Sudden change in Evaporation rate...

[friendtothefish]

Hello All,

So this is one of those posts I'm just hoping to get a discussion going. I know there is no way to give a specific answer, but maybe with all of your experience I will be able to find out what it is.

So my 90Gal AGA with megaflow overflow has been set up for about 5 months now. For the first 4 months everything ran pretty smoothly. and I was filling the sump every 4th day or so. all of a sudden I have to fill it every 2 or 3 days now.

Ive thought of the usual problems...
- small leaks
- temp change in the house or tank
- lighting change

Thats all I could think of...

So there are no leaks, I know that for a fact. The temp in my house is pretty constant via Air/Heater. And the temp in the tank has been stable since start up. I did change the lighting a bit, but I reduced the hours the MH's were on, so this should have had an opposite effect.

So I am all out of ideas...
Friend

 

[Misled]

Amount of moisture in the air,(humidity), is what effects the evaporation rate. When air is dry it will absorb more, when it's humid, less can be absorbed.

 

[friendtothefish]

Hmmm, i did think about that, but I didnt think that the humidity in the house would change all that much...

 

[kaihonu82]

Jesse's right. The weather has a lot to do with the rate of evaporation. With the dry winter we've been having (I'm assuming it's dry for you down in SoCal) the evaporation rate will increase as the humidity is lower.

 

[kaihonu82]

and unless your house is under a vacuum, the air outside is going to effect the humidity in your house although not as drastically

 

[reeformadness]

Humidity can definitely do it. Houses are generally dryer during months that require alot of AC or heat. Air conditioners are basically big dehumidifiers. A change in flow could do it too, but you said there was no change in tank temp so I doubt that. Cool hermit!

 

[Misled]

Yea, it does. People normally think heat is the only thing that removes the moisture from the air, but in the winter( at least here) when it's cold the air is naturally drier. The heat affects this some, depending on the type of heat). A/C units also remove moisture. Just check out what happens when your drain for it plugs up and it's humid outside. Hope that's all that's wrong.

 

[Misled]

You people sure type fast.