I am hoping to get some insight on getting a chiller. My 75 +sump is located in my finished basement. Last summer was the tanks first summer down there and I had horrific heat issues - not just in the tank. There were never any heat issues before the tank. I also run a dehumidifier in the same room which I know puts off A LOT of heat. I had to leave my doors on my stand open basically all summer with a fan on the sump to try and control the heat - which I know added to the evap and in turn made the dehumidifier run more adding to the heat etc etc. I run t5's in a canopy with fans vented in. My question. Will running a chiller also help keep the ambient room temp down due to hopefully less evaporative cooling and higher humidity? I know chillers put off some heat as well. Thanks for any insight on the issue. I want to get this tackled before the heat hits.
chiller suggestions/heat problem
- Thread starter aquagurl
- Start date
vanillagorila
It stings the nostrils
what size/model pumps are you running? something has to be causing all that heat.
Quiet One 4000 for a return. At the time it was a Octo NW-200 which uses an Octo 3000 pump (60 something watts I think) and then two koralia 4's.
My equipment now is the same return pump, BK 160 mini (about 18w) and 2 tunze streams also have a maxi 900 in there for a media reactor. 294 w of t5's. That's it I think.
We have never had heat problems in the basement until the tank. I mean it was getting over 90 - and that was trying to move air from upstairs downstairs. The laundry room, also in the basement but in a separate room, didn't experience the same heat issues. It still felt like a basement.
My equipment now is the same return pump, BK 160 mini (about 18w) and 2 tunze streams also have a maxi 900 in there for a media reactor. 294 w of t5's. That's it I think.
We have never had heat problems in the basement until the tank. I mean it was getting over 90 - and that was trying to move air from upstairs downstairs. The laundry room, also in the basement but in a separate room, didn't experience the same heat issues. It still felt like a basement.
I am debating on an exhaust fan as well. I just didn't want it to have to come to that (yes I would have rather bought the chiller). But I have probably what is a stupid question. There is not a convenient place to place a vent to outside. There however is a capped over spot on the chimney that is a straight shot from where I would want to place the vent (about 20-25 ft or so?). Can the exhaust be vented out the chimney or does it need to go directly outside the house? Thanks 
Most situations dont allow the chiller to be vented outside at all. If you have some way to vent the chillers hot air "exhaust" into the chimey WITHOUT restricting the airflow that blows out the back of the chiller, then up the chimney is better than in the house. My chiller is in the fish room and vents out into the living room. It is along the front wall and we do not notice a heat increase at all when it is running, even in the summer. It may be because we have cathedral ceilings and the hot air rises, probably before we can feel it since the chiller vents a dozen feet away from the actual sitting area.
One problem though ... the warmer the ambient temp. around the chiller the less efficient it cools. 95 degrees ambient is a common maximum temp. that some chillers mention. But I can tell you that cooler is much better, makes a big difference in run time for the chiller.
Im not sure about your fan cooling situation. Do you only use a fan in the canopy? Or do you also use fans to blow across the surface of the water in the tank and sump? Yes, replacing lots of evaporated water can be another issue that has to be addressed but it also makes the chillers job easier. If humidity is that much of an issue you may very well have to ease up on the evaporative cooling and let the chiller do more of the work but the air the chiller blows out is also humid because it is generally exhausting air that was drawn in from a humid environment.
But if you do deacrese evaporative cooling and the humidity is decreased because of it then obviously the air out the chiller exhaust is less humid as well. If you locate the chiller remotely, obviously the situation changes.
One more thing ... I would upsize the chiller if it is going to be working in a 90 degree environment.
I never had a basement, isnt it more humid in the basement in the first place because they are basically underground?
One problem though ... the warmer the ambient temp. around the chiller the less efficient it cools. 95 degrees ambient is a common maximum temp. that some chillers mention. But I can tell you that cooler is much better, makes a big difference in run time for the chiller.
Im not sure about your fan cooling situation. Do you only use a fan in the canopy? Or do you also use fans to blow across the surface of the water in the tank and sump? Yes, replacing lots of evaporated water can be another issue that has to be addressed but it also makes the chillers job easier. If humidity is that much of an issue you may very well have to ease up on the evaporative cooling and let the chiller do more of the work but the air the chiller blows out is also humid because it is generally exhausting air that was drawn in from a humid environment.
