Keeping large tanks and rooms cool
- Thread starter ikktrdr
- Start date
I've tried to handle the ventilation problem by installing an in-line fan in the attic that pulls air out of the fish room and moves it to the outdoors. Works well. Temp in the fish room stays at - or around - 76 deg.
Cooling is the biggest problem with a large system. Practcally everything, in the room, produces heat. Although the ventilation fan helps, a little, it is not enough to keep the tank at the right temp. Even the six 4" PC fans I have cooling the canopy aren't enough. Gotta have a chiller for that. No way around it.
Cooling is the biggest problem with a large system. Practcally everything, in the room, produces heat. Although the ventilation fan helps, a little, it is not enough to keep the tank at the right temp. Even the six 4" PC fans I have cooling the canopy aren't enough. Gotta have a chiller for that. No way around it.
serpentman
part time superhero
I keep my tank in the basement and am using a Fantech inline fan to a 6" duct line. Although I haven't had issues with temps, they do tend to run higher than my old system. I am having problems with low pH when the house is closed up and the A/C runs. I will probably bite the bullet and go with an industrial air exchanger.
Thanks guys, that's where I'm at right now. Experimenting with some sort of evacuation system. I have a 1hp chiller on the tank and the heat that is generated from that alone is unbelievable. Equipment room alone can get up to 95 in a matter of minutes. I am getting a handle on it, but with 4 seasons in the midwest it appears as if I may need more than one solution.
I'd suggest going with a Fantech exaust fan to get humidity and heat out especially with a chiller in that room as well.
Fantech make alot of different styles to fit the room size you need to ventilate it out correctly.
Just remember that as that air gets pulled out it still has salt in the air and will eventually start to corrode the hindged flaps in the vent box.
Fantech make alot of different styles to fit the room size you need to ventilate it out correctly.
Just remember that as that air gets pulled out it still has salt in the air and will eventually start to corrode the hindged flaps in the vent box.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
I vent the air from above the display to the outside as the turnover from the sump wasn't enough to really keep the display cool. The fishroom's in the basement. I have a vent on a humidistat to the outside there, but I also run a separate AC unit to the fishroom (it's run off a geothermal line, so cooling is easy).
Thanks guys, those are some ideas I am experimenting with. I was curious if anyone was using an inline or attic fan. Something like that will probably be the solution. Trying to determine the size needed, because I need to move a good deal of air, but I don't want to remove it all from the house, therefore i was wondering is anyone using a fresh air intake at the opposite end of the room?
I know Rod's Reef kept his temps down simply by using a fan blowing across the top of his display. Evaporative cooling, I'm sure the humidity was a little high. I have used that to cool and some exhaust fans to help with the humidity. I also have an cold air intake draw from the fishroom and an ac vent go in. Temp stays pretty good, humidity still a little higher than I want. Have about 700 gallons in the room, shortly to increse a few hundred.
I'm only an hour away, so i's say the climate is close.
HTH's
Todd
I'm only an hour away, so i's say the climate is close.
HTH's
Todd
I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. My system is built into a wall in my basement. The mechanical room is behind the tank. I have begun to implement some of these ideas in a temporary fashion to see what works best. I am glad that this is an issue everyone seems to deal with to some degree. It seems some form of air exchange is the best answer and that appears to be working for me so far. I continue to welcome all suggestions.
DamnPepShrimp
Moved On
I am having trouble with this right now on my 210g tank. My tank is in an unfinished portion of the basement and its causing some serious humidity/heat/rust issues. I have a dehumidifier along with a fan and an open window, still no use. My tank runs in the 70s but its still to much of a problem. My coldwater pipes sweat in the winter time too. Not to mention everything in the room thats metal rusts! I might have to get rid of my tank because of all this.
Re: Keeping large tanks and rooms cool
When planning our fish room earlier this year, we got some good advice here on RC. I installed (2) 100CFM 1.0 sone vent fans immediately above the tank. These vents have pretty much run 24/7 sionce the tank has been installed. The 10' x 14' equipment room also has a through wall 8,000 BTU PTAC unit for heating and cooling. Even with all that, I often run a box fan on the floor to keep air moving in the space. When we have moderate outside temperatures, the back door comes open...
LL
When planning our fish room earlier this year, we got some good advice here on RC. I installed (2) 100CFM 1.0 sone vent fans immediately above the tank. These vents have pretty much run 24/7 sionce the tank has been installed. The 10' x 14' equipment room also has a through wall 8,000 BTU PTAC unit for heating and cooling. Even with all that, I often run a box fan on the floor to keep air moving in the space. When we have moderate outside temperatures, the back door comes open...
