energy saving feedback/advice

[Dodger745]

Ive been running a 180g setup that I purchased as a complete unit about 6 months ago.
much of the gear is dated back several years.
it has a dolphin pump running the system, as well as an iwaki 40RLT running the skimmer.
also an aquamedic 3x250w halide fixture with power compact actinic.

in an effort to save on my utility bill each month, my first thought is to replace the halide fixture with photon 24" units from reefbreeders.

opinions?

Im sure the two pumps are using some mega wattage as well. I am trying to decide on a replacement for them that might save me some bucks in the long run.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have a 180g DT as well. Back in Dec of 2012 I switched from 4 250w MH, with 160w of t5 (two of the 3' AquaMedic fixtures) to 2 of the EverGrow IT2080's (they are the same as the RB Photon 32) and twice as many leds as 2 of the Photon 24's or EG IT2060. So I cut out 1160w of light and replaced it with 480w of led (read savings). But I have a chiller that ran a fair amount before and runs very little now (read more savings). And my home A/C ran a lot before and runs a bit less now, maybe 5-8% less (read even more savings). So I compared May thru July of this year with last year and on average I saved well over $30/month! July savings was over $40. Now I'm in SW Florida, so it's hot, and MH heat is trapped inside the house 24/7. No open windows at night. And my 1hp chiller is outside in the shade on the north side of the house, so that heat didn't get added to the house.

So without the chiller and if you don't have heavy A/C usage, you will probably save less.

BTW, if you intend to have sps in your 180g DT, I'd step up from the 24" to the EverGrow IT2080, 32" fixture with twice as many leds. The pair of 24's will be OK for zoas and softies, lps and sps will have to be higher up in the tank and more directly under the lights. IMHO.

You did ask for opinions, right? :beer:

 

[Dodger745]

Thanks for the input! This summer I've really noticed an Increase in utility bill and my ac unit does run more in my opinion due to the aquariums heat from the lights. I have a chiller but I never run it. My tank never gets above 80f.
I have gotten into a group buy with reefbreeders so that is why I was set on those fixtures. I have never done any research on the ones you mentioned bit I will check them out!

 

[alton]

So many times lighting gets blamed for large utility bills when lights only run 8 to 10 hours a day. Those large pumps run 24hrs 365 days a year. Example: pump using 200 watts x 24 x 365 / 1000 = 1,752KW x $.10 KWH = $175 a year

 

[Dodger745]

So many times lighting gets blamed for large utility bills when lights only run 8 to 10 hours a day. Those large pumps run 24hrs 365 days a year. Example: pump using 200 watts x 24 x 365 / 1000 = 1,752KW x $.10 KWH = $175 a year

I totally agree with you. thats sort of why I asked for some feedback. Im attempting to take some steps to make my reef a bit more enery efficient. Id like to get some input on pumps as well.

 

[sirreal63]

The pumps and the PC actintics are a great place to start. In 2005/2006 I cut my pump wattage in half and the effect was good enough to take my chiller completely offline, it has been in a closet collecting dust ever since. PC actintics are horribly inefficient, consider swapping them out with LED or T5 actintics. Be aware that you may have an increased heater usage by going with all LEDs, many people have had that happen with the net result being no real energy savings. It won't matter if you are running an extra 500 watts of heater or 500 watts of light, the energy usage will be the same. This becomes important when you are not having an issue with heat, just electrical usage.

 

[Ron Reefman]

So many times lighting gets blamed for large utility bills when lights only run 8 to 10 hours a day. Those large pumps run 24hrs 365 days a year. Example: pump using 200 watts x 24 x 365 / 1000 = 1,752KW x $.10 KWH = $175 a year

And how much is the new pump going to use? And what is the savings on lights?

750w of MH down to 240w of led is 510w saved every hour for 8-10 hours, that's 4080w-5100w a day! Plus A/C savings which may even be more than the lights. Getting out from under MH fixtures is the most bang for your buck.

 

[moondoggy4]

Buy a Kill-A-Watt and start plugging things in and see how much wattage everything is using' You would be surprised on how much energy a heater uses.

 

[Dodger745]

Buy a Kill-A-Watt and start plugging things in and see how much wattage everything is using' You would be surprised on how much energy a heater uses.

my heater rarely runs dueing the summer months so far. the halides keep the temperature around 79-80f

I think I am going to go with the reefbreeder LED fixtures first and then look into a different return pump option next.

