Chiller outside?

[ca1ore]

It will just have to work harder due to the ambient temperature.

Not clear how - care to explain? I'd have thought just the opposite since you're not pumping all that heat into your house.

 

[karimwassef]

I think he means that putting the chiller in an air conditioned room at 70F will allow it to cool easier than outside in a 90F yard. The fan will be blowing 90F air instead of 70F air on the heat exchanger.

The incoming gas will be much hotter, of course (like 160F), but the cooler ambient will make it cool faster.

The air conditioner now has to take the heat out to the outside yard... But that's likely to be a much larger multi-ton high efficiency unit.

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah I got that, I just don't think it would make any difference to performance - unless, of course it gets so hot outside that the unit overheats. Frankly when I moved my chiller outside it worked better because my sump room temperature was much lower.

 

[karimwassef]

That's my thinking too. My garage is too hot as it is. Putting the chiller outside in the shade will push the heat as far away from my tank as possible.

 

[Dr. Reef]

my garage hits 140F during peak summer days. i have to keep fans blowing on the Vegas light fixtures for them not to goto limp mode as their cut of is 120F. chiller worked well inside the garage but added more heat to garage so i moved it outside.

 

[karimwassef]

Ok. I think this is the final position:

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/Mobile%20Uploads/107DE766-AABC-4588-BA68-D4693E87568E_zpszqys4pet.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/Mobile%20Uploads/107DE766-AABC-4588-BA68-D4693E87568E_zpszqys4pet.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 107DE766-AABC-4588-BA68-D4693E87568E_zpszqys4pet.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/Mobile%20Uploads/C1B33A72-5955-4930-BCEE-21D14E34A347_zps6bgrteqh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/Mobile%20Uploads/C1B33A72-5955-4930-BCEE-21D14E34A347_zps6bgrteqh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo C1B33A72-5955-4930-BCEE-21D14E34A347_zps6bgrteqh.jpg"/></a>

I could put a plastic awning and paint it the same color as the walls, but it would make it stand out a lot more.

 

[Dr. Reef]

give it atleast 1 foot of space all around from all walls.

 

[karimwassef]

Why? I was planning on keeping it as close to the walls as I can.

I'm trying to keep it hidden in the bushes.

The fan/heat exchanger will have a foot of space and be venting close to the open space.

 

[Dr. Reef]

its gonna need air flow from one end and down the other and most chillers require atleast a foot of space for heat/air exchange otherwise compressor will get too hot and burn out.

 

[karimwassef]

The fan isn't very fast. The outlet is where I feel airflow. The three inlets have minimal flow - actually I don't feel any intake flow since the area is so large.

One intake will be open to a foot of space (inside a bush), and the outlet is open. So two inlets blocked. The bottom is also open (sitting on blocks).

 

[Dr. Reef]

might get away with it but i am afraid if there is not enough air/heat exchange you might run into a bad compressor. i went back and looked at the pics. the small opening that opens into the bush is the air intake area while the radiator type side is exchange/out side which is fully open.

 

[karimwassef]

Weird thought... What's to stop someone coming up to my house and cutting off the PVC, and walking away with my chiller while my tank bleeds saltwater all over my front yard?

Paranoid much?? Ok. Still thinking worst case.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Weird thought... What's to stop someone coming up to my house and cutting off the PVC, and walking away with my chiller while my tank bleeds saltwater all over my front yard?

Paranoid much?? Ok. Still thinking worst case.

Do you live in an area that has high rate of reef tank crime?

 

[karimwassef]

No. Not at all. Gated community, etc...

Still - paranoia