In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

[karimwassef]

It's here. Rented a u-haul and picked it up at the freight terminal. Came in on a 9' palette and 6' tall box. 950lbs... that's 50% heavier than I was expecting...

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Also rented a manual crank material lift (1000lb capable).

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too tall to fit in the garage so unpacked outside

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One hour later and with 5 people... we're in!

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[karimwassef]

Front and back view and ready for the first water stress test. The chandelier is casting the light pattern on the front view wall.

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[karimwassef]

water test

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temporary lighting

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and full... 380gal

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still need to add the corner squares and silicone the 1/8th inch gap between the frame and the tank. It's not much, but the garage can get pretty cold. It should be comparable to the silicone around the windows and doors.

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[karimwassef]

Overall I'm pleased with the outcome. It's a nice fit and the stand is solid. I can confirm that the 1" foam underneath it doesn't compress much even fully loaded.

I also loaded the 150 gallon rubbermaid resevoir in the suspended platform and it was solid as well.

Once the corners and silicone are in, work begins on the sump and the surge.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Do you have plans to heat the garage?

 

[karimwassef]

Only a space heater. With 1000W in metal halides and 500W in pumps, I've usually had an overheating issue. With another 900W of heaters, I expect to keep it at 74F or so in the winter.

I have a 1/2hp chiller for the summer and installing a roof vent to keep cool in the summer. Texas summers are my biggest concern.

 

[karimwassef]

The space heater keeps the garage 20F warmer than the outside (small garage). At 30F outside, the garage should be 50F. The tank heating adds another ~2000W for 380gal.

 

[karimwassef]

Hmmm. There is a 1/4" gap between the frame and the glass. The silicone will fill it in but I am tempted to push the tank flush to the drywall. It weighs 950lbs empty... So that is a painful 1/4" correction.

Anyone else with an in-wall care to comment? Does it matter much?

 

[woodnaquanut]

Maybe I should have said do you have any plans to insulate the garage? That's a lot of water to cool in a hot garage! Have you considered extending the home HVAC into the garage?


RE: 1/4" gap...

If you do fill the gap, you might want to use caulk that matched the trim. Brown? It doesn't need to be fancy, fish safe, silicone.

How about applying a thin trim piece after the tank is set up and full. This could be scribed to the tank to account for any out of plumb or not exactly flat issues. After writing this I realized your trim won't allow this. Since you mentioned moving the tank to flush, perhaps you would consider changing the trim. If the part that was perpendicular to the tank was not 'fancy' it would be easy to scribe it to the tank. Apply this after the tank is all set and full of water

BTW I love your lighting system! Work light on step stool! Be careful, you don't want to be a 'Darwin award' winner.

 

[fishgate]

Mine just has a small gap probably the same as yours but it backs to an interior room.

 

[karimwassef]

I've added new garage door seals and foam at the corners. There is a small attic area between the garage ceiling and roof on the side away from te tank. There is little insulation there but I was planning on adding a solar powered venting fan in the summer.

Running the HVAC is an idea I've toyed with but I would need a duct A/C contractor since I am not sure where all my duct work is. I can see running the necessary ductwork in the little attic if there was a place to tap into it nearby.

I have three more cooling options: the first is the chiller which I have facing and very close to one of the garage doors in an attempt to keep the hot air as far as possible from the tank. Cutting a vent opening in the external stucco wall is intimidating. I wave a window in the garage but it's on the opposite side and the water lines would need to go to the ceiling and back down.

The second is the titanium cooling lines that I have buried 2 feet down in my back yard. It's about 160 feet of 3/4" tubing. I have no idea if it'll have much benefit but it's an experiment....

The third is a window A/C unit... More money, noise, ongoing cost... Not sure if it'll be very aesthetically pleasing from the outside either.

 

[karimwassef]

Darwin Award... Lol

The work lights are fastened to the pole. If the assembly tips off the ladder, it would fall to the ground, not the tank... Unless I literally pick the whole thing up and turn it feet up in the air.

 

[karimwassef]

Fishgate, thanks for the pics. The gap doesn't look so bad so I'll likely let it be with a silicone seal. With an 8' x 2' viewing window, I think the 1/4" gap will fade into the foreground.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Titanium cooling lines? You are holding out on us! That sounds neat. Also sounds expensive. You gonna have a backyard collider? I'd love to hear more about your plans for this. Years ago there was a story in 'Sunset' magazine about cooling a house by burying large (4", 6" - I don't remember) PVC and circulating air thru. Sure would be a low energy AC.

RE: HVAC. Does your house heat/cool from vents in the floor or ceiling? What's behind the funny door to the left (as seen from garage) of the tank. Water heater or ??? If you do condition the garage be sure to insulate the garage doors. If the garage gets hot you are going to have a real hard time keeping the tank cool.

Just thought of a real bonus to HVAC to garage. When your SO finds out how much this is costing, you'll need a comfortable place to live! :lol:

 

[karimwassef]

I started a thread on the underground titanium lines but it vanished... It's not expensive since titanium tubing is now used in a lot of applications. I bought 200 ft for about $300. I used tube connectors and vinyl for the interfaces $100 and the rest is the sweat in digging the trench ($120 to rent a ditch witch).

No idea if it'll work but it's something I've wanted to try for a couple of decades since I first learned about geothermal cooling.

 

[karimwassef]

HVAC is from the ceilings. TX is hot 8 months of the year so the primary purpose of the heat pump is to cool.

The little closet door is access to the hot water heater. Thought of changing to an instant hot water heater but the electric versions are not very efficient and terribly expensive. The benefit is that I had a dedicated 100A line installed in case I ever do... That's now my dedicated tank power.

My wife is already unhappy with the tank concept. This is how it ended up in the garage in the first place. Making the garage more comfortable can only help. Lol

 

[letsgrow34]

How is your progress coming. Sure its slow with the holidays but I have been patiently waiting for an update. ha

 

[karimwassef]

Sorry for the long delay. Family time before reef time, especially during the holidays. Ok... Progress...
Added the trim corners.
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Assembled the 3/4" plywood sump 5' x 2' x 2' with wood glue and screws
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Also added a 3/4" plywood floor to the base
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Then installed the 2x250W metal halides (for now) and prime coated the base floor and sump outside
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Then water resistant blue paint
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Put down a 1/4" silicone 100% between the trim and tank face (still needs some cleanup on the wood). Use masking tape on the glass to keep it crisp.
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Added a 2 mil Mylar back ($30 for a 4'x25' roll). Got 16' left... Material for more fun.
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[letsgrow34]

Your trim looks great. I really like the mylar backing too. I hadnt thought or seen that yet. I also havent seen anyone building wood sumps. What do you coat the inside with for this to hold water and not ruin the wood. Whatever it is has it been proven to hold up for a long period of time....seems scary to me.....Best of luck!

 

[karimwassef]

Epoxy. Plywood and epoxy tanks have been proven in for a decade. A correction on the sump dims: 6' x 2' x 2' ~ 180 gallons.

I've built a plywood tank before but it was much larger and used studs for support and fiberglass in the epoxy. This is my first plywood only - epoxy pour only build.