 

[GatorAlum05]

Mh owners will disagree vehemently but that trap heat is like a furnace during summer months.

 

[jda]

Pumps and heaters are your biggest energy consumers.... especially if you are using a iwaki for a skimmer pump a 1.9 amps and an Ampmaster return pump at 200ish watts as well. You could probably get a 80 watt return pump and a 40 watt skimmer and save about 300-350 watts an hour all day.

Well ventilated canopies with fans are cheaper than chillers. The humidity accounts for a lot of the extra AC usage, which will not go away, is worse in the summer... the air has to have the humidity removed before it will cool all that well.

Drop the PCs. You can find awesome MH bulbs that don't need supplementation at all. If they are the ones in the Aquamedic fixture, then I doubt that you can even tell that they are on when the halides are on - this will save 100ish watts an hour.

I have an Aquamedic 3x250W fixture and it uses about 900 watts and I run them for 8-9 hours, so it is 64 to 72 cents a day or 80-90 cents in other areas. The heater also does not run for 2-3 hours during the day while they are on, so that saves me 2000-3000 watts (measured) or 16 to 24 (or 20-30) cents. The difference is about what LED fixtures would run. Don't think that 240W of LED can do what that AB fixture does... maybe more like 480-500W of LED might get close, but it still won't be the same... which is about a push with the heaters.

Anyway, it will take you years to recoup the money if you replace all of this stuff. I might suggest that you turn the PCs off immediately, look for high quality used return pump and skimmer over the next few months or else you will spend way more in equipment than you will save in electricity. If you are factoring in cost of new lights, factor in about a 12-24 month effective life span of that LED fixture - it will last longer than that, but it will probably be a dinosaur that you won't want to use... some people have replaced their LED fixtures (some several times) since I last replaced my halide bulbs.

 

[Dodger745]

Thanks for all the input! I have 20k bulbs currently in the halide fixture. And you are correct about not being able to tell that the power compacts are on when they are on. I run the halide bulbs for 6&1/2 hours per day.

What type pumps would you suggest? The dolphin runs the entire system. The reactors (calcium, carbon, and gfo are all teed off from the return line.

I am running the aqua c ev240 skimmer. Which is working great for me with the iwaki. Just not sure what would be a good replacement pump

 

[Dodger745]

Pumps and heaters are your biggest energy consumers.... especially if you are using a iwaki for a skimmer pump a 1.9 amps and an Ampmaster return pump at 200ish watts as well. You could probably get a 80 watt return pump and a 40 watt skimmer and save about 300-350 watts an hour all day.

Well ventilated canopies with fans are cheaper than chillers. The humidity accounts for a lot of the extra AC usage, which will not go away, is worse in the summer... the air has to have the humidity removed before it will cool all that well.

Drop the PCs. You can find awesome MH bulbs that don't need supplementation at all. If they are the ones in the Aquamedic fixture, then I doubt that you can even tell that they are on when the halides are on - this will save 100ish watts an hour.

I have an Aquamedic 3x250W fixture and it uses about 900 watts and I run them for 8-9 hours, so it is 64 to 72 cents a day or 80-90 cents in other areas. The heater also does not run for 2-3 hours during the day while they are on, so that saves me 2000-3000 watts (measured) or 16 to 24 (or 20-30) cents. The difference is about what LED fixtures would run. Don't think that 240W of LED can do what that AB fixture does... maybe more like 480-500W of LED might get close, but it still won't be the same... which is about a push with the heaters.

Anyway, it will take you years to recoup the money if you replace all of this stuff. I might suggest that you turn the PCs off immediately, look for high quality used return pump and skimmer over the next few months or else you will spend way more in equipment than you will save in electricity. If you are factoring in cost of new lights, factor in about a 12-24 month effective life span of that LED fixture - it will last longer than that, but it will probably be a dinosaur that you won't want to use... some people have replaced their LED fixtures (some several times) since I last replaced my halide bulbs.

What do you use to start/finish your daily light cycle if you are not using the power compacts in the fixture? I'm thinking we probably have the very same one. Aquamedic aqua space light?

 

[ca1ore]

Things that reduced power usage for me the most:

1. Going from 3 x 250 HQI MH/T5 and a required chiller to 2 x Reefbreeders photn32 and no chiller. Slightly more heater use in colder months, but tiny compared to savings.
2. Moving from a pig of a main pump (dolphin amp master) that over circulates the sump to a PanWorld 150 that turns over the tank less frequently, but still adequately. Compensate with in-tank powerheads.
3. Moved from an external beckett style skimmer with a big pump, to an internal needle wheel with efficient powerhead.

