube, you will find several videos of the actual fog chiller and homemade versions.

I used to have a diagram of the chiller from another forum way back, but lost it. So here is a picture I drew from what I remember.










The basic premise of the chiller is that the fog rises up through the ice, and then falls down through the outlet pipe. I don't know the exact measurements involved. I'm sure they aren't that important, unless you are manufacturing them for maximum efficiency, as Deathlord did.

I have seen some claims that the amount of fog actually increases due to moisture picked up from the ice, but I'm not sure if that is true. I suppose it could happen, since moisture could condense on small vaporized particles of fog juice, and make them larger and more visible. This is how regular fog is formed, when atmospheric moisture condenses around dust particles in the air.

I should mention also that the chiller design is patented. You may not know, but patented designs can't even be built by someone else. Lawsuits usually aren't brought against someone who just builds a patented item for personal use, because they typically aren't worth the time and money. But you never know how zealous an inventor may be. So build it if you like, but keep it under the radar.


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