But if you do deacrese evaporative cooling and the humidity is decreased because of it then obviously the air out the chiller exhaust is less humid as well. If you locate the chiller remotely, obviously the situation changes.
One more thing ... I would upsize the chiller if it is going to be working in a 90 degree environment.
I never had a basement, isnt it more humid in the basement in the first place because they are basically underground?
Thanks for the reply DarG. I however meant venting an actual exhaust fan (like a bathroom exhaust) out the chimney or does it need to be vented directly outside? Am I making sense?
But thanks for the advice with the chiller.
I do use fans in the canopy that blow across the bulbs and the water. Last summer I had to keep the doors on the stand open basically all the time and a fan going on the sump. Which this of course increase the evap cooling and I am sure caused the dehumidifier to run more frequently (which I think puts off more heat than our furnace in the winter
) Vicious cycle I think. I have had no heat or humidity issues this winter but it is in the teens and dry outside
Part of the issue is I don't think the heat and humidity have anywhere to go once it starts accumulating in the room. Unfortunately I think an exhaust fan is my only option. However with an exhaust fan I am not sure I would need a chiller. Thoughts? Especially on venting out the chimney. I know nothing about this stuff. Thanks
But thanks for the advice with the chiller.
I do use fans in the canopy that blow across the bulbs and the water. Last summer I had to keep the doors on the stand open basically all the time and a fan going on the sump. Which this of course increase the evap cooling and I am sure caused the dehumidifier to run more frequently (which I think puts off more heat than our furnace in the winter
) Vicious cycle I think. I have had no heat or humidity issues this winter but it is in the teens and dry outside Part of the issue is I don't think the heat and humidity have anywhere to go once it starts accumulating in the room. Unfortunately I think an exhaust fan is my only option. However with an exhaust fan I am not sure I would need a chiller. Thoughts? Especially on venting out the chimney. I know nothing about this stuff. Thanks
I see. I dont know whether you could vent and exhaust fan out the chimney or not. You probably could if the vent was installed above the damper otherwise when the damper was closed you would just be venting back into the room. But if you vent through into the chimney what happens when you use the fireplace?
I dont know about this stuff so Im just throwing out common sense issues.
I would try venting the humidifier to the outside before I bought a chiller because that seems like an issue you need to deal with anyway.
I dont know about this stuff so Im just throwing out common sense issues.
I would try venting the humidifier to the outside before I bought a chiller because that seems like an issue you need to deal with anyway.
One more thought. I dont know how your basement is situated but if Im not mistaken, basements may have one or more of their outside walls above ground level. Maybe a window? If you hav e that type of access, maybe you can install an air conditioning until ... wall unit or window unit ... to use in the summer. That would actually attack both the humidity and the heat issues. How large a unit you would need would depend on how large the room is but if it's not too large a single medium or largish sized wall or window ac unit probably wouldnt use much more electric than a chiller and a humdifier.
I dont know if it's possible to do in your case but maybe a possible solution.
I dont know if it's possible to do in your case but maybe a possible solution.
There isn't a fireplace on the chimney. As far as I know it vents the furnace and a gas water heater.
Unfortunately there is only one window in the basement but yes there is a portion of the basement that is above ground - although blocks not just the siding like above the basement. I think it would be possible to run to window (not sure) but not nearly as convenient due to the location of the window. And the window that we do have is where the dryer is vented in the laundry room. That room didn't experience the same heat issues although only separated by drywall. So an AC unit isn't possible.
Unfortunately I don't think our dehumidifier can be vented. Hope I am making sense. I know even less than you.
Unfortunately there is only one window in the basement but yes there is a portion of the basement that is above ground - although blocks not just the siding like above the basement. I think it would be possible to run to window (not sure) but not nearly as convenient due to the location of the window. And the window that we do have is where the dryer is vented in the laundry room. That room didn't experience the same heat issues although only separated by drywall. So an AC unit isn't possible.
Unfortunately I don't think our dehumidifier can be vented. Hope I am making sense.
I know even less than you. 
