hiepatitis
In Memoriam
how much do you spend on electricty from the tank you think?
homemade chiller
- Thread starter hiepatitis
- Start date
Fragmented
New member
I found my bookmark for the coiled tubing DYI chiller.
http://www.aloha.net/~hqf/indexdonschiller.htm
Electrical costs are not something I have taken the time to figure out I guess I really don’t want to know the answer. Minh did a whole electrical analysis a while back.
I use the frozen water bottles for 2 reasonsâ€ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚Âreduce electricity use and noise. I think of my chiller more as a back up system. It regulates the temperature when I don’t.
http://www.aloha.net/~hqf/indexdonschiller.htm
Electrical costs are not something I have taken the time to figure out I guess I really don’t want to know the answer. Minh did a whole electrical analysis a while back.
I use the frozen water bottles for 2 reasonsâ€ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚Âreduce electricity use and noise. I think of my chiller more as a back up system. It regulates the temperature when I don’t.
Sheldon337
New member
In the end it wont work as well as a chiller and you will spend as much as a used one.
dots
Premium Member
I have to admit I am a little resentful of that. What makes you so sure? Hiepatitis, informed me he has an degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis, and I am working on mine at Sac State. I think we might be able to figure something out.....
Its an exercise in "can it be done", not can I go out and buy something else that everyone else has.
For example, I would rather have a '56 Chevy that I rebuilt myself, than a new BMW like everyother guy. If you can relate to that you might understand what I am talking about.
I think there is alot of experimentation to do in this hobby, and new innovations on the homefront will push the hobby in new directions.
Fragmented
New member
Here is another link I had in my bookmarks:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...w.reefcorner.org/diy/resfriamento/chiller.htm
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...w.reefcorner.org/diy/resfriamento/chiller.htm
Paul B
Premium Member
Sacramentodots, I totally agree. I don't have a degree but I have a fish related patent which I sold 6000 of my device and I built everything on my reef including one of my ozonizers, lights (MH and PC) my skimmer and reverse UG filter. Anybody can buy something it takes no creativity at all. I never hired anyone in my life for anything on my house, my cars or my boat, and I just about built my house along with the furnature. I can well afford to buy what I need but it is more fun building it. This is a hobby in other words, a passtime which we do not need. If you can expand on your hobby, more credid to you.
Have a great day.
Paul
Have a great day.
Paul
Sheldon337
New member
I'm speaking from experience. I too build all my own stuff. However, he is talking about using an old mini fridge. It wont work as well as the real thing. Plain and simple.
Paul B
Premium Member
It may or it may not but that is not the point. The point is if you like to build things and you have an old fridge why not build it?
I used an old office cooler that I got for free and I used to chill my urchin tank to 45 degrees. A "real" chiller would have worked I am sure but I had a lot of fun building it and I saved $600.00
An old fridge has the same compressor as a "real" chiller and if you get it for free and like to experiment, have fun. You can always throw it out and buy a chiller.
People have been drilling holes in refrigerators for as long as I can remember and coiling copper tubes in them which will not work at all but there are ways to make it work very well for very little money. It will be ugly and big, I will give you that but I still say, anyone can buy a chiller.
To each his own.
Have a great day.
Paul
I used an old office cooler that I got for free and I used to chill my urchin tank to 45 degrees. A "real" chiller would have worked I am sure but I had a lot of fun building it and I saved $600.00
An old fridge has the same compressor as a "real" chiller and if you get it for free and like to experiment, have fun. You can always throw it out and buy a chiller.
People have been drilling holes in refrigerators for as long as I can remember and coiling copper tubes in them which will not work at all but there are ways to make it work very well for very little money. It will be ugly and big, I will give you that but I still say, anyone can buy a chiller.
To each his own.
Have a great day.
Paul
hiepatitis
In Memoriam
I agree. It has been done before and even chillers had to be designed by somebody. I'll work on it and keep everyone updated on my progress. If it works I'll help others build one too.
Sheldon337
New member
The main problem i see is the ability to turn it on and off.
How do you plan on handling that? Will you simply have it run all summer?
How do you plan on handling that? Will you simply have it run all summer?
hiepatitis
In Memoriam
either that or put it on a timer and have the water flow at peak hours. if the water gets too cold then the heater can regulate it. the amount of heat transfered per hour can be controlled by a feedback valve.
Sheldon337
New member
Depending on the volume of water in the coils and how long the water will sit, turning the pump off could cause problems. Might have to be a seasonal setup.
