DIY chiller

[Camshaft Ramrod]

I do believe that's the first time I've seen something like that! Was that one of yours, or what?

http://www.redneckpoolheater.com/

 

[Horiyoshi III]

kinda like this except the opposite.....

View attachment 353269
This is how we make pond heaters down south.

Went to the site, that is real ingenuity.
Although the redneck title can't be slapped on this, guy went to college, and this is not a common build.
A redneck would most likely have casualties with this sort of device.


Great find though Camshaft, no two ways...

 

[The1and only]

As long as we are going that route. I saw this ultimate DIY chiller a few years ago and always wanted to build one. I have just always been afraid of it going Boom.

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/

Just set the tank in your sump and let er rip. Instant chiller.

 

[Tropical Dude]

Build a bong chiller!

More commonly used on computers, evaporative cooling is cheap, relatively efficient, and pretty easy to do. Just note that you WILL be LOSING WATER to EVAPORATION and the HUMIDITY in the room will probably rise.

A cheaper way to pull off evaporative cooling is to utilize the surface of the water in your tank and/or sump. A wet/dry with a bit of added airflow blowing up through the media would probably help as well.

You could either run a bong on it's own loop (i.e. have the bong running in a closed loop and use a heat exchanger) or just run the aquarium water (after filtration) through it. Either should work.

Please note that all the sites generally deal with computer cooling so some adaptation to aquarium use is required.

LINKS:
http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/406256-unoffical-bong-lovers-club-56k-fail.html
http://www.overclock.net/cooling-experiments/224941-nol-s-bong-guide.html
http://www.overclock.net/cooling-experiments/364093-bong-budget.html

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

I read a while back that you can take a fridge or AC unit and simply just set the coils in tank (after cleaning them) plug it in and bam chiller.

 

[Tropical Dude]

Yes, a window AC unit would be best adapted for this purpose. You will also want something like a small cooler to place the coils in since it will be a hassle to put the coils in the sump.

Also note that you may want to look into building a chiller. A single stage vapor change cooling unit can be had for under $300-$400 and a thermostat should not be too horribly expensive.

 

[Rivermud]

Yes, a window AC unit would be best adapted for this purpose. You will also want something like a small cooler to place the coils in since it will be a hassle to put the coils in the sump.

Also note that you may want to look into building a chiller. A single stage vapor change cooling unit can be had for under $300-$400 and a thermostat should not be too horribly expensive.

At that rate, it's cheaper to buy one.

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

I dont have a sump on the tank, i need one that i can set the coils in the tank I only need to knock down the temp a few degrees during summer instead of 74 i want it in the 60s

 

[Rivermud]

The cheapest and easiest way I can think of for your description is a simple mini frige with a lot of coils. Copper may not be right for you depending on your setup and inhabitants. Titanium, though expensive is much more efficient than copper, and, doesn't corrode or kill invertebrates. The larger your contact area in the fridge, the greater the ecrease in temp. If you get one of those fridges with the ice box, cut the ice box out and leave the thermostat in, the thermostat will now cool the entire fridge, not just hte small box.

 

[dmopar74]

also put the coils in a tub of water in the fridge, it will greatly help.