cooling via skimmer air intake?

pong · 03/09/2009, 02:22 AM

just a theory of mine...

put the air intake hose in an ice box so that it sucks in cold air... so the air will cool down the water that passes through the skimmer

wouldnt it cool down your water faster than just dumping the ice in your tank?

pong · 03/09/2009, 10:19 AM

anyone?

Juruense · 03/09/2009, 10:21 AM

Seems to mechanically complex to me. What is the source of your heat issue? Address that...

pong · 03/09/2009, 10:26 AM

heat issues? the environment... temp is going up to 36 deg here... and my fans are having a hard time cooling it down... for the past few months... i was not having problems.... it was at 80 deg, without fans... now im
hitting 82 with the fans on 12 hours a day...

Juruense · 03/09/2009, 10:29 AM

Wow! 36 is HOT!

pong · 03/09/2009, 10:47 AM

and take note... its gonna go up in the next few months... summer is just starting... they say, that its going up to 38 max... now u know why im having problems...

i have a few friends who installed chillers in their systems... and their power bill is going really really high... that is why im looking for alternative solutions...
so far, im lucky im maintaining my tank at 80-82 within the limits still... but ont he high side...

Juruense · 03/09/2009, 11:16 AM

Well if you are continuously pulling air out/in the fridge it will run more and your power bill will go up also.

thegrun · 03/09/2009, 11:28 AM

The carrying capacity of air is extremely low, to lower your tank temperature you would have to have a huge amount of air blown into your tank. You would end up lowering your tanks temperature more as a result of evaporation than the chilling effect of the air.

pong · 03/09/2009, 11:53 AM

im blowing 6 computer fans on the tank right now...
evaporative... yes... 3 gallons a day... just to drop it to
29degC/84F... if im lucky i drop it now to 82...

the skimmer line is not connected to the ref... i placed it inside a bucket of ice... it sucks in cold air... i dunno if it has an effect or what... im trying it now...

dwd5813 · 03/09/2009, 02:00 PM

i wouldn't expect it to do a whole lot, but it is kinda interesting as an idea. let us know what happens.

Captinshinyside · 03/09/2009, 02:21 PM

I am thinking of freezing RO water and dumping that into the tank instead of toping off... drop it in the farthest spot from my return pump.... instead of topping off with room temp RO water... I am thinking of doing it with just frozen blocks... Dont think it will lower it TO much but it helps....

Thoughts concerns?
The way I see it the freezer is already on... why not have it freeze some water for me... I drip about 3 gallons a day in top off... If i can drop that in half a gallon every few hours... May help a bit

Fizz71 · 03/09/2009, 02:41 PM

Sounds like you're trying to spit on a fire.....

I'd be curious with as fast as we push air through our skimmers how much will a fridge really do in the few seconds it has is, not to mention the insulation properties of the tubing it's in. Do you really expect to get a whole lot of temperature change?

Even fridges with driking water taps built in only have a limited supply of cold water to produce because it takes time to really chill anything. The water sits in the tubing in the back of the fridge for a few hours before you tap it off.

If you try it...check the temp of the air going in and going out with however long of a tube you use and let us know what the difference is.

I've read posts from people actually pumping WATER through a fridge/freezer as a DIY chiller but have yet to hear positive results...not to mention the electric bill of the fridge. I imagine air would be even less effective.

pong · 03/09/2009, 08:42 PM

my tanks temp got reduced by a very small figure... less than 1 degF in 2 hours and it stabilized there...

thegrun · 03/09/2009, 08:52 PM

I add frozen top off water all the time when I am adding calcium or other trace elements. The melting ice creates a time release, it might help a little with temperature, but very little.

03/09/2009, 02:22 AM	#1
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	cooling via skimmer air intake? just a theory of mine... put the air intake hose in an ice box so that it sucks in cold air... so the air will cool down the water that passes through the skimmer wouldnt it cool down your water faster than just dumping the ice in your tank?

03/09/2009, 02:00 PM	#10
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	i wouldn't expect it to do a whole lot, but it is kinda interesting as an idea. let us know what happens. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

03/09/2009, 02:41 PM	#12
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	Sounds like you're trying to spit on a fire..... I'd be curious with as fast as we push air through our skimmers how much will a fridge really do in the few seconds it has is, not to mention the insulation properties of the tubing it's in. Do you really expect to get a whole lot of temperature change? Even fridges with driking water taps built in only have a limited supply of cold water to produce because it takes time to really chill anything. The water sits in the tubing in the back of the fridge for a few hours before you tap it off. If you try it...check the temp of the air going in and going out with however long of a tube you use and let us know what the difference is. I've read posts from people actually pumping WATER through a fridge/freezer as a DIY chiller but have yet to hear positive results...not to mention the electric bill of the fridge. I imagine air would be even less effective. __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).

03/09/2009, 10:19 AM	#2
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	anyone?

03/09/2009, 10:21 AM	#3
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	Seems to mechanically complex to me. What is the source of your heat issue? Address that...

03/09/2009, 10:26 AM	#4
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	heat issues? the environment... temp is going up to 36 deg here... and my fans are having a hard time cooling it down... for the past few months... i was not having problems.... it was at 80 deg, without fans... now im hitting 82 with the fans on 12 hours a day...

03/09/2009, 10:29 AM	#5
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	Wow! 36 is HOT!

03/09/2009, 10:47 AM	#6
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	and take note... its gonna go up in the next few months... summer is just starting... they say, that its going up to 38 max... now u know why im having problems... i have a few friends who installed chillers in their systems... and their power bill is going really really high... that is why im looking for alternative solutions... so far, im lucky im maintaining my tank at 80-82 within the limits still... but ont he high side...

03/09/2009, 11:16 AM	#7
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	Well if you are continuously pulling air out/in the fridge it will run more and your power bill will go up also.

03/09/2009, 11:28 AM	#8
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	The carrying capacity of air is extremely low, to lower your tank temperature you would have to have a huge amount of air blown into your tank. You would end up lowering your tanks temperature more as a result of evaporation than the chilling effect of the air.

03/09/2009, 11:53 AM	#9
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	im blowing 6 computer fans on the tank right now... evaporative... yes... 3 gallons a day... just to drop it to 29degC/84F... if im lucky i drop it now to 82... the skimmer line is not connected to the ref... i placed it inside a bucket of ice... it sucks in cold air... i dunno if it has an effect or what... im trying it now...

03/09/2009, 02:21 PM	#11
Captinshinyside Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 176	I am thinking of freezing RO water and dumping that into the tank instead of toping off... drop it in the farthest spot from my return pump.... instead of topping off with room temp RO water... I am thinking of doing it with just frozen blocks... Dont think it will lower it TO much but it helps.... Thoughts concerns? The way I see it the freezer is already on... why not have it freeze some water for me... I drip about 3 gallons a day in top off... If i can drop that in half a gallon every few hours... May help a bit

03/09/2009, 08:42 PM	#13
pong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: philippines Posts: 600	my tanks temp got reduced by a very small figure... less than 1 degF in 2 hours and it stabilized there...

03/09/2009, 08:52 PM	#14
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I add frozen top off water all the time when I am adding calcium or other trace elements. The melting ice creates a time release, it might help a little with temperature, but very little.