Geothermal Chiller
- Thread starter mflamb
- Start date
Northtampatang
Premium Member
I used a small geothermal system when my greenhouse was running. Youve got to get fairly deep with our sandy soil and high temp.
Good thing is the water table isnt very low in most places
Wes
Good thing is the water table isnt very low in most places
Wes
Sailor_jon
New member
Good drinking water comes from depths of 120' and deeper into the aquifer. Its average temp is 72 degrees year round, however, all you need is to get to 25' or so. The temp will vary more and may not have much themal help by the end of August-Sept, but its worth trying. Its worthless for anything but growing plants as you will find it full of sulpher and iron compounds and all kinds of smelly things. Keep us posted, Id be interested to see how you do it.
My plan is to bury a couple hundred feet of some type of plastic pipe, either pvc, cpvc, or sprinkler pipe. I don't need water, just a lower temperature. I'm going to dig a hole and bury a temperature probe at varying depths to check temps for a day or so at several depths to see if I can get a low enough temp for adequate heat transfer.
Mike
Mike
well thinking is always good but proof is proof. call rockin reef and now I can't remember the other guy scooby or something like that. rocking reef was able to maintain there outdoor 11,000 gallon facility this way. never over 82 I think is what they said. they had alot of barrels all over the yard and all the water was outdoors which I would think is worse than having a few metal halides. I am not sure 1 barrel will be enough but it is a way of doing it. there are alot of heat load calculations that go into figuring that out. the 5ft is an approximate depth were the ground temp starts to get consistent year round. not perfect by any means. water flow rates are another thing to consider and I figure not many people will actually go through the math to figure that out exactly. I do not know what temp the tank will get down to during the winter because of course it's not a perfect system and hopefully trying to reheat the water doesn't happen. you can also never turn the loop off because the water in the loop will go anaerobic and foul and be toxic if turned back on. anything more than a day or longer might be bad. thats why chillers work so well.
I don't want to use a chiller for two reasons. First, no room under the stand for the equipment. (All equipment is inside stand/hood.) Unless I use an outside condensor and inside chiller tube, for which I would have room. Second, I don't want to use an inside chiller due to heat transfer into the house. That's why I'm considering geothermal, but I dont want that large of a system water increase, due to the possible of having to reheat.
Lots to consider.
Lots to consider.
Northtampatang
Premium Member
Rob is right, the idea is to put a large volume of water underground and this will stablize temp and system. Its harder to heat a large volume of water and the gound temps are going to stay in the low to upper 70's depending on depth and location and sun exposure to that area.
I used a 50 gallon drum about 7' under the surface and it did alright. It would have been better to use 100 or so. It was used on a coral greenhouse with 200 gallons worth of vats up top.
The other good thing is that the rest of your parameters will be easier to maintain with the larger volumes stored in the underground area.
I used a 50 gallon drum about 7' under the surface and it did alright. It would have been better to use 100 or so. It was used on a coral greenhouse with 200 gallons worth of vats up top.
The other good thing is that the rest of your parameters will be easier to maintain with the larger volumes stored in the underground area.
have an a/c guy build you a chiller. split it like I do with the evaporator under your stand and the condensor outside. it is the only way to run a chiller in my opinion but some people have to do what they have to do. on a 400 gallon system you could have one built and installed for about the same price as buying one from a decent company.
what lights are you going to run and what temp do you keep your house seasonally?
what lights are you going to run and what temp do you keep your house seasonally?
wow that is cool. I think you may find you don't need all the light you can stuff under there. my 265 gallon tank is currently running with a total light of 372 watts. of t5 only. 2 rows of actinic plus and 2 rows of 12k. all ati bulbs they look better than geisemann to me but I don't think they are as intense. yet I am running 216 watts less with the ati than I did with the geisemann. the better color allowed me to turn off the actinics. acro's are pretty dominant in my tank and most are growing pretty well. even the ones being eaten by acro eating nudi's. 
do not trust anyones corals no matter who you think you know. a lesson hard learned. I have a radiant wrasse ,a yellow coris and a leopard wrasse and I don't think any of them are helping.
anyway about the heat i would think with your house being that cool I would put a couple fans in the hood to remove some of the heat before it transfers to the water and cycle them on a temperature controller. I think your house being that cool is going to suck most of the heat from the tank. remember heat travels from warm to cool and it is automatic and natural. I would only add a chiller after you find out you have to add one because it's too warm.
do not trust anyones corals no matter who you think you know. a lesson hard learned. I have a radiant wrasse ,a yellow coris and a leopard wrasse and I don't think any of them are helping.anyway about the heat i would think with your house being that cool I would put a couple fans in the hood to remove some of the heat before it transfers to the water and cycle them on a temperature controller. I think your house being that cool is going to suck most of the heat from the tank. remember heat travels from warm to cool and it is automatic and natural. I would only add a chiller after you find out you have to add one because it's too warm.
robthorn, My hood will be open on top, and I will use a fan on each side blowing in. I'm just mentally preparing, so if I develop a heat issue, I will have a plan. As far as trusting...I bought a 50 gallon last Thursday for a quarantine, and EVERYTHING gets quarantined. I'm using dry sand and DIY rock, and 65 lbs of GARF Grunge to bring it to life. The Grunge is going to spend time in the QT for thorough inspection. I don't even trust myself when it comes to the display...hahaha.
gotcha good plan. it sucks because the more people in the hobby the worse it gets. not trying to be a jerk to anyone in the hibby it's just the plan truth. everyone wants to trade and sell and make some money but they are spreading some funk and trouble. hobbiest and stores and warehouses and everyone are to blame.
good luck and be sure to share pics when it's up and running.
if you need to know where to buy all the chiller parts let me know I have all the sources I have built many.
good luck and be sure to share pics when it's up and running.
if you need to know where to buy all the chiller parts let me know I have all the sources I have built many.
