Cheap fan more eficient then chiller??

[bluereefs]

Fans are long time popular as a economical choice for chilling the aquarium, particulary for reefers who do not have money for (expensive) chillers but recently and acidently I find that cheap fans are actually more eficient and powerful then chiller. Actually after instaling cheap fan, aprox 2-3 weeks ago my chiller have no use, except as a very expensive digital temperature sensor. And fans are capable to lower temperature more then my chiller ever was, during very hot summer days chiller work very hard to keep the temperature at 26-27 degree C, fans today lower my temp down to 23,5 C.
I use cheap fan on 150 g reef aquarium, with loots of pumps and HQI lighting, 2 x 150 w HQI + 4 x T5 54 w, ambient temperature are 27-29 C.

Anyone have similar expirience? Is quite unusual for me that 20 $ , 40 watt Fans are more powerful then chiller with 499 watt power.

Dont know is this thread belong to this board or diy but IMO is very interesting find who can cut down significally reef expenses, not to mentioned energy consumption.

 

[t4zalews]

sounds like you didn't have a powerful enough chiller for your tank. Fans are good for when you have to pull 1-2 degrees down. But if you have to pull 5+ degrees...a chiller is the way to go.

A lot also depends on if the tank is an open top or has a canopy. Open tops and fans are the way to go because more air can escape when pushed across teh water. In canopies, its more difficult for the air to escape so venting is very important when designing a canopy. I incorproated huge slots for just this reason.

 

[chimmike]

I had a chiller add $50/month to my power bill. And it was more than powerful enough for my setup.

If you can get fans to work as needed, via a controller, it'll definitely be cheaper than a chiller.

 

[Clifford04]

HOw far away are the lights from your tank?

 

[bluereefs]

Thank you for your comment t4zalews
Fan put down temperature in 12 hours for 5 degree celzius, in 150 gallons tank who was at 30 C, after I was suprised with the results I get from those fan, for testing I put him on the same size tank with the chiller, Teco TR 15, chiller never get on after I mount the fan and now my biggest problem are avoiding too low temperature, today fan put temperature down to 23,5 C.
My friend will made temperature control who will shut down the fun when the temp go under the 25 C, and vice versa put the fan on if the temp go above.

I also find that if you locate fan above or very close to overflow chilling efect are much more faster and stronger, fan need to be in horizontal position above the water surface.

 

[bluereefs]

I had a chiller add $50/month to my power bill. And it was more than powerful enough for my setup.

If you can get fans to work as needed, via a controller, it'll definitely be cheaper than a chiller.

Jup and there is also one more thing, here at the other side of the ocean most of us use equipment under the aquarium, in cabinet or near the cabinet what is the case with chiller position, not in the basement. If you use chiller in your living room hot air push air condition to work all the time, using chiller in living room without air condition is imposiblle, cuting down the chiller use also cut down use of energy for air condition.

Fan and temp controler will cost me aprox 50 $, chiller with the pump cost aprox 1200 $ here, not to mentioned 40 watt vs 499 w + air condition

 

[t4zalews]

thats amazing that you have so much success with fans. I wish my fans pulled down that much temperature.

 

[bluereefs]

HOw far away are the lights from your tank?

10 and 14 cm, aprox 4 and 6 inches

 

[scholar]

I have seen way to many people with reefs tanks put fan systems to cool the tank but this in turn puts massive amounts of humidity in your home and that my friends equals mold.... You may not see it but unless you have the blue it green water drywall.... Many people laugh or shrug this off and say ya right..... But just last year I has a very good friend shrug of my word of warning only six months from then redo his living room and find mold. He has since placed a water remover in with furnace.... For you people with a gout foot tanks plus think of the water those fans are picking up and putting in the air.........

 

[Clifford04]

For 500 watts of lighting that seems like that is a main cause of the problem. Is the light sitting on the tank or is it hanging from the wall/ceiling? Might be useful if you raised it up at least 4 inches or so. Just my .02...

 

[bluereefs]

thats amazing that you have so much success with fans. I wish my fans pulled down that much temperature.

Do you mount them in horizontal position with the water, as close to water surface as posiblle? You can mount them in the sump also. Right now I chill 3 aquarium with 3 cheap fan, 2 are 150 gallons and third are 100 gallons.
Also most of my friends now use fans that way to chill the aquarium and all have succes. All my aquarium are at 24-25 degree C, and if I am not careful and let the fan work all day temp go even lower to 23,5 C.

What was suprise me the most is that fan are actually more eficient then chiller, before I mounted the fan on my aquarium with teco chiller he worked almost all the time, is a midlle of summer season here and few days ago we had heat wave with temp up to 38 degree C outside so it was very very hot and chiller could not lower the temp under the 26 C, fan put down temp to 25 C without problem during heat wave

 

[bluereefs]

I have seen way to many people with reefs tanks put fan systems to cool the tank but this in turn puts massive amounts of humidity in your home and that my friends equals mold.... You may not see it but unless you have the blue it green water drywall.... Many people laugh or shrug this off and say ya right..... But just last year I has a very good friend shrug of my word of warning only six months from then redo his living room and find mold. He has since placed a water remover in with furnace.... For you people with a gout foot tanks plus think of the water those fans are picking up and putting in the air.........

Nope, I have humidity meter and no changes, right now humidity are 40 % , numbers are the same when I had only the chiller, without fans. Evaporation are much bigger now then before but is actually not bad at all for people who use kalkwaser.

 

[bluereefs]

For 500 watts of lighting that seems like that is a main cause of the problem. Is the light sitting on the tank or is it hanging from the wall/ceiling? Might be useful if you raised it up at least 4 inches or so. Just my .02...

Is siting on the aquariums, but the lights are not the problem because my temperature rise due to very hot summer, in winter/autumn I do not have temp problem, also what IMO rise the temp the most in second aquarium without chiller was actually chiller from first aquarium who work all the time and blow hot air to the second aquarium, and me