Summer Is Coming .chiller.

[kapelan]

Time to think about chiller.
Did anybody try this one as a chiller for aquarium:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/coca-cola-personal-fridge-2991720p.html#.VOZHTC51zJg

$49 solution

 

[Sewerat]

Sump is in basement, basement is cold, need to keep heater on year round. If there is a way to pump water into basement and back into sump. Cooling would be complete.

 

[yveterinarian]

I have a small bar fridge that my boss gave me when they were re-doing the office. I have plans to turn it into a chiller this summer for my seahorses because my Current chiller died and I can't get parts for it anymore.
I intend to drill into the side and put in coils of hose rated for human water drinking instead of regular garden hose. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

 

[EricTMah]

I'd love to get my hands on a small bar fridge so I can turn it into a live phyto dosing unit


Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TORX]

I have a small bar fridge that my boss gave me when they were re-doing the office. I have plans to turn it into a chiller this summer for my seahorses because my Current chiller died and I can't get parts for it anymore.
I intend to drill into the side and put in coils of hose rated for human water drinking instead of regular garden hose. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I have seen people use this same method for chilling gaming computers years ago. A small pump circulated the fluid in the tubes through the freezer and then past the water cooler block on the cpu. Same idea would work to chill a tank if enough hose is in the tank and freezer. Much like that water heater tank heater that is posted here...only a chiller

 

[AdInfinitum]

Check the horsepower rating on the bar fridge and compare to the recommended chiller for your tank. There's no free lunch when it comes to thermodynamics...small fridges usually do their thing slowly with short duty cycles....

 

[AdInfinitum]

Btw 1 hp is about 745 watts if I remember...some electrician pls correct if I'm wrong...

 

[Reef Hero]

Btw 1 hp is about 745 watts if I remember...some electrician pls correct if I'm wrong...

746 actually.....



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Reef Hero]

And this is before we get into line loss, lag or lead, capacitance, or the initial inrush of current (power) required to produce the emf required to start a motor or compressor into movement. Only in a perfect world would the standard 746W=1HP apply..... In reality, it's higher to start and stop and run a motor....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[yveterinarian]

I have seen people use this same method for chilling gaming computers years ago. A small pump circulated the fluid in the tubes through the freezer and then past the water cooler block on the cpu. Same idea would work to chill a tank if enough hose is in the tank and freezer. Much like that water heater tank heater that is posted here...only a chiller

Yes, I intend to fill the fridge with coiled hose so I can get as much water going through it as possible. It will be easy to tie in to my system since I already have the water going through the chiller even though the chiller isn't on.

heck the horsepower rating on the bar fridge and compare to the recommended chiller for your tank. There's no free lunch when it comes to thermodynamics...small fridges usually do their thing slowly with short duty cycles....

Will do. Luckily I only need to cool by about 3-4 degrees in the summer as my setup is downstairs in the basement. I usually cool with a fan blowing across the surface and this works well except for the evaporation.

 

[kapelan]

Check the horsepower rating on the bar fridge and compare to the recommended chiller for your tank. There's no free lunch when it comes to thermodynamics...small fridges usually do their thing slowly with short duty cycles....

that's true, this CocaCola fridge is too small, but they also have for $100 more powerfull fridge.
found this project: http://www.shine7.com/aquarium/chiller.htm
looks nice, he is using pretty big and expensive heatsink. Would replace it with smaller heatsink and cooler for active air flow and to reduce the size.

 

[AdInfinitum]

that's true, this CocaCola fridge is too small, but they also have for $100 more powerfull fridge.
found this project: http://www.shine7.com/aquarium/chiller.htm
looks nice, he is using pretty big and expensive heatsink. Would replace it with smaller heatsink and cooler for active air flow and to reduce the size.

Cool DIY but that's a pretty intense project to cool a 5 gallon tank!!! LOL

 

[kapelan]

Cool DIY but that's a pretty intense project to cool a 5 gallon tank!!! LOL

agree, for mini tank should be mini equipment.
Actually these peltier elements allows to minimize the size. From this project author is using passive way for heat exchanger.
With cooler it can be minimized.

 

[TORX]

agree, for mini tank should be mini equipment.
Actually these peltier elements allows to minimize the size. From this project author is using passive way for heat exchanger.
With cooler it can be minimized.

Peltier elements....ehat a great name...Peltier

 

[scubasteve]

ive seen it done on a regular bar fridge and it worked great for him personally i would just buy one but if i had somewhere to hide it out of site im sure i would try too