I have been out of the sailing scene since '98. I saw a cabin cooling system called Cool Currents. It consisted of a 20' water hose, a pump, attached to a radiator and fan. It supposedly used less than an amp. The idea was you drop the hose with the strainer in as deep of water as you could get it, water would run through the radiator and pull heat from the air pushed by the fan. I have tried finding the product online with no success. Has anyone used these or something like it? Does anyone know what happened to the company? The idea seems simple enough to build my self, but would like more info before wasting time and money.
Cool Currents?????
- Thread starter Capn Jack
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Here's a link
to a 2002 article in PS on cool currents. There may be enough info for you to track it down. I search for "cool currents" in quotes, and got a hit on a discussion board, which led here. Have fun!
to a 2002 article in PS on cool currents. There may be enough info for you to track it down. I search for "cool currents" in quotes, and got a hit on a discussion board, which led here. Have fun!
Thermocline
In some lakes this should work well some of the year. Deep lakes usually form a thermocline that gradually goes deeper as the season progresses. The surface 10' or so might be 80 degrees but below that the water is 55 degrees. This is why a wetsuit is required for diving year round. Towards september and august the thermocline might be 40' deep or more. One mountain lake that I've dove in regularly has a theromocline down about 80' of more at the end of the season. But usually there isn't a strong thermocline in the ocean and shallow lakes/bays as wind ,tide ,currents etc mixes the water. The surface water in Wheeler lake was 88 degrees this past weekend and I doubt that would provide much cooling. I was only snorkling to clean my boat hull but didn't notice the water being any cooler at about 10'.
In some lakes this should work well some of the year. Deep lakes usually form a thermocline that gradually goes deeper as the season progresses. The surface 10' or so might be 80 degrees but below that the water is 55 degrees. This is why a wetsuit is required for diving year round. Towards september and august the thermocline might be 40' deep or more. One mountain lake that I've dove in regularly has a theromocline down about 80' of more at the end of the season. But usually there isn't a strong thermocline in the ocean and shallow lakes/bays as wind ,tide ,currents etc mixes the water. The surface water in Wheeler lake was 88 degrees this past weekend and I doubt that would provide much cooling. I was only snorkling to clean my boat hull but didn't notice the water being any cooler at about 10'.
This reminds me of...
A "swamp cooler". When I lived in Iran, our house was cooled by a swamp cooler. Nothing more than water running over a filter and a blower sucking in warm air through the filter. The air cools down and is blown through the house, cooling the house. Worked really well. This looks or sounds like the same principle. Maybe you should do a search on swamp coolers. Check out the link for a $200 swamp cooler.
A "swamp cooler". When I lived in Iran, our house was cooled by a swamp cooler. Nothing more than water running over a filter and a blower sucking in warm air through the filter. The air cools down and is blown through the house, cooling the house. Worked really well. This looks or sounds like the same principle. Maybe you should do a search on swamp coolers. Check out the link for a $200 swamp cooler.
Not on Texhoma
The lake isn't deep enough to do what you want. That is until January rolls around.
The lake isn't deep enough to do what you want. That is until January rolls around.
Lived in AZ and had a swamp cooler.
They work quite well in dry climates but they seem to loose their effectiveness in high humidity. Here in Florida with almost 100% humidity they do not seem to work at all.
They work quite well in dry climates but they seem to loose their effectiveness in high humidity. Here in Florida with almost 100% humidity they do not seem to work at all.
This is an evaporative cooler
and will only work with dry air/low humidity, just as our sweat cooling system works. When the air is laden with moisture, less can evaporate and so it provides less cooling.
and will only work with dry air/low humidity, just as our sweat cooling system works. When the air is laden with moisture, less can evaporate and so it provides less cooling.
This IS NOT a swamp cooler!!!!
