DIY Chiller

adamc1303

adamc1303

Active Member
Well I used CPU fans to try to cool my water down just a little. I read somewhere in a thread that they will lower the water temperature by 1 to 2 degrees. I put 6 fans in my canopy 4 blowing air in and two blowing air out, and put 1 by my sump blowing air in and 1 blowing air out. Temperature not 1 degree lower 2 to 3 hours of work 60 buxs and most of all holes in my canopy and stand and nothing !!!!!!!!!
 
adamc1303

adamc1303

Active Member
They are face down so they are blowing down on the surface, the issue might be that my canopy is tall so there is like 4 1/2 inches between the fans and water.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
How much effort would it be to point them all in toward the water? Do you know the CFM for the fans?
 
oceana

oceana

Active Member
sounds like something is wrong. like asked above what is the CFM of the fans??
that many fans should help .
i added 3 four inch 120CFM fans to my 140 with 3x250MH and it drops the temp from 86 to 81.
I think its the fans because I have never seen the right kind of fans for a reef tank with a price of 6 fans for 60 bucks
in most cases they are around 20 bucks or more each for a good one
you want atleast 80 CFM IMO
 
adamc1303

adamc1303

Active Member
Here are some specs on the fans Bearing Type: Sleeve Size: 80 x 80 x 25mm Voltage: 12V Current: 0.23A Temperature and Fan speed / estimated airflow and noise - 85C - 3100 RPM / 40CFM - 34dBA - 65C - 2600 RPM / 33CFM - 29dBA - 45C - 2100 RPM / 27CFM - 23dBA - 25C - 1800 RPM / 22CFM - 18dBA These are some of the best fans I have tested in my tank.
 
larrynews

larrynews

Active Member
where do you live (city) maybe someone is close that can help you, that should help, i tried at one time blowing the fans down at the water and it didn't do much but when i had them blow across the water the temp dropped....also i started having 2 gallon a day evaperation, so watch for that
 
jamiehag

jamiehag

Member
Heat rises and you are blowing the the heat from lighting down right on the water IMO. Have the fans on the top sucking air out and the fans on the ends blowing air in across the water this will pull the heat from the lights up and away from the water not right down to it. Then you will see a temp drop
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
...Yes heat rises...But the cooling effect isn't pulling the heat out...
It's the causing of evaoporation that actually does the cooling...
So it might make some sense to add some small vent holes that the air can get out by, once the fans suck air into the canopy. Always make sure you have equal exhaust capabilites to your intake.
So my vote is to point all 4 at the water..
 
jamiehag

jamiehag

Member
Originally Posted by sw65galma
...Yes heat rises...But the cooling effect isn't pulling the heat out...
It's the causing of evaoporation that actually does the cooling...
So it might make some sense to add some small vent holes that the air can get out by, once the fans suck air into the canopy. Always make sure you have equal exhaust capabilites to your intake.
So my vote is to point all 4 at the water..
yes but isn't it better to keep the heat away from the water before it can warm it up in the first place, then you having to "evaporate" the water to cool it back down??? The primary reason the water is warm is from the high intensity lighting on reef tanks. plus with his setup you still have a fan on each end bringing cool air in across the water surface and the other 4 fans pulling the warmer exhuast air up and away from the water surface. This also will pull air up and around your light fixture keeping it cooler as well.
 
zman1

zman1

Active Member
I would suggest that you do NOT draw heated air through your fan... That's the quickest way to shorten it's life. You should push room air through the fan and as sw65galma said "make some vent holes" and "Always make sure you have equal exhaust capabilites to your intake." There is only one example that I can think of that does draw heated air through the FAN that's your exhaust fan above the stove. The rest PC(CPU, PWR supply), Attic Fan, HVAC blower, they all push room air across the heat source.
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
Originally Posted by jamiehag
yes but isn't it better to keep the heat away from the water before it can warm it up in the first place, then you having to "evaporate" the water to cool it back down??? .
Yes and NO, Evaporation has a greater effect of cooling than keeping the heat away does heating...if that makes sense.
Originally Posted by jamiehag
The primary reason the water is warm is from the high intensity lighting on reef tanks..
Heres where you are wrong...it's being heated via Infrared light emitted from the bulb (like the way the sun heats you...You're not getting the warmth from the sun it'self)..and to some extent the heat from the bulb itself..the fans can't draw infrared heat away...it's going to heat the water no matter what.
Originally Posted by jamiehag
plus with his setup you still have a fan on each end bringing cool air in across the water surface and the other 4 fans pulling the warmer exhuast air up and away from the water surface. This also will pull air up and around your light fixture keeping it cooler as well.
Again, vent holes should be used but it is mainly Infrared heat that heats up the tank...not entirly the heat from the bulb, the power of evaporation is stronger than the heat.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator

Originally Posted by sw65galma
Again, vent holes should be used but it is mainly Infrared heat that heats up the tank...not entirly the heat from the bulb, the power of evaporation is stronger than the heat.
This is technically correct but all of the light entering the water that isn't reflected back out will add heat to the water, not just infrared.
Waterflow adds a lot of heat as well.
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
Waterflow adds a lot of heat as well.
And it's not so much the waterflow itself it's the pumps cooling themselves by using the water. Powerheads especially and submersible pumps add a lot of heat opposed to externally fan cooled pumps.
Also when you slow down a pump by a vale you essentially make it work harder thus createing more heat.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by sw65galma
And it's not so much the waterflow itself it's the pumps cooling themselves by using the water.
Actually, it's mostly the waterflow.
 
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