LL
roktsintst
New member
Bump! Im also having Temp Issues. I determined that my chiller does more harm than good by putting too much heat into teh room and i dont have a way of getting it outside.
I just bought a 12000 btu portable AC Unit that i will duct into my existing 110 cfm vent fan that runs 24/7 but im not sure how this will work.
I am anti chiller right now because of teh heat they produce...
I just bought a 12000 btu portable AC Unit that i will duct into my existing 110 cfm vent fan that runs 24/7 but im not sure how this will work.
I am anti chiller right now because of teh heat they produce...
FishTruck
Premium Member
Put a plenum over your chiller and vent that air directly outside using an inline fan controlled with your chiller. Or, put your chiller outside. All the heat chillers "take out" of your tank then comes right off the chiller. So, in an enclosed area by your tank... it becomes pointless.
Vent the head space above your tank and sump directly outside (if your tank / sump have a canopy/stand).
If you are still having issues with humidity... vent the skimmer to the outside, like the TOTM a few months back. Reefkeeper, I think.
Make sure to figure out where the fresh air to replace all this vented air will come from. You don't want negative pressure which can extinguish pilot lights, pull carbon monoxide from your water heater back into the house... etc.... In the winter months, you can aspirate air from outside to replace all that exhausted hot air. Or, you might actually reclaim it, if you live in the bitter cold.
Obviously, this is easier if planned from the beginning, and harder to implement later... but this deserves as much or more thought than plumbing your tank if you are over 3 or 400 gallons (IMO).
Vent the head space above your tank and sump directly outside (if your tank / sump have a canopy/stand).
If you are still having issues with humidity... vent the skimmer to the outside, like the TOTM a few months back. Reefkeeper, I think.
Make sure to figure out where the fresh air to replace all this vented air will come from. You don't want negative pressure which can extinguish pilot lights, pull carbon monoxide from your water heater back into the house... etc.... In the winter months, you can aspirate air from outside to replace all that exhausted hot air. Or, you might actually reclaim it, if you live in the bitter cold.
Obviously, this is easier if planned from the beginning, and harder to implement later... but this deserves as much or more thought than plumbing your tank if you are over 3 or 400 gallons (IMO).
roktsintst
New member
Thanks FishTruck.
I had it planned out but then it didn't work like i thought it would.
Anyway, after talking to some friends, (and thinking about it some more) I realized that my vent fan isn't working right. I was doing the math and the Vent fan pulls 110 cfm. The room is 650 cfm so every 6 minutes it should change all the air. But my room is air tight! I didn't put any way for new air to get in the room! So tomorrow im gonna trim 1" off the bottom of my door and see what kind of differnce that makes.
Also, there is a house AC vent inthe room. When the house AC goes on, the room cools down within 5 minutes. So i was looking at power consumption. The 12000 BTU portable AC unit i just bought uses 1550 watts. My ac compressor is only 350 watts! So i was tryi9ng to figure out a way to make the two work together.
Through some internet searching, i found a wireless dual stage thermostat. So, i think im gonna try to use that and have my house ac cool the room. My house will stay cooler and it uses way less wattage. The other problem it that the vent fan will then constantly pull all teh cool air and put it outside... So im gonna install a dehumistat to regulate when the 110 cfm vent fan runs...
What do you guys think????
I had it planned out but then it didn't work like i thought it would.
Anyway, after talking to some friends, (and thinking about it some more) I realized that my vent fan isn't working right. I was doing the math and the Vent fan pulls 110 cfm. The room is 650 cfm so every 6 minutes it should change all the air. But my room is air tight! I didn't put any way for new air to get in the room! So tomorrow im gonna trim 1" off the bottom of my door and see what kind of differnce that makes.
Also, there is a house AC vent inthe room. When the house AC goes on, the room cools down within 5 minutes. So i was looking at power consumption. The 12000 BTU portable AC unit i just bought uses 1550 watts. My ac compressor is only 350 watts! So i was tryi9ng to figure out a way to make the two work together.
Through some internet searching, i found a wireless dual stage thermostat. So, i think im gonna try to use that and have my house ac cool the room. My house will stay cooler and it uses way less wattage. The other problem it that the vent fan will then constantly pull all teh cool air and put it outside... So im gonna install a dehumistat to regulate when the 110 cfm vent fan runs...
What do you guys think????
