Hot and getting hotter

[johnssm]

I have a 215 Oceanic aquarium with metal halides (750 watts) and power compacts (300 watts).

I also have 3 pumps in the 60 gallon sump, plus one closed loop circulation pump outside the sump. Obviously, this setup is making the water temp go up (90 F midday). I also live in Texas, and it ain't even got hot yet!

So, I got a 1/3 HP Prime chiller (no controller) and then purchased a ReefKeeper Lite as well. I set the Reefkeeper to keep the temp at 78F (.4 hysteresis). This setup works well at keeping the temp at 78F. Problem is the room is hot. This room is suffering from the heat coming off of the chiller now. My wife says this is unacceptable, so I have to solve this heat issue. All I have accomplished so far is to transfer the heat from the water in the DT to the air in the room!

My thoughts about what to do are below:

1) Keep working on the chiller and Reefkeeper settings to get the external temp probe not to work the chiller so much. I have the temp probe directly in front of the return pipe from the chiller. Should I move the temp probe away from the return, to get a more accurate measurement of the temp of the aquarium and not the chiller output? If so, where should it be located?

2) I personally believe, that in the Texas heat this summer, I'll have to figure another way to get rid of the heat. And the only way I can think to remove the heat is to install an exhaust fan around the chiller and remove the heated air out of the room (through the wall/attic).
Or, install a central vac that will pull the air out of the room.
What if I plumbed the hot air into the central air return line?

3) Go buy a bigger chiller, that won't have to huff and puff so hard?


Other comments:

The chiller pump can handle up to 1200 GPH, but I have it slowed to about 700 GPH, I believe, if my calculations are right. i haven't played to much around with adjusting the flow up or down. The chiller is the Prime Modular 1/3hp (used).

The room has central air and heat, but doesn't get good air flow due to other factors (farthest from the plenum).

Room is facing due west, with other electronics in the room as well.

If I sit the chiller out in the middle of the room, it doesn't seems to work as hard, or take so long to finish a cycle. It normally sits in a corner of the room. I assume that air flow around the chiller is a big concern.

I don't have another room adjacent to the DT to relocate the chiller, so the heat problem has to be solved where it is.

I don't have alot of fish or coral load right now. This tank is 3 months old. All residents are ok now, since the temp is staying consistant.

Ok, please help me with your suggestions and wisdom. Before we melt here.

 

[melev]

Can you post some pictures of your set up?

if the tank is enclosed with stand and canopy that are essentially sealing in the heat, you'll want to create some openings. Vent holes, computer cooling fans both work well to reduce the heat build up.

If your tank has glass tops, take them off. This allows for better ventilation.

If your chiller is in the stand, the heat is being trapped inside. The chiller works harder and costs more to run. If you could connect a plenum to the back of the chiller and vent that heat up inside the wall and into the attic, that would help immensely. Basically a duct connection. Some fish stores have done that to wick away the heat coming off their chillers, letting the customers enjoy a cooler visit.

 

[washingtond]

I have two comments. First, and don't know if this an option for you, I located my chiller in the garage. Second, I know that Frank of Frank's Tanks exhausted the chillers in his store (old location) and it greatly reduced his electric bill by removing the heat out of the store space.

 

[Wicked Irish]

Im pretty new to running reefs but my first thought when you said buy a bigger chiller ( I looked up the pricing of the Prime Modular 1/3hp ) was why not start converting to LED? I cant imagine running 750 watts in metal halide, and overall would it not only drop temp a massive amount but also save you a bundle and pay for itself in energy cost?

 

[KnH]

@Wicked Irish wrote:

I would sell the lights (1000 watt Heater) and chiller and get a LED setup [smilie=wink.gif]

 

[Wes]

i have a 210 with 3x250 halides and all summer last year i kept the temp in check (under 80) with just fans blowing across the sump for evaporative cooling. i do keep my house at 75 degrees though so that helps.

 

[DFW]

@Wes wrote:

Do you get salt creep everywhere when you do that?

David

 

[Wes]

nothing excessive

 

[DFW]

I would have thought it would be a mess if you had enough air movement to get that kind of cooling. But you only run your halides for how long every day? I have heard from 5 hours to 11 hours, which would make a big difference in heat.

David

 

[melev]

I too use fans to cool my tank in the past, although I maintain the fishroom's temperature with a small a/c unit. No chiller though. And I have 1220w of light.

 

[Wes]

6 hours halides, 3 hours 160 watts t5s before and after

 

[Hardtack]

@Wicked Irish wrote:

Great advice. That would be a win-win situation to make the switch. My brother has the same problem, to the point where he's got an a/c in the tank room to offset the heat from 1200 watts of MH and a chiller. He has the a/c vented out. He's looking into LEDs, giving it a little more time to really develop.

 

[bimmerzs]

I run 2 400W running 10hrs a day along with another 300-400W in T5/VHO's. Keep the tank at ~76* mostly with a fan over the sump controlled by my apex, also have a chiller plumbed from the garage to help if needed. I evap 3-4G a day on my 130G tank.

Cheers,

 

[johnssm]

Hi I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I have decided to move the chiller outside and run insulated pipes through the wall. I'll locate it on a carport that gets alot of shade and airflow. I'll start on the project, this weekend, in the meantime, if you have any other thoughts, please leave them here, I'll be checking back in. Thanks to all!

 

[washingtond]

@johnssm wrote:

Be sure to locate where the weather, dust, bugs, and elements in general cannot get to it. Also make sure that the location is secure so that thieves don't have access, when you say carport I am thinking it is in a semi-open area. Make sure the feed pump is large enough to handle the increased head pressure and you should be good to go.

 

[ReefNut2010]

Just wondering how you would keep dust and bugs out if placed outside.

 

[Ocean Water]

First of all, DANG JOHN SHARE SOME OF THAT WEALTH MAN big tank 750w MH 3 pumps, must have vortec and all that, chiller too dang !!!!!!!!!!!

CHA CHING !!!!!!!!

anyway, try a portable air condish by the window, or fan inside that canopy or dehuminizer or all 3 and throw a fan up on that ceiling too.

I mean after all the goodies you have for the tank, the whole set up. I wouldnt think that you would not have the money for a dehuminizer or a fan, or an air condition unit.

Also try t-5 ???

 

[washingtond]

@Ocean Water wrote:

There is doing a tank right or doing it cheap. Doing it cheap will cost you more in the end most of the time.

Here is a short history of what led to us getting a chiller on a 200 gallon tank with MH lighting that has been set up for 6 years now.

First year we tried to use the house central air to keep the tank temps down. (Was very costly in terms of our electric bill.)

Second year we tried to vent cold air from a portable air conditioning unit. (It did not really work.)

Half way through the second year we added a chiller. Problem solved and started saving money on our electric bill.

By the way we added a chiller last year on our 75 gallon tank which only has T5 lighting. We keep the room temperature at 78 saving more money on our house cooling bill.

The point is that trying to avoid buying a chiller actually cost us more money.

 

[Ocean Water]

im not saying there are cheap ways in the reef hobbie or to lower your tank temp

I have a couple of plastic contaiesr that i use to freeze my RO water and every day i drop a couple of cubes in the tank ( and i by cubes its 5X5 cubes not for drinking water cubes LOL). Save me time from top off, and keep my water tad bit below 78

As for cheapness, there are things that people cant afford and can afford, and there are techniques that people prefer for their tank. ie my 55g

Well, you are going to say, oh but in the reef industry, there are no such thing as cheap. I believe everyone who has a saltwater tank understand that, but also not everyone is making the same kind of salary nor do they have the same reference as to having the same set up.

But hey, whatever floats ur boat.