DIY alternative to a chiller?
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: DIY
Forum Description: Do it Yourself
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33705
Printed Date: August 01 2026 at 4:44pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: DIY alternative to a chiller?
Posted By: alexmetal
Subject: DIY alternative to a chiller?
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 12:29pm
So I was thinking about how expensive chillers are and how (from what I've read here) most people in Utah don't use them.. And I remembered a DIY method of cooling the water in a water-cooled computer system that was an alternative to buying an expensive heater core from a truck/SUV. It was called a water bong (for reasons beyond me), but for this scenario we'll call it a poor man's water chiller. My only question is if anyone thinks it would be effective enough for aquariums. I would assume so, because it was used in bringing the water temperature down from about 125 degrees F to about 75-80 degrees F. Now, these were designed for very low volumes of water (about 1.5gal total), but it was still moving about 300-400gph. So, it would be interesting to gather everyone's opinions based on the figures above and the crude drawing I made below of what it looks like.
This is definitely not to scale, obviously. As you can see, the water comes in through a cheap shower head, and falls down into about 4-6 inches of water. As it's falling, it passes about 3-4 fans (depending on the size you go with) to cool the water as it falls. The idea is to cool it the entire way down. There's one fan up at the top to vent out the hot air. Then the water gets pumped out of the tube back into your sump or what-have-you. The pipe is just a standard 4" sewer pipe you can get at Lowes/Home Depot for $6-7 for 10ft of it. Mount/seal the bottom with a 3/8"-1/2" sheet of acrylic. The top can be left open, but for the purpose of muffling noise and mounting a fan, also use a sheet of acrylic to seal it. For high-volume, you could also create a U-shape using two elbows, two verticle pipes, and a short horizontal pipe. You would just make each vertical pipe the same as you would a single one. Mounting it would be interesting, but it could be done with a sheet of acrylic on the bottom with some acrylic triangles glued to the pipe and the base to support it. Alternatively (and would I would like to do), you could modify a large floor standing decorative fountain into the loops and use that, resulting in function and form. Thoughts? If I eventually build one, I'll make a step-by-step guide, but it's pretty simple to do with just a picture. :) The only problem I could see with this is having it on a controller and when the pump turns off, you have stagnant water in the tube. This could be solved by either placing a very small powerhead inside that's always on, or just hooking the fans up to the controller and having those shut off. |
Replies:
Posted By: griffith
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 1:05pm
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You should build them and sell them on this board. thanks Linn |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 1:39pm
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Nice idea but too complicated.
A fan pointed at an angle across the water in the display or the sump/refugium is extremely effective. Currently, Walmart has some $7 fans that are perfect for this. The fan comes in many colors and has a stand which can be attached anywhere. This method can cool a tank more than 10 degrees depending on the angle the fan is pointed at the water.
If there is a hood over the tank and no room for a fan in the back, a computer muffin fan can also be instlled permanently in place of the Walmart fan.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
Posted By: alexmetal
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 1:58pm
Psssh. Too boring. 
Really, I just like my integrate with a floor fountain idea and that is the entire reason I made the post. I just had to explain my thoughts and motivation behind it. 
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Posted By: jonafriendj
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 1:59pm
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I was going to say what Mark said. Seems like way too much work/noise/space/risk of leak/flood and not enough benefit over just running a fan. But I think you should do it anyway for a fun project ------------- Pleasant Grove |
Posted By: dew2loud1
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 2:36pm
| This was just brought up on RC as well, it will work but so will a fan, for every gallon of water you evaporate its equal to around 8000 BTU's. Utah is pretty arid which is why its so easy to get away with just evaporative cooling here. Check out the deltec eco-cooler, its just a swamp cooler essentially that they charge $1000 for working on the same principles of more surface area= more evaporation. |
Posted By: alexmetal
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 3:52pm
Way to shoot down the new guy.. 
It's a great way to oxygenate the water? |
Posted By: dew2loud1
Date Posted: June 09 2009 at 4:16pm
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Hey I'm not shooting you down, I'd build one just because I like to tinker. What you are describing is just an elaborate way of evaporative cooling. Heres an idea, you were describing a free standing fountain of sorts which would increase surface area and cause higher evaporation, you could easily make an algae turf scrubber out of this free standing fountain, then you accomplish two things in one, nutrient export and cooling, provided the fountain received direct lighting or supplemental lighting. |
Posted By: alexmetal
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 11:45am
| Has anyone here used/made an ATS? I know some people swear by them over refugiums.. |
Posted By: downhill_biker
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 12:13pm
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what is an ats?
------------- Make sure you post your best pictures every month in our POTM forum. |
Posted By: dew2loud1
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 12:41pm
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ATS=algae turf scrubber, just a screen of sorts with lighting
that grows turf algae that you harvest weekly to reduce
nutrients. There are a lot of debates on RC over whether they
work or not, I guarantee they work, plants are taking up nitrogen and
phosphate as they grow, to what appreciable extent they are removing
these from your system I'm not sure. I'll most likely incorporate
one of sorts when we set up the big tank. |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 12:43pm
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Algal Turf Scrubber
Adam
ps- I'd go with a refugium, and I'd point a fan at the water where it pours back into the sump for cooling ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: alexmetal
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 1:32pm
| Aha! Adam, you gave me a great idea! Now, all I have to do is come up with money, learn how to weld, and figure out a way to knock out a wall with my fiance knocking me out first. |