DIY Chiller?

[jason sartain]

Has anybody tried this?I've seen the fridge type on the net with alot of works,doesn't work comments.I wonder???
My tank stays at around 79-80 degrees all the time, with a little spike to 81 now and then,should I even bother with the idea?

 

[hfleming]

Refridgerators remove heat at a very slow rate. In all likelyhood the pump used to circulate water through the fridge will put more heat in than the fridge is taking out.

 

[enderg60]

simple answer refridgerators will not work for this.

The only effective way to make a DIY chiller is with a window A/C, hack off the evaporator and replace it with a chiller barrel with titanium tubing, then have a HVAC guy come and charge the system.

Not something I recommend for almost anyone to do themselves, but I have the bits to make a 4/5hp chiller(just need to have my ac guy come charge it) and it cost me about $175 total in parts.

 

[jason sartain]

OK but do I really need to worry about it with my temp at 79-80 all the time?

 

[smoothie]

I would invest in more fans. A diy chiller as stated would cause more external heat and there is alot of copper tubing to replace

 

[enderg60]

dawgdude;420982 wrote: Where do you find Titanium tubing and how much does that cost per foot?

ebay, i got mine for $3.00 a foot, and at 3/8" ID you need about 20-25 feet of tubing per ton or hp of cooling.

you can also find premade chiller barrels as well.


and as stated, go with fans and a temp controller before going the chiller route, its MUUUCH cheaper.

 

[jason sartain]

dawgdude;420994 wrote: Are you able to verify it never drops lower than 79 or higher than 81? I like to keep my tank +-1 degree but I dont think 2 degrees will do much of anything to the inhabitants as long as everything else is stable.

Well I don't look at it during the night or anything,but when I goto bed and when I wake up it is usually at 80.---.
I have a pretty good t-stat that is really acurate.If I leave the fish room door closed it goes up a little because the heat can't escape the room.
I'm also thinking of cutting in a exault fan in the ceiling to pull out the heat.
I am fine with the temp at 79-80,and everything seems to be happy in the tank.
I've just seen alot of people chilling tanks around 76-77 degrees and wondered if I needed to for some reason.

 

[schwaggs]

If you know it never gets above 81, you are fine IMO.

I run mine at that level in the summer, but around 76 in the winter. I don't have much of a problem at 76, everything just grows slower, including algae.

Be careful with the fans on such a big system. If you evaporate too much water into the air and don't take it out, you can end up with mold problems.

 

[c-buzz]

EnderG60;420976 wrote:
The only effective way to make a DIY chiller is with a window A/C, hack off the evaporator and replace it with a chiller barrel with titanium tubing, then have a HVAC guy come and charge the system.

So how did you weld titanium to copper?

jason sartain;420953 wrote: Has anybody tried this?I've seen the fridge type on the net with alot of works,doesn't work comments.I wonder???
My tank stays at around 79-80 degrees all the time, with a little spike to 81 now and then,should I even bother with the idea?

Yes I made a diy chiller out of mini bar fridge parts & it works exceptionally well. But mine isn't exactly a standard fridge.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/53056-diy-refrigerated-aquarium-chiller.html">http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/53056-diy-refrigerated-aquarium-chiller.html</a>

C-BuZz

 

[grouper therapy]

C-BuZz;427873 wrote: So how did you weld titanium to copper?



Yes I made a diy chiller out of mini bar fridge parts & it works exceptionally well. But mine isn't exactly a standard fridge.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/53056-diy-refrigerated-aquarium-chiller.html">http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/53056-diy-refrigerated-aquarium-chiller.html</a>

C-BuZz[/QUOTE]

what size tank is that for?

 

[c-buzz]

grouper therapy;427878 wrote: what size tank is that for?

Was using it on my 25/26Gallon tank.

C-BuZz

 

[enderg60]

you dont weld the two, you use compression fittings.

and he never says what size compressor that is. it looks big enough to be off a mid size fridge.

and that doesnt change the fact that those compressors are made to run about 10% of the time. it will burn out alot faster. People seem to think that just because it works now its a good idea. What about next year when it breaks and your out the $100 and back where you started?

 

[swfk44]

jason sartain;420985 wrote: OK but do I really need to worry about it with my temp at 79-80 all the time?

when you talk temps around here you open a huge bag of worms. to answer your ? in my opinion if your tank is that consistat you have nothing to worry about.

i thought about burying several hundred feet of plastic tubing deep enough in the ground and putting it on a thermostat and recirulate it to the tank, i think it's been done.

 

[c-buzz]

EnderG60;427885 wrote: you dont weld the two, you use compression fittings.

and he never says what size compressor that is. it looks big enough to be off a mid size fridge.

and that doesnt change the fact that those compressors are made to run about 10% of the time. it will burn out alot faster. People seem to think that just because it works now its a good idea. What about next year when it breaks and your out the $100 and back where you started?

The compressors I use are free so what you talking about? Compressors are made to run 24/7 actually & I have used them in other application's where they run 24/7 for many many years. They only run 10% of the time because thats how refrigerators are designed, controlled by a thermostat.

C-BuZz

 

[enderg60]

If you really dont want to listen to a HVAC design engineer fine, but dont talk out of your ***.

 

[c-buzz]

EnderG60;428034 wrote: If you really dont want to listen to a HVAC design engineer fine, but dont talk out of your ***.

Have you actually used a small compressor in a situation like this before? I'll bet you haven't.. Why do you need a HVAC guy to come charge it if your so highly qualified? I never talk out of my *** like some. Because I've actually done it many times before, have you? Here is my resume:

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=384196">http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=384196</a>

I've built more than 35 phase change units, including a dual 1HP rotary -115c cascade which I built more than 4 years ago & it's still going strong to this day, so don't give me that crap.

When people like you say things like this it makes me :shout: HVAC design engineer or not, you obviously aren't speaking from experience.

I build/run phase change unit almost identical to this for my computer which is worth a hell of a lot more than my fish tank, which I had running for &gt;3yrs 24/7 until I took it down.

Go learn about what compressors are capable of before you start mouthing off.

C-BuZz

 

[swfk44]

Fight, Fight, :mad2::bash::bash2::grrr::lol: yall have a beer and go look at the fishies :fish::fish::fish:

 

[thanh386]

I like ice. Ice will chill anything

 

[enderg60]

C-BuZz;428136 wrote: Have you actually used a small compressor in a situation like this before? I'll bet you haven't.. Why do you need a HVAC guy to come charge it if your so highly qualified? Because I've actually done it many times before, have you? Here is my resume:

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=384196">http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=384196</a>

I've built more than 35 phase change units, including a dual 1HP rotary -115c cascade which I built more than 4 years ago & it's still going strong to this day.

I build/run phase change unit almost identical to this for my computer which is worth a hell of a lot more than my fish tank, which I had running for &gt;3yrs 24/7 until I took it down.

C-BuZz[/QUOTE]


Im not saying there are not compressors that will work, just not off your typical small refridgerator. The system capacity is not high enough, and the end cost is not low enough for your average person to make it worth while.

P.S. if your computer is worth more then your fish tank your doing it wrong.

 

[enderg60]

dawgdude;428142 wrote: Ok ok ok guys.....to your corners. Lets keep the animosity and shots at each other to a minimum.

Screw you, your not a moderator! you can tell me what to do!