Energy efficient heater

[Liavb22]

Hello everyone. I'm doing some research for my 220 build and was wondering if certain heaters are more energy efficient than others? Is there any technics to make them/the setup more efficient?

I looked into this a lot and can't seem to find any info on this. I have a few heaters and 1 of them has an external knob (by the wall plug) which the led gets bright and fades when getting closer to the right temp, which I believe meanS that it is not in full power. Am I right? Are heaters like these more or less efficient?

I also read online that covering parts of the tank (which is not part of main display) in polystyrene or styrofoam helps insulate the tank better. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[James77]

Heat is heat as far as heaters go, they are 100% efficient Turning electric directly into heat. You can insulate tanks, sumps and even pipes. I have a sheet of melamine foam glued to the back of my display, my stand is insulated and I use glass tops on the display.

I also highly suggest using a Ranco controller for the heaters. Relying on the heater thermostats is a recipe for disaster. A dedicated conftroller like Ranco is about 60 bucks and magnitudes more reliable than tho by heater thermostats.

 

[mcgyvr]

second the controller (its a must as built in heater controls do fail fairly often) and second using insulation on any non-viewing sides.. That purple/pinkish foam insulation board works perfect..

Solar heating of some sort during the day/winter is another way to reduce energy bills... Just more food for thought..

 

[Sakura251]

You can run 400w metal halide in the winter to help the heat in your tank.

 

[Liavb22]

I was planning on setting up LEDs, but correct me if I'm wrong, won't the switch every season between halides and leds "stress" the corals or possibly bleach them? Does that not happen when you switch back from led to halides? thanks!

 

[Liavb22]

Once I setup the tank, I won't use insulation for one month, than I'll install it and see if it makes a difference. I'll post the info if it helps. Thanks!

 

[moondoggy4]

You could use some returns pumps that put out more heat and run them in the winter and switch to better pumps for the summer.
Another way is to use a Seio 1150 pump I believe that it is called they run very hot I cannot use them in the summer.

 

[moondoggy4]

Sieo Sumper Flow 2600 pumps they run very hot.

 

[Liavb22]

thanks!

 

[tkeracer619]

A watt is a watt.

Doesn't matter if you use a heater or an internal (or water cooled external) pump.

A 500w heater is exactly equal to a 500w internal pump in the amount of heat we produce.

If you switch to led fixtures and your tank already requires a large amount of heat to stay warm you will need to add more heaters to make up for the cooler running leds. This often offsets the cost savings.

If you have a hot tank that always needs cooling you will save money with LED.

So like Jim stated above. Heaters are 100% efficient.

 

[Ruu]

Heat is heat as far as heaters go, they are 100% efficient Turning electric directly into heat. You can insulate tanks, sumps and even pipes. I have a sheet of melamine foam glued to the back of my display, my stand is insulated and I use glass tops on the display.

Sadly this is true - while mankind has been unable to really effectively translate electricity into water movement or electricity into light, we are pretty darned good at translating electricity into heat.

I also put some effort into insulating my tanks, and from the experimentation I have performed, insulating the top of the tank (even with just a glass top, although I currently us 3/4" silvered foam board and some ingenuity) is by far the most effective way to reduce your heating bill. It also reduces evaporation, which can be good or bad.

Dave

 

[Liavb22]

I understand. My thought was that if the heater turns on 800 W at a time to adjust the temperature in a small amount doesn't make sense that it is using more electricity because of that time to warm up and that cool down time would create an inconsistent temperature that will flow through the sump in turn wasting energy. Does it make sense to have the 800 watt heater run at a few degrees less (let's say 76d) and a smaller heater around 100w for that additional 1-2 degrees? It is cooling the water running through the sump which is a small body of water at a time. I don't know if I'm making perfect sense, so sorry if this isn't clear.

My house is at about 73-74 degrees in the winter n summer so the heat loss may not be drastic, but it might be with the investment if it saves money in the long run

 

[tkeracer619]

The hotter the water the quicker it cools down. A heater that is undersized will never shut off but a heater that is oversized can nuke your tank in short order if something malfunctions.

In the setup you propose the 100w heater would never turn off and you would still regulate the temp with the 800w heater.

It would be better to run two 450w heaters on a ranco controller that come on at the same time.

 

[fletch999]

if you can use your hot water heater....google "hot water heater to heat tank" in my opinion it is the most efficient.

 

[tkeracer619]

Only if you have a gas water heater.

 

[Liavb22]

I try to stay away from DIY projects like these, as I know I'll never finish it, but it's really cool. I will just use 2 heaters and insulate.

BTW, any other recommedations to making a 220 gallon more efficient. I have a bumble bee pump that I think I should switch out to a reeflo as it's about 50 watts less. I am also trying to use the least amount of equipment as possible by focusing on more water changes.

Thanks!

 

[Technoreef2013]

I use Octopus Bubble Blaster pumps on in sump skimmers and Water Blaster pumps for returns. They're expensive, but very efficient, quiet, reliable, and don't put off much heat. Use a Litermeter III set up small auto water changes to improve and stabilize water parameters and lose the extra equipment. You won't regret it!

 

[Liavb22]

Technoreef2013, I was actually just looking into that skimmer. Glad to hear it's good. I was also looking into the Renew water change system, because I agree, I believe a simple system, with a lot of water changes is the best way to go. Thanks!

 

[atreis]

There are heat pumps (much greater than 100% efficiency) available for very large tanks, but 220 isn't really that. Unless you're really interested in spending some serious money to save a little electricity, you're best bet is plain old inefficient resistive heating. Sounds odd, but 100% isn't actually very efficient, but for the relatively small amount of heat needed for a tank it ends up being practical.

 

[Liavb22]

Thanks!