Heating help

[RemainVayne]

For your drip line can coil a bunch up in a bucket of water and stick a heater in that? I'm guessing your drip is at 50* this time of year. If you raise the temperature on it that might help.

Sorry, I should've mentioned I do have about 25ft of the drip line submerged in a compartment of my sump to aid in minor heating. However, I hadn't thought of throwing that in a separate container and heat that. Then I could just change that container's water weekly or something? Guess it wouldn't even matter how often it's changed...

 

[deeda]

Maybe drip off a hot water line if that is an option in your drip setup?

Do you have a standard tank type hot water heater that you may be able to tap a line off of OR if you do, just tap off a hot water line to add to your cold water drip.

Some members report success using a temperature mixing valve that you can install if you are handy.

 

[Oughtsix]

Sorry, I should've mentioned I do have about 25ft of the drip line submerged in a compartment of my sump to aid in minor heating. However, I hadn't thought of throwing that in a separate container and heat that. Then I could just change that container's water weekly or something? Guess it wouldn't even matter how often it's changed...

The 25' of drip line submerged in the sump compartment is having a zero net affect in heating your tank. Every calorie of heat that is entering the drip water in that 25' of tubing is coming out of the sump water... which is your tank water.

The most efficient "easy" way to heat your tank is to add more or bigger heaters to your tank.

Only a small amount of any heat added to the air surrounding your tank will actually end up in the tank. The most efficient "easy" approach is to add the heat directly to the tank water via an electric heater. A higher efficiency solution would be much more complex... such as a heat pump, solar or the likes.

If your domestic hot water is heated with natural gas or other fossil fuel using your domestic hot water as your drip water may be more efficient than direct electrical heat. If you have an electric domestic hot water heater it is more efficient to just add a bigger electric heater to your tank than it is to use your domestic hot water for your drip.

 

[RemainVayne]

The 25' of drip line submerged in the sump compartment is having a zero net affect in heating your tank. Every calorie of heat that is entering the drip water in that 25' of tubing is coming out of the sump water... which is your tank water.

The most efficient "easy" way to heat your tank is to add more or bigger heaters to your tank.

Only a small amount of any heat added to the air surrounding your tank will actually end up in the tank. The most efficient "easy" approach is to add the heat directly to the tank water via an electric heater. A higher efficiency solution would be much more complex... such as a heat pump, solar or the likes.

If your domestic hot water is heated with natural gas or other fossil fuel using your domestic hot water as your drip water may be more efficient than direct electrical heat. If you have an electric domestic hot water heater it is more efficient to just add a bigger electric heater to your tank than it is to use your domestic hot water for your drip.

I am on natural gas for heat, but I don't really trust my plumbing skills to setup a mixing valve. I'm also skeptical of running a separate hot water line at a slow drip using a saddle valve or something. I'd be too worried about the valve leaking..

You think adding additional line and placing it in a separate, highly heated container won't heat the cold drip much more?

 

[lnelms2]

I'm in the same boat, wide open unfinished basement. I bought a space heater similar to the one linked from Lowe's for $40, says it heats up to 300 sq ft. It's working for me.

 

[Oughtsix]

I am on natural gas for heat, but I don't really trust my plumbing skills to setup a mixing valve. I'm also skeptical of running a separate hot water line at a slow drip using a saddle valve or something. I'd be too worried about the valve leaking..

You think adding additional line and placing it in a separate, highly heated container won't heat the cold drip much more?

Heating a bucket of water, running the drip tubing through the bucket of hot water then into your tank will not be nearly as efficient as just using a bigger heater in your aquarium.

Of the calories that go into heating the bucket only a small fraction will make it into the drip water, the rest will be dissipated into the air in your basement. By adding a bigger or additional heater into your tank pretty much 100% of the electricity used by the heater will go directly into the tank and heat the incoming drip water as it mixes with the tank water.

 

[phreeflow]

When I worked in automation, we often used screw plug heaters to heat up large vats of liquids. They work great with a temp controller attached. Far more efficient and capable than standard aquarium heaters. They are for industrial use but I’m sure you can find some used. They come in different sizes and configurations.

 

[Oughtsix]

When I worked in automation, we often used screw plug heaters to heat up large vats of liquids. They work great with a temp controller attached. Far more efficient and capable than standard aquarium heaters.

More rugged, higher wattage and longer lasting.... yes. More efficient.... no. Conversion of watts into BTU's or calories is pretty much 100% efficient with all electric resistance heaters.

If you have an inefficient pump where does the wasted electricity go? It doesn't disappear it is given off from the motor in the form of heat. If you have an electric heater that is inefficient where does the wasted electricity go? It is given off in the form of heat!

All resistance electrical heaters have pretty much the same efficiency whether aquarium heater, portable heaters, base board heaters or industrial heating elements. I love those commercials for the overpriced electric heaters that look like fireplaces... "The most efficient electrical heater available!"... ok... maybe technically so because all electric resistance heaters have the same efficiency.

 

[skjl47]

"The most efficient electrical heater available!"... ok... maybe technically so because all electric resistance heaters have the same efficiency.

Hello; Yes to this. I have had this discussion with a buddy who was singing the praises of a new electric heater. In the winter I run my TV a lot more. Use the power amp of my surround sound more. Bake a lot more foods, leave more lights on and so on than in the warm months.

 

[RemainVayne]

In terms of heating efficiency, what's the most practical route...

Framing out the area around the tank and properly insulating to try and prevent cold air from the unheated basement and bare concrete walls from affecting the aquarium's temperature OR using the required number of heaters at the necessary wattage to keep the temperature where I want it?

I guess I'm confused as to what's the best cost vs benefit or ROI of these two options. I'd still need heaters with the tank area framed and insulated, but maybe not as many and not being run as often? But would I achieve the same $$$ affect with more, higher wattage heaters which would then potentially not turn on as much?

This is trickier than I thought it would be...