I'm at my wits end. I've tried to not use my chiller because of the heat that it adds to the apartment, and I can't run AC 24x7. Fans have helped a lot but when the ambient temperature is high or humidity is high they don't help as much. I'm just trying to keep the tank temp under 84deg at this point, aiming for 81/82. Fortunately I haven't started to lose any corals - yet. I"m considering getting additional fans and pair with a dehumidifier in the living room where the tank is located. Any suggestions? What has worked for you?
How to beat the heat
- Thread starter NL146
- Start date
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
No matter how much evaporative cooling you achieve with fans, it?ll never go below the ambient room temperature.
Without AC to cool a room down, you might not even get it down that much because humidity plays a factor on how well evaporative cooling works.
Without AC to cool a room down, you might not even get it down that much because humidity plays a factor on how well evaporative cooling works.
Have seen some creative chiller alternatives over the years. Closed loops into pool, pond or stream. Even a closed loop into a hacked refrigerator. Chiller of some type, or cooler room/ambient temp is the only way to get anymore than a couple of degrees that fans can offer
- Location
- LONG ISLAND
Ac
Why can?t you run your air conditioning 24/7? If you say it?s finances I?m sure it?s still cheaper than loosing all your corals and fish due to overheating.
Why can?t you run your air conditioning 24/7? If you say it?s finances I?m sure it?s still cheaper than loosing all your corals and fish due to overheating.
Yeah, humidity is my biggest challenge to evaporation cooling. I've thought about using a dehumidifier in combination with fans.
- Location
- Sunnyside,Queens
Chiller 24/7 for 6yrs and A/C 16 hrs a day during summer
I've seen some of those alternatives but space is limited.
My concerns are venting the chiller so that the heat is removed from the apartment and the electricity bill. I get regular notifications on how much more electricity I am using than my neighbors. Since turning off the chiller I've stopped getting those notifications. For venting I've thought as far as installing a duct to a window but the tank is in the living room so whatever I come up with has to fit in with aesthetics.
- Location
- massapequa long island
What lights are you running? When i ran t5s i had to run fans and even with those it would get over 82. Since i switched to leds no fans and tank doesn't go above 80.
I hear what you're saying but there are other factors.
I'm running Radions. I could reduce the intensity but I don't think they're the problem. On days when the temp is under 80/81 with low humidity fans keep the tank temp around 78/79. I have my Apex configured to turn them off if temp goes above 83. What's your ambient temp like?
- Location
- New York
I literally have to run my two AC?s in both rooms to keep my tanks from over heating. Now to be fair, I would run them anyways for comfort cooling cause I?d rather be dead than live in an unconditioned home. I live in a 700 square foot coop and my electric bill last month was $480!!!!! Luckily it?s only for 3 to four months.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Location
- New York
Also there is no beating the heat without heat being removed from space and replaced with cooler air. A fan blowing 90 degree air is useless. Three options: chiller, run an AC that the room never goes above 74 degrees, or every 10 minutes add ice cubes for the next 3 months.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
