Dont buy a chiller ... use a heat exchenger

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

We don't run it all the time, just when we are there (or know that we will be back in a couple days).

ahh that explains it..

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

My guess it that a propane fridge would probably cost less to operate than a normal home electric one (but I could be wrong).

very wrong, propane fridges are very expensive to run, the older ones 3 to 4lbs of propane a day, newer ones 1.5 to 2lbs a day. so even if you buy your propane at costco (cheepest you can get for portable bottles) you are looking at 30 bucks per month for the most efficient fridges, up to 70-80/month for the old style.

Steve

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

very wrong, propane fridges are very expensive to run, the older ones 3 to 4lbs of propane a day, newer ones 1.5 to 2lbs a day. so even if you buy your propane at costco (cheepest you can get for portable bottles) you are looking at 30 bucks per month for the most efficient fridges, up to 70-80/month for the old style.
Steve

Hmmm, quite surprised at that, given the flame size is about the size of a pilot light on your gas water heater. And speaking of which, are you going to tell me that a gas (or propane) water heater is more expensive to run than an electric one?

[Ryanerickson]

I am a plumber gas water heater is cheaper not sure about a propane fridge. As for the chiller idea and efficiency I think this is the last of our worries there are so many businesses-grow ops that use the same idea on a way larger scale. Flower store needs a cool room lots of liqueur stores use them most grow ops use them legal or not I hook them up often 3/4 line straight in the unit basically a radiator with fans as water in unit heats up it dumps it right down the drain and fills back up some of these units are 6-8 feet long. Also this is part of the reason city is surrey moved to water meters 5 years ago. Not so cost efficient any more with the big units.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Ryanerickson

I am a plumber gas water heater is cheaper not sure about a propane fridge. As for the chiller idea and efficiency I think this is the last of our worries there are so many businesses-grow ops that use the same idea on a way larger scale. Flower store needs a cool room lots of liqueur stores use them most grow ops use them legal or not I hook them up often 3/4 line straight in the unit basically a radiator with fans as water in unit heats up it dumps it right down the drain and fills back up some of these units are 6-8 feet long. Also this is part of the reason city is surrey moved to water meters 5 years ago. Not so cost efficient any more with the big units.

Hmmm, you're giving me ideas here... We have central air in our house now, and electricity costs go way up every summer. If I could stick an old car rad in the big plenum duct somehow, could maybe save a lot of money... Of course, would route the waster water out to a lawn sprinkler. We are not on water meters here in Langley. Wouldn't ever want an inspector to see that though,... LOL.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

This idea has my interest. My chiller ran a lot last summer, and undoubtedly contributed significantly to my hydro bill. I have an Apex incl temp probes, an IO Breakout box and a couple water solenoids. So I could completely automate a cooling system, just like my chiller.

But I don't have a lot of room in my sump. I assume your tubing was just standard RO type. I wonder if there is another thinner wall type tubing available from somewhere that would take less room and maybe even better heat exchange capabilities?

Yes, RO type, sorry, i did not try any other materials.
Obviously stainless or titanium would work a lot better, if you can get it. But when you are in a pinch anything will be better than nothing.

For emergency cooling you don't need a sump you can just place the coil in the display tank or if you have large overflow box yo can place it there (watch for blockage), its ugly but still better then watching you corals cook slowly.

As long as coil is loose, completely submerged and in an area where there is flow, it will work. Get about 25 feet of tubing coil for every 50 gal, of water.(in addition to the tubing to and from the tank) .
Any ball valve will provide flow control because you don't want to sit there turning it on and off. Just get enough drip to keep it at steady temp 24C or so and your heater will turn "on" if you are not there and it gets below 23C .

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Yes, RO type, sorry, i did not try any other materials.
Obviously stainless or titanium would work a lot better, if you can get it. But when you are in a pinch anything will be better than nothing.

For emergency cooling you don't need a sump you can just place the coil in the display tank or if you have large overflow box yo can place it there (watch for blockage), its ugly but still better then watching you corals cook slowly.

As long as coil is loose, completely submerged and in an area where there is flow, it will work. Get about 25 feet of tubing coil for every 50 gal, of water.(in addition to the tubing to and from the tank) .
Any ball valve will provide flow control because you don't want to sit there turning it on and off. Just get enough drip to keep it at steady temp 24C or so and your heater will turn "on" if you are not there and it gets below 23C .

Well, I've got a 230g system, so would need a lot of coil then. No room in my tanks either with the live rock and corals, esp if the tubing was stiff,... would make quite a mess with my sps.

So, unless I can find some thinner wall tubing that is also less stiff, probably wouldn't work for me. Is there such a thing as thin wall airline tubing? Plus if it all costs too much, would kind of defeat the purpose, too.

I do have a chiller, but was just wondering whether I could lower my cooling costs (electricity) during the summer.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

And speaking of which, are you going to tell me that a gas (or propane) water heater is more expensive to run than an electric one?

Nat gas is way cheaper than electric up to 70% cheaper, propane is about 10 to 20% cheaper than electricity. so propane a bit cheaper than electricity, now this is for heating and assumes an average of 80% efficiency, so if you have a 98% efficient furnace like me then the gas savings is even more. for water heaters the efficiency of a energy star rated storage tank type is typical 67 to 68%

when you start talking refrigeration and such different things come into play, but evaporative cooling (gas fired style fridges) are generally expensive to run, although the new ones are a lot better than the old ones.

Steve

[Canuckgod420]

what about running the waste to a reservoir outside and use it to water your lawn or garden?

[RuGlu6]

Got my lawn watered by rain last night, was so much water almost flushed away the dirt LOL

[Money pit]

What do you guys think of using something like this?
http://www.newegg.ca/Water-Liquid-Co...ategory/ID-575
If you could extend the lines and put them in the sump, it may work.
Would also have to replace the heatblock/pump for something saltwater compatible.