What's your expert advice on CHILLERS... I did get one but..

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

I did a search here and only found some mild suggestions about using fans all over. I'm actually considering this b/c of my bad experiences so far.

I bought a PRIME Drop-IN 1/4. I had it next to my stand to see what it sounds like and it sounds like... a A/C WINDOW UNIT. If that isn't bad enough the plastic housing vibrates a bit too. VERY disappointing. And of course it says everywhere.. "DO NOT" place inside a closet or stand. They need a lot of ventilation I guess. But it's too damn noisey to have out anywhere. RIDICULOUS. :?

On some IN-LINE ones I did notice that even the manufactures say not to enclose them BUT if you do try to have space/ventilation/fans/etc. I just don't think my stand (90 gal) will hold it in the bottom with my wet/dry and have the space/ventilation. I just so happen to have a closet right on the other side of the wall the tank is against. I would never run an IN-LINE there b/c of the fear of water leaks.. however remote. But a DROP-IN yea. It would reach too... power/coil/etc... to the tank. But there's only 6" in the front and back for ventilation.

Boy..this whole thing has been a nightmare. I live in Florida and I'm basically running 83'F lights out up to 86'F with lights on. Kinda warm. Maybe fans and stuff can get it down to 80'F or so and I can dump the chiller? THIS SUCKS. :evil:

[OliverM3]

That does suck sorry to hear that.
Some people enclose them regardless just because they have no other option.

I would think if you could keep the stand or closet ventilated the best that you can with fans you should be fine.
You may loose a little performance drawing in the warmer air.
But the alternative is a noisy house or returning/selling the chiller and getting a quiet one.

If you do get a new one I wouldn't limit yourself to a drop in.
You have more possibilities with an in-line.

I have mine about 11ft from the tank tucked in on the side of a dining room hutch.
And right in front of it is the AC vent in the floor so in the summer it's drawing in nice cold air.

[BeanAnimal]

Fans do very little cooling by convection, so the temperature of the air is not that important. The fans force evaporation to the tune of about 9000 BTU per gallon. That is rather significant!

Small quiet PC case fans are all you need. Connect a few to a power supply and position them so that they blow directly at your overflow water or accross the sump water. Put them on a temperature controller if you want.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

I guess with these devices it's not fans... but the removal of hot air. So a closet is ok IF you can remove the hot air produced. Not sure how I would do that. Not gonna cut holes in the door or something with a fan to suck hot air out. Maybe I could open up the attic in the closet... but the closet is full of towels and stuff too.

It says not to operate over 95'F. Probably would get hot in a closet quick. I can ask the manufacturer too but I'm sure they'll just repeat what I already know.

With IN-LINE you could run it to anywhere. But I don't like the idea of possible water leaks... however remote. I've already had a bunch of those for one reason or another and it ****es me off really bad. And it can look really bad too with pipes and hoses unless you can hide this stuff.


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10981637#post10981637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OliverM3
That does suck sorry to hear that.
Some people enclose them regardless just because they have no other option.

I would think if you could keep the stand or closet ventilated the best that you can with fans you should be fine.
You may loose a little performance drawing in the warmer air.
But the alternative is a noisy house or returning/selling the chiller and getting a quiet one.

If you do get a new one I wouldn't limit yourself to a drop in.
You have more possibilities with an in-line.

I have mine about 11ft from the tank tucked in on the side of a dining room hutch.
And right in front of it is the AC vent in the floor so in the summer it's drawing in nice cold air.

[OliverM3]

I'm not sure how your house is laid out.
But you may be able to vent to the attic.

Either use the beams in the wall for a channel to the attic.
Attaching some type of duct work to a fan that vents to the attic.

Hmm maybe even just installing a simple bathroom fan in the ceiling of the closet and have it run on a timer, temperature controller or switch.
Depending on how elaborate you want to get.

[BeanAnimal]

I was speaking of the fans for evaporative cooling, not using them to cool a chiller. You had stated that you wanted an alternative to the chiller.

I assume you run the AC year round? The AC will take out the humidity caused by the evaporation. You can set the chiller up and use it for emergency cooling purposes.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

Oh yea.. I understood.

So you're saying fans hitting water will increase evaporation a lot? I already get a little more than normal I think b/c of the lights.

