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Lowering temp. (1 Viewer)

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G

Guest

I now have a temp problem after doubling my lights. What is the most effective way to lower the temp. Sucking the hot air out. Blowing cold air in. Having a fan blow constantly over the sump. When I was using PC my temp stayed at 81 now even though my house is 70 degrees the temp from the vhos rises all day until it hits 87. I have been putting ice bottles in the sump after I discovered the problem but I have to go to work on Monday so I need to get this figured out tommorrow.
 
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Cakepro

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Evaporative cooling over the sump and/or keep a good circulation of fresh air between the bulbs and the water surface. You don't want to try to cool the bulbs themselves but rather remove the heated air from above the water's surface.

Those VHO's put out a surprising amount of heat compared to PC's.

~ Sherri
 
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Guest

I even have the ballast outside of the tank and the Ice Cap 660 is supposed to be highly effective. I never thought that VHOs would be so hot but I can feel the heat when I lift up the hood.
 
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Brad

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I have 4x110 IC VHO and put two 3' computer fans blowing into the back of the hood, one on each end. They are set up at about a 45 degree angle so they blow across the water from the back left and right towards the front middle. They keep my temp on my 55 down to 80. I have them on a timer that goes on an hour or so after the lights go on and turn off about the same time as the lights.
 
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Guest

I was going to say in the VHO v. PC thread that heat transfer was the main drawback to VHO. But, you can overcome the heat problem. One key is air exchange. Raise your lights a bit, the penetration won't make much difference if you add a few inches off the water. Every bit of airspace you add under your canopy will help. Add both in-flow air and out-flow air. The most efficient air-flow will be from end to end, so put your fans on the ends or as near the ends as possible in your canopy.

Other suggestions? Put a fan over your sump. Go with an external return pump instead of that convenient and space worthy internal one.
 
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G

Guest

I use a 4" fan to cool my 90 gallon tank.(eventually gonna hook up 2nd fan)
I use to have it just on with the lights, now I have a ranco temp controller, so the fan comes on and off throughout the day.
 
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G

Guest

It would take me rebuilding my canopy to raise the lights and putting computer fans in the canopy is no easy task either. How effective do you think a small fan over the sump would be.
 
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Wildfire

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tcarlson,

Sump fan will help (but very little). If you REALLY want to get some good evaporation from the sump, put a small fan over it, and add a very low flow powerhead with a air-bubbler into the sump to produce a gazillion small bubbles which will break the surface tension and REALLY drop the temp.... Problem is, you will greatly increase your evaporation, so be prepared to make a LOT more fresh water ( when the house gets hot, and the temp goes up, I can evap about 3 gallons per day to keep the temp down around 80 )

If you start looking at chillers, I can help you with what I've found (although not an expert, I've read a LOT of thermodynamic theory) and am trying to save up the money and figure out where to place one...

Anyone who is currently running a chiller can chime in on this thread (I would really appreciate it) and let me know what model / rating you are using? I am needing about a 5 degree pulldown on a 180g water volume. It needs to be QUIET, and effecient....

Hope this helped out, and thanks in advance to any replies!
 
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G

Guest

No chillers for a 25G tank. I hate it just when I think I am done with doing anything to this tank I have to rebuild my canopy. I thought I was at the grow, frag, and trade point - no more buying equipment, corals, or fish. I am going to try the fan today otherwise I'll have to draw up a better design for a canopy unless some one has something sitting around that I could easily modify.
 
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G

Guest

Where did you get the computer fans at and how did you plug them in?
 
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AggieBrandon

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tcarlson,

I have 4 vho's over my 37 gallon and the way i keep my tank cool is with 4 computer fans (2 on each side). The bulbs blow across the bulbs as well as the water. I evaporate approximately 1-2 gallons per day depending on the temperature but I did have to add a heater to keep the tank at 81 constantly. The best way to run the fans is to go to your local radio shack type store and purchase a 12 volt adapter. I wired all my fans together and then placed a rocker switch on the line so I can turn them on and off at will. I then put them on a timer with the last 2 vho's to come on. Then they go off with the first set of vho bulbs. If you need a picture of my canopy I can take a quick digital pic and email it.

Brandon
 
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AggieBrandon

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oh btw I got the computer fans off of ebay for approximately 8 dollars delivered and the adapter was about 8 bucks as well.

Brandon
 
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G

Guest

City Pets has a cheap one for 11.99 I think. It runs off 110volts, so just needs a plug attached.

Radio shack sells a variety, they cost a little more. You can buy 12v fans, but then you have to buy an AC adapter also.
I just took a wood screw and mounted it to the back of my canopy blowing in.

The one I got @ City Pets isn't as effective as the one I got at Radio Shack.
One moves about 40CFM and the other I think is 87CFM.
 
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G

Guest

You could take some 2x4's and stack them across your tank to raise up your canopy temporarily. That way, you can see if it makes enough of a difference to justify modifying the canopy.

Or, just bite the bullet and buy a chiller. Premium Aquatics has the 1/10 HP Pacific Coast chillers on sale for $299. Those are really good chillers, would easily handle your 25 and would even handle the 58 when you get around to upgrading.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...uct_Code=PC-CL-280&Category_Code=pacificcoast

I bought one of the 1/4 HP chillers because I figured, if I'm having trouble keeping temps down this time of year, imagine what it will be like next July. Something to think about.
 
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G

Guest

It shouldn't take me too long to make a new one with three sides and the back and the top open. My tank is sealed so tight because the plumbing goes up the side of the tank so there is no exposure to the outside air. I am debating though if I put a computer fan on either side of the stand one blowing cold air in and one blowing air out if that will solve the problem. I keep my place very cold sumer and winter knowing how much electric bills can be when I was looking for a place to rent I found a place where electric was covered. I can't bring myself to justify a chiller for such a small tank or the expense. I am going to leave the door to the stand open today and see what happens with the temp.
 
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G

Guest

I've done a lot of reading on RC about fans, and the consensus seems to be that the most effective cooling is from blowing both fans into the canopy (as opposed to 1 in and 1 out), and then have vent holes in the top of the canopy for the hot air to escape. If I remember correctly, you need about twice the area of vent holes as you have fans blowing in, so if you have 2 4" fans blowing in you have a total surface area of about 25 sq. inches, so you need a total exhaust size of 50 sq. inches.
 
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Guest

My tank backs up to the kitchen and the fridge is on the other side maybe I should just drill a hole and pump water in and out of the freezer. :D
 
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tedu

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Had a friend try that.... don't think there was enough dwell time, all it did was annoy his wife.

Ended up with a chiller, which he mounted in one of her kitchen cabinets!
 
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