Dont buy a chiller ... use a heat exchenger

[mike31154]

Some interesting info I read in the local paper since it's 'water wise' week here. Not saying this would be the same for everyone, but food for thought. "Running a tap for 5 minutes can be equivalent to running a 60 watt bulb for 14 hours". As mentioned, your idea works fine, but as far as efficiency? Folks would have to do a bit of math depending on where they live to see if this method would really be as efficient as an alternative such as a chiller or fan blowing across the water surface.

One way or another you and I (the consumers) end up paying for the power to run the large pumps municipalities, cities or other water providers use to get potable water to our tap. Aside from or regardless of the actual abundance (or scarcity) of water, it still has to be pumped to your house. And in BC, that often means uphill, meaning plenty of head pressure to overcome. All you folks with sumps know what that means. Multiply the fraction of a horsepower of your little pump by several thousand (or more!) and it puts things into perspective. Then there's the issue of how that power is produced, in BC mostly dams, elsewhere.... coal, nuclear.... If you don't have a water meter, the city raises your property tax or the landlord raises the rent to cover his/her expenses.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by mike31154

Some interesting info I read in the local paper since it's 'water wise' week here. Not saying this would be the same for everyone, but food for thought. "Running a tap for 5 minutes can be equivalent to running a 60 watt bulb for 14 hours".

If you take time to read my OP, you will find that i am not "running a tap", a slow drip of 2-4 drops per second is far cry from running a fully open tap.
When you have a car rad with fully open tap running thrugh to cool a house that's different, but at least the guy was watering his grass at the same time, got to give him a credit at least for that.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by harlequin01

interesting topic, what is the highest temperature you get during a very hot summer day?

Here in the Okanagan it's not unusual to be in the mid to high 30's outside for a couple of weeks straight at the height of summer. The central air in my older home hasn't worked since I moved in, yet I'm able to stay reasonably comfortable using a portable air conditioner & by opening all the windows overnight. I don't require a chiller for my fish tank. Due to the clear skies during these hot spells, it cools off substantially overnight, similar to a desert where it can drop to near freezing. Some folks simply seal up their homes 24/7 & run central air all summer. Don't think I could afford the hydro bill & if BC Hydro has their way, prices will rise substantially over the next few years. Time to invest in some solar panels & get the wind generator on the roof.