Yea.. live in Florida. Have it on 77'F almost year round.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10983139#post10983139 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
I was speaking of the fans for evaporative cooling, not using them to cool a chiller. You had stated that you wanted an alternative to the chiller.

I assume you run the AC year round? The AC will take out the humidity caused by the evaporation. You can set the chiller up and use it for emergency cooling purposes.

[BeanAnimal]

How much do you evaporate a day now? Do you use an auto top off?

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

Yea... up a wall... just have to punch another hole in the wall. Run the exhaust from the chiller out. But I'm not sure if I have to have fresh air in or not.

Oh yea.. didn't think about that. Bathroom fan in the closet. Nobody likes getting into the attic. Sucks. Interesting option.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10983107#post10983107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OliverM3
I'm not sure how your house is laid out.
But you may be able to vent to the attic.

Either use the beams in the wall for a channel to the attic.
Attaching some type of duct work to a fan that vents to the attic.

Hmm maybe even just installing a simple bathroom fan in the ceiling of the closet and have it run on a timer, temperature controller or switch.
Depending on how elaborate you want to get.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

I know I have to put about 10 gallons/week into it to keep the sump from blowing bubbles. I don't have auto top off no. What is that anyway? An actual connection to a source of RO water. I don't have anything that elaborate.


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10983255#post10983255 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
How much do you evaporate a day now? Do you use an auto top off?

[Tennsquire]

Do you have to add 10 gallons all at once?!? That's a pretty large salinity swing (10% in a 100 gallon reef; maybe more if you don't have 100 gallons of water). I have an auto top-off on my 75 hooked up to a 10 gallon tank of RO/DI that I refill once every 10 days or so. As water evaporates from the sump, the ATO kicks in and replaces water continuously. Keeps me from having to refill the tank all the time, and keeps the salinity spot on. More crucial with corals, but your fish might not like big salinity swings.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

BOY did it work. YIKES. Somebody in another forum said fans will only cool it down 2-4 degrees. And the documentation repeats the same numbers. Anyway..... :graucho: I got the fans from Dr.FS so they're in 2 and 4 fan configurations and they're 4" or so. I put one 2 fan on the sump and one 4-fan unit at the back of the tank blowing across the top of the water and at my light fixture.

I did not expect much so I left it on all night to see what would happen. YIKES :scared:
10'F drop. 85 --> 75'F. Luckily the only thing I lost was a small batch of Xenia's. So fans do work.

My next question is... how to control the S.O.B.'s ? I looked around for temp. controllers and I found a lot of stuff BUT they always talk about.. they're either for heaters, have weird plugs, VAC only, 120 AC only, etc. I guess my other option is to not them go all night and maybe use a timer if I can't get temp. control. Also I noticed... the 2-fan unit on the sump isn't really making much of a difference. I'm gonna drill some holes in the top of my stand too. The top is 1/2 open in the back but it's not letting heat escape. Not good for the light fixture either.

[slowsoaks]

Most aquarium controllers can control fans and a chiller. I have been looking at the Acjr by neptune systems and the proline.

[BeanAnimal]

Just get a 2 stage RANCO (about $125) and it will control the heater and fans and keep them from fighting each other.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

I'll ck. out those brands thanks.

Yea.. a Ranco or Aqua Logic is a good investment for potential future upgrades too. ALtho living in Florida.. I won't need a heater.

But thanks guys. I guess I can get what I want then. I just noticed some said they were for heaters.. heaters only I think. They had weird round plugs. But I'll probably invest in a good one. It's a helluva lot cheaper than a chiller.

[BeanAnimal]

A single stage RANCO will only cost you $60 and will do exactly what you need.

[SCIFI_3D_zoo]

Where are you seeeing them for $60 bucks.

[30reef]

Ebay.I got mine for $40. You have to install your own electrical outlets and power plug though. It's not hard. You can get a prewired one for a little more if you don't want to mess with it at DIYREEF.com .

[BeanAnimal]

They are $50-$60 new all day every day on eBay. Grainger sells them for $66...

$59 at the "Ranco Store"
http://www.rancoetc.com/

I just saw an auction the other day for TWO ETC-11100 units for $100 shipped for the pair.