I grew up in Texas and know what a swamp cooler is. This is not one. Swamp coolers work by evaporation of the water to drop the temp.of the air. This one works by pulling cold water from like 20' below the boat running it threw a radiator to pull heat from the air(much like how a regular a/c works). No humidity is added to the air in the cabin as the water is pumped over board after running through the radiator cell. I don't know much about thermocline, but do know that when I snorkel down to set my anchor deeper than 10' there is a noticable temp. drop. I was just hoping for more info from someone who has used one. Thanks for all the suggestions.
I grew up in Texas and know what a swamp cooler is. This is not one. Swamp coolers work by evaporation of the water to drop the temp.of the air. This one works by pulling cold water from like 20' below the boat running it threw a radiator to pull heat from the air(much like how a regular a/c works). No humidity is added to the air in the cabin as the water is pumped over board after running through the radiator cell. I don't know much about thermocline, but do know that when I snorkel down to set my anchor deeper than 10' there is a noticable temp. drop. I was just hoping for more info from someone who has used one. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Hand setting Anchor
I do from time to time depending on what the bottom is like. On texoma, being it is a manmade lake, there is a lot of hard clay bottoms. If that is what is there, I set it by hand.
I do from time to time depending on what the bottom is like. On texoma, being it is a manmade lake, there is a lot of hard clay bottoms. If that is what is there, I set it by hand.
Water Cooler Than Air
Thermoclines are highly variable. In a wind the warm water is pushed downwind to side of the lake making the thermocline deeper on one side and shallower on the other. There are usually a few thermoclines in a deep lake except at the spring and fall turnovers where the water is essentially the same temperature all the way to the bottom. South Holston lake in NE Tennessee is where I have the most experience. This is a deep lake over 200' in places and the bottom water is usually about 50 degrees. In summer you may have surface water the top 10' or so about 80 and from 10-40' the water be about 10 degrees colder. Below that you have the 50 degree crystal clear water. Sometimes you even have leaves etc sitting on top of this colder water. Most of the fish stay above this cold water especially bass and sunfish. Depending upon the currents thermoclines are much less pronounced in the ocean and in my experience is a gradual cooling as you go deeper. Pumping 50 degree water through a radiator would definately cool a boat in the 80's. But I don't know that it would help a lot to pump 70 degree or warmer water. Of course I've been in Texas when it's over 100 and maybe any temperature drop would help. But the other day at Wheeler the temperature was about 92 and unless you went deep "which I didn't" the water was 88 degrees. I doubt that I'd notice a 4 degree temperature drop. On the other hand it would seem easy to get a pump some hose an old car radiator with it's attached 12 volt fan and make one of these systems. Buying a water pump would probably be the most expensive part.
Thermoclines are highly variable. In a wind the warm water is pushed downwind to side of the lake making the thermocline deeper on one side and shallower on the other. There are usually a few thermoclines in a deep lake except at the spring and fall turnovers where the water is essentially the same temperature all the way to the bottom. South Holston lake in NE Tennessee is where I have the most experience. This is a deep lake over 200' in places and the bottom water is usually about 50 degrees. In summer you may have surface water the top 10' or so about 80 and from 10-40' the water be about 10 degrees colder. Below that you have the 50 degree crystal clear water. Sometimes you even have leaves etc sitting on top of this colder water. Most of the fish stay above this cold water especially bass and sunfish. Depending upon the currents thermoclines are much less pronounced in the ocean and in my experience is a gradual cooling as you go deeper. Pumping 50 degree water through a radiator would definately cool a boat in the 80's. But I don't know that it would help a lot to pump 70 degree or warmer water. Of course I've been in Texas when it's over 100 and maybe any temperature drop would help. But the other day at Wheeler the temperature was about 92 and unless you went deep "which I didn't" the water was 88 degrees. I doubt that I'd notice a 4 degree temperature drop. On the other hand it would seem easy to get a pump some hose an old car radiator with it's attached 12 volt fan and make one of these systems. Buying a water pump would probably be the most expensive part.
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