How do you keep your tank cool?
- Thread starter LaneBrain
- Start date
thrillreefer
Well-Known Member
We have no central AC. So I just crank up the window AC in the room where the tank lives (kitchen). Generally, when it feels uncomfortably warm in there is when the tank temp starts to climb so the humans are aligned in this mission.
Got home and the kitchen is hot; tank is at 80.6, AC now cranked on max
Got home and the kitchen is hot; tank is at 80.6, AC now cranked on max
Cooper2
Well-Known Member
A good fan moving air across the sump is a big help. If you're using a controller, look into setting your lights to kick off above a certain temp. If you use a single speed 120V AC pump they can add to the tanks temp, so if you're thinking about a variable speed pump get it. Not a massive temp shift but it's in your favor.
Plan B: You can dump $16,000.00 on central A/C to keep the wife happy and leave the door to the basement cracked. Careful wording here can make it seem like something "She's getting" and you might be able to score some guilt bucks for more stuff you need for your tank. This plan is not guaranteed to work and I'm not liable if you shank it.........
Jokes aside it did make things super stable, and no chiller required after.
Advanced hint for reefers: With the addition of central A/C you can blame it for some of the watts the tanks are sucking up when you hear about the bill every month.
Plan B: You can dump $16,000.00 on central A/C to keep the wife happy and leave the door to the basement cracked. Careful wording here can make it seem like something "She's getting" and you might be able to score some guilt bucks for more stuff you need for your tank. This plan is not guaranteed to work and I'm not liable if you shank it.........
Jokes aside it did make things super stable, and no chiller required after.
Advanced hint for reefers: With the addition of central A/C you can blame it for some of the watts the tanks are sucking up when you hear about the bill every month.
Seapets
Formerly known as Nelson
I use air condition when I go to sleep, and during the day I have the air-conditioning mode on the fans . If you have fans over your tank, it cools your tank down no problem
Seapets
Formerly known as Nelson
I don’t run my air conditioner 24 seven. I run my air conditioning when I sleep. when I’m not sleeping I turn on the mode fans on and I have fans above my tank
thrillreefer
Well-Known Member
Wow I wish my quote was $16K… was closer to $60K so we have thus far skipped it. (Old house, bad geometry so would need 2 blowers, etc.)
Pjy95
Well-Known Member
As someone who lives on the second floor in an old a** house it gets boiling upstairs but with the help of blackout curtains and an ac in the dining room (tanks in living room next room over) so far the temp on my tank has been staying at 78-79. Not that we’ve had a lot of hot days yet but for as hot as it gets up there I think that combo works pretty good
ReefAddict
Well-Known Member
78? Mid-summer my tanks will creep up to 82-83. Already breaking 80.
Fans help a ton. I do have a chiller that clicks on at 82. Electric is out of control for me to set the chiller lower.
One thing I notice big increase in PE when the temps rises. Kinda cool.
Fans help a ton. I do have a chiller that clicks on at 82. Electric is out of control for me to set the chiller lower.
One thing I notice big increase in PE when the temps rises. Kinda cool.
Cooper2
Well-Known Member
Wow! that puts a kink in the budget. My system is relatively simple. It doesn't have anything to do with the heat other than share the thermostats. It's completely separate and actually in the attic with a big trunk of ductwork. I saved a small fortune running all the wiring myself. Next is the standby generator for when the lights go out. Prolonged power outage is my biggest worry if I'm not home. As awesome as Honda generators are, they don't hook themselves up and run automatically....lol
Chris.sturgis
Well-Known Member
Look into mini split units. There is an additional mass save rebate if you live in Massachusetts. I have a Gree 5 zone 42,000 btu unit and it has been working great.
Drichards
Well-Known Member
I install them, if anyone is trying to stay cool this summer, free estimates
chadfish
Well-Known Member
Same here. Inkbird with fan. The difference is that my fan is a cheapo $10 USB fan. It’s quiet and seems to do the job. The central AC doesn’t directly service the room with the tank, so that fan helps a ton.
I’m not a master in the hobby so take my words with a grain of salt lol.
I just let it be. On Sunday my tank crept up to 82 and everything seems fine. Since then it has slowly gone down and is currently at 79. It also worth mentioning that I use my apex’s season table for temps which has it range from 75.5 in Jan to the hottest being 80.5 in august iirc. I mostly did that because I’m cheap and did not want to buy a chiller or install a fan in a crazy way.
In the future I do plan on getting central air though, just bought the house last summer and 15ishk after rebates is out of budget for me. Opted to do Solar first since it was around the same price
I just let it be. On Sunday my tank crept up to 82 and everything seems fine. Since then it has slowly gone down and is currently at 79. It also worth mentioning that I use my apex’s season table for temps which has it range from 75.5 in Jan to the hottest being 80.5 in august iirc. I mostly did that because I’m cheap and did not want to buy a chiller or install a fan in a crazy way.
In the future I do plan on getting central air though, just bought the house last summer and 15ishk after rebates is out of budget for me. Opted to do Solar first since it was around the same price
Greg Hiller
BRS Moderator
I let my tank run up to 83 regularly in the summer. I have an AC unit in the wall of the downstairs sump room. I gave up on chillers - too expansive, and not reliable. Also, the chiller would just dump the heat into the room and it's better to get the heat and humidity directly to the outside.
I'm currently in the process of having a house build in the midwest. I will also have a downstairs sump room. In this house I have an essentially free, essentially limitless water supply at about 55 F (from a well on the property). For the tank in the future house I will use a titanium heat exchanger. They are not all that expensive. I will use the well water to cool the tank using the heat exchanger.
I'll likely use the same heat exchanger to heat the tank (if needed) in the winter using the hot water from the house. The house will be using an open-loop geothermal heat pump using the well water to heat and cool.
I'm currently in the process of having a house build in the midwest. I will also have a downstairs sump room. In this house I have an essentially free, essentially limitless water supply at about 55 F (from a well on the property). For the tank in the future house I will use a titanium heat exchanger. They are not all that expensive. I will use the well water to cool the tank using the heat exchanger.
I'll likely use the same heat exchanger to heat the tank (if needed) in the winter using the hot water from the house. The house will be using an open-loop geothermal heat pump using the well water to heat and cool.
Duds
Formerly Known as SrDudley25
Don’t forget being in mass you get the rebate(which you might have factored in already) and a 0% interest 7 year heat loan. My house is all electric baseboards bought around the same time as you and we went the opposite route solar for my house is a bit of a gamble with where it’s facing.
You plan on posting a build thread somewhere? That sounds like pc water cooling but for your tank and it seems like it’s already a tried and true method for people who want to heat their pools. Would love to see how it turns out
