View Full Version : Fan Placement
Reefn00b
06/13/2005, 05:59 PM
Alright so I got my VHO's mounted in my canopy thanks to a lil help from Rick.... Okay a lot of help.... Anyways, yesterday I noticed a lot of condensation in the top of my canopy where the heat wasnt excaping, so I took the top lid off of the canopy. I am planning on installing 2, 4 inch Icecap fans in the canopy because I will be adding Metal Halides hopefully in a few weeks. This will help with any trapped air and allow me to put my lid back on. I want to put the fans on each side of the canopy...left and right...So my question is should i have them pulling the air out? One blowing cool air in and the other sucking it out? or both blowing cool air in? Keep in mind that the back of the canopy is open, and that there is an air vent very close to my tank that will aid will cooling in the summer days.
So how about some thoughts and a lil help :)
-Derek
p.s here is a pic with my VHO's on.
http://ww2.coastal.edu/jbell1/fish/VHO.JPG
For me, 1 in and 1 out didn't work to well. I put mine in the top with both of them blowing in on top of the water and then out some vents in the back. This is the only way that it worked for me. Any other way and I was having heat problems.
H2OLUVSME
06/14/2005, 07:37 AM
i have both of mine blowing in, but they arent 4" fans :D
ive read that fans blowing in last a lot longer than ones blowing out. you dont want your fan sucking salt air constalntly IMO. maybe the icecap fans are better than regular CPU fans, but i still would face them in if you can get away with it.
according to Ash (the icecap rep here on RC) a totally enclosed canopy with one place for air to enter (at one end, and the bottom) and a fan blowing out (at the other end, and the top) is the most efficiaent heat removal scheme. it creates a current which should pull most all of the air out all of the time. with the scheme Jimmy and i have chosen, you get some recirculation.
Reefn00b
06/14/2005, 07:59 AM
Okay so what do you guys think about this. If I have both fans turned in blowing Air across the lights and modify the lid to the canopy by cutting a hole in the top and putting a lil grill in there for excess heat to rise out the top. That makes it where heat can rise out the top and go out the back. The guy who I got the ideas about the fans posted in another thread about how he had both fans sucking out...
take a look
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=603095
Reefn00b
06/14/2005, 10:01 PM
Help help any more help :)
If you put the grill in the top where are you planning on putting the fans? Is this canopy totally enclosed? If you put the fans on the sides blowing in I would put the vent in either the top or the back. This way the air has to flow almost all the way thru the canopy. More airflow the better the cooling. You need to make sure that the intake and outtake are on opposite sides so that the fans won't suck up that freshly expelled hot air.
Reefn00b
06/15/2005, 08:31 PM
Originally posted by jjac
If you put the grill in the top where are you planning on putting the fans? Is this canopy totally enclosed? If you put the fans on the sides blowing in I would put the vent in either the top or the back. This way the air has to flow almost all the way thru the canopy. More airflow the better the cooling. You need to make sure that the intake and outtake are on opposite sides so that the fans won't suck up that freshly expelled hot air.
Well my plan was to put the two fans (marked in red) on teh left and right side blowing in and cut 2 vents in the top of the canopy lid (also in red) and keep in mind that about 2 feet worth is open in the very back of the canopy. I figure with the fans blowing across the lights it should force the air out the top (where it wants to go anyways) and any other excess out the back? Ill jsut pop 2 nice lil grills on the top.
http://ww2.coastal.edu/jbell1/fish/fanvent.jpg
Thoughts?
I think that would work just fine.
Rpierce
06/15/2005, 09:59 PM
Looks good Derek! We'll have to fill that things full of corals in a couple of weeks. I'm sure almost everyone can pitch in a little something.
Reefn00b
06/15/2005, 10:05 PM
Originally posted by Rpierce
Looks good Derek! We'll have to fill that things full of corals in a couple of weeks. I'm sure almost everyone can pitch in a little something.
Thanks Rick!!! And the coral part of that sure sounds great to me!!!
H2OLUVSME
06/16/2005, 08:31 AM
Originally posted by Reefn00b
Well my plan was to put the two fans (marked in red) on teh left and right side blowing in and cut 2 vents in the top of the canopy lid (also in red) and keep in mind that about 2 feet worth is open in the very back of the canopy. I figure with the fans blowing across the lights it should force the air out the top (where it wants to go anyways) and any other excess out the back? Ill jsut pop 2 nice lil grills on the top.
this looks good to me.
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