 

[jda]

I have several AquaSpaceLights in both 4' and 6' versions but I also have a few of the newer Oceanlights - the main difference being that the ballasts are remote so they are lighter to hang. I have an AquaSpaceLight that I think that I got in 2001 that still works flawlessley, although I did have to replace a $18 something-or-other on it - the AquaMedic folks are REALLY helpful if you ever need parts. Those are 220v systems and if you can work a voltmeter, they can help you in email of over the phone. I never use the PCs in the ASL - just a waste. I use 14K Phoneix bulbs that I replace every 24 months. I just turn the lights on/off with a cheap light timer. My favorite have 150W HQI in the middle of the 250s instead of the PCs. They are great lights. You will not get that kind of light out of LED - you might be happy with the LEDs depending on what you are after and what you keep, but it won't be the same.

If you like the Beckett skimmer, then you have to stick with the pressure pump - no way to cut wattage there. I really think that becketts skim awesome, but to drop wattage, you would have to buy a needle wheel. This could be an expensive replacement if you have to buy a $500 skimmer to replace the ev240.

For a main pump, one of the newer DC pumps might be OK - maybe a Diablo DC-10500 at 85 watts? The calcium reactor feed is nothing in a return at like .10 GPH, if that. Carbon and GFO can run on 100 GPH through the same line - carbon first and then GFO, so we are not talking about much needed from the manifold. FYI - if you use a submersible pump, then you heat the water with the friction and not the air, so your heater runs less at night and in the winter (or all year where I am). You could also look at the Water Blaster or WaveLine pumps.

 

[Dodger745]

I have several AquaSpaceLights in both 4' and 6' versions but I also have a few of the newer Oceanlights - the main difference being that the ballasts are remote so they are lighter to hang. I have an AquaSpaceLight that I think that I got in 2001 that still works flawlessley, although I did have to replace a $18 something-or-other on it - the AquaMedic folks are REALLY helpful if you ever need parts. Those are 220v systems and if you can work a voltmeter, they can help you in email of over the phone. I never use the PCs in the ASL - just a waste. I use 14K Phoneix bulbs that I replace every 24 months. I just turn the lights on/off with a cheap light timer. My favorite have 150W HQI in the middle of the 250s instead of the PCs. They are great lights. You will not get that kind of light out of LED - you might be happy with the LEDs depending on what you are after and what you keep, but it won't be the same.

If you like the Beckett skimmer, then you have to stick with the pressure pump - no way to cut wattage there. I really think that becketts skim awesome, but to drop wattage, you would have to buy a needle wheel. This could be an expensive replacement if you have to buy a $500 skimmer to replace the ev240.

For a main pump, one of the newer DC pumps might be OK - maybe a Diablo DC-10500 at 85 watts? The calcium reactor feed is nothing in a return at like .10 GPH, if that. Carbon and GFO can run on 100 GPH through the same line - carbon first and then GFO, so we are not talking about much needed from the manifold. FYI - if you use a submersible pump, then you heat the water with the friction and not the air, so your heater runs less at night and in the winter (or all year where I am). You could also look at the Water Blaster or WaveLine pumps.

Cool deal. So basically you don't use the actinic a to help simulate a sunrise/sunset. That's what I was getting at. Looks like I have some pump research to do when I get home from work!

 

[jda]

Nope. That is along the same lines as thunderstorms, cloudy days, etc... it is for the reefer, not the tank, so I just skip it. If you want to have them on for a few hours a day for dusk/dawn, that is not very much cost... like maybe not even a penny or two... I don't think that they do anything with the halides on.

 

[Dodger745]

Nope. That is along the same lines as thunderstorms, cloudy days, etc... it is for the reefer, not the tank, so I just skip it. If you want to have them on for a few hours a day for dusk/dawn, that is not very much cost... like maybe not even a penny or two... I don't think that they do anything with the halides on.

agreed! as soon as I came home I turned the PC's off and see no difference

I also am only using the halides on each end of the fixture. the middle one stays off because I have my rockwork setup as two islands, one on each end.

 

[Dodger745]

The diablo dc 10500 looks tempting for a replacement for my main pump! I wonder if the smaller model would run my skimmer? I'd be excited to lose the pump noise!