Turning a small fridge into a chiller

[Recty]

Is there any reason why I shouldnt use my small fridge, which is about 2' x 2' x 2', into a chiller?

All the tube used for this is 3/4" flexible tubing, btw.

I plan on hooking a pump up to a tube, running the tube through the side of the fridge into a coil of tube, then back out of the fridge and into the sump.

I've got a Reefkeeper 2 that will act as a chiller controller, so that part will be easy, it will just turn the pump on when needed and keep the temps down.

Here is my concern... flexible vinyl tubing doesnt transfer heat very well. I'd like to run the water through some type of radiator housed inside the fridge but I cant figure out a way to do it using all plastic, I dont want to use metal parts.

I'm sure someone has done this before and has a little advice for me? Or someone knows that the vinyl tubing coil will work just fine as a heat exchange medium?

[ddinox64]

Vinyl tubing is all they used coiled up in the bottom rear of my 1200 dollar Whirlpool refridgerator with water in the door.

What you'd want to do though is figure out volume in the coil so it's sufficient to do the job between pumpings. I was going to use a thermo electric chiller and just stick it to the side of my sump. But then I scored on a chiller for a hundred bucks.

[uncleof6]

The short answer is waste of time. Don't take my word for it. The long answer:

Dorm Fridge Chillers (http://www.beananimal.com/articles/dorm-fridge-aquarium-chiller.aspx)

Still want to build a chiller? Check this out:

Home Made Chiller? (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1629617&highlight=DIY+Chiller)

Regards,

Jim

[mgers21]

i've thought about this, thanks for the links

[Recty]

Thanks, I'll read through those links later today.

I'm only looking to bleed off about a degree or two of heat... in the winter my tank stays rock solid at 77 degrees but in the summer it fluctuates between 77 and 79 during the day. Not a big deal, but I wouldnt mind just being able to keep it at 77. Actually, if i did hook up my mini fridge chiller, I'd probably try to keep it around 75, so I just need something powerful enough to keep the temperature down abuot 2-3 degrees average.

[unhpian]

Frankly, if you're only looking to "bleed off about a degree or two of heat", the expense and electricity consumption of a chiller - even if it is a DIY chiller - seems wasteful and unnecessary. There are many, many ways to drop the temp two degrees - things as simple as blowing air across the top of the tank to encourage evaporative cooling, raising the light a few inches, changing the photoperiod, cleaning/replacing pumps, etc that consume much less energy and effort. Also, keep in mind - real reefs naturally fluctuate a few degrees in temperature with currents, sunlight, etc- and I would have no issues at all with a fluctuation of 2 degrees (77 - 79). If it were my tank, I'd just forget about it. IMHO, chillers should only be used if the diurnal temperature swing is greater than 4 degrees or so, or if a lack of a chiller would cause the tank temp to increase greater than 85 degrees. Below that - I think there are better, more efficient ways of dealing with it.

[kcress]

Here! here! Well stated.

[stugray]

Recty,

" 77 and 79 during the day. Not a big deal, but I wouldnt mind just being able to keep it at 77"

Your temps are just fine.

Even WITH a chiller, I allow my tank to get to 81 before the chiller kicks on & drops it to 79.

Stu