underground cooling

[achillesheel]

can anybody point me to somewhere that may have diagrams for underground cooling methods.

i have a 600 total gallons and a 1/2 hp chiller and need help with my power bill. my return line is 1.5" and runs about 80 lineal feet underground. my temp runs around 82-83 during the summer and my chiller runs more than it doesn't so any thing that might help.

looking to get this done during this winter or spring

thank you
shad

[Darroll]

What exactly are you looking for? A pic showing the concept or a details on how to do it yourself?

[Darroll]

http://www.dougrye.com/geothermal.html

A google search on Geothermal heat exchanger brought a bunch of hits.

[achillesheel]

Originally posted by Darroll
What exactly are you looking for? A pic showing the concept or a details on how to do it yourself?

both but more for aquarium use.

i've seen plenty of talk and descriptions of systems but i need something to push me in the right direction and can't seem find anything with diagrams. yea, i need pictures.

[AcroSteve]

There are two basic methods;

1. Run tank water through an underground loop with a pump that is controlled by a thermostat.

2. Run a glycol solution through a closed underground loop that also has a heat exchanger to transfer the heat from the tank water.

Option 2 is slightly more complicated but better due to the elimination of possible stagnant tank water from the loop.

[scatty25]

I saw someone use an underground cooler like what your talking about but only on an outside fresh water tank.

[achillesheel]

acrosteve- #2 is what i believe im looking for. but i thought it was using fresh water. any links

the new totm uses something but i need some direction. and again diagrams please.

[AcroSteve]

A glycol solution is basically water and antifreeze of some sort. It would also work to inhibit growth of unwanted stuff in the loop.

Sorry, no links.

[achillesheel]

aarghhh!!!!!!

[Pbrown3701]

I'm not sure why you need pictures? It's pretty straight forward. Run some pipe under the frost line in your yard.... Slap on a HEX, ranco temp controller, and a pump and wala! done

[Altpers0na]

all threads need pictures

[das75]

Here's some RC links on geo thermal cooling (last on has pictures)

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=840592

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=836449

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=832370

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=817756

[Malifluous]

I would think creating a network of pipe under the ground would help ncrease surface area. T off into a web under ground.

[not_sponsored]

What kind of pipe would you use?

[lakee911]

Originally posted by Malifluous
I would think creating a network of pipe under the ground would help ncrease surface area. T off into a web under ground.

The tees are potential places for leaks. You'll get better heat transfer if you use a single continuous uniformly flowing pipe/tube. As you would tee off flow rate would go down. If it doesn't flow at all in a section, then it wouldn't be doing you any good.

Jason

[Altpers0na]

here is everything i know about heat exchanging..

http://www.tpub.com/content/et/14093/

[pescadero]

there's a section about doing this sort of thing in the 3rd volume of Delbeek and Sprung's Reef Aquarium series. they used a series of vertically oriented pipes-in-pipes. that way you could get the work done with a posthole digger instead of a trencher.

[BeanAnimal]

There is not enough surface area in a "post hole" to act as heat sink. The earth is a very good insulator.