diy aquarium chiller for under $100.00

[ravi197699]

hello m/r i have chiller i bought which is rated for up to 120 gal tank and you know for fact how efficient these chillers are and it was staying on all the time and drop temp up 80 degrees. i was so upset because when i come home for work my living room will feel like i am in gym in hot steam room. but i found better way to take care of my tank temp and not worry about my home getting hot and main thing i don't have to spend $850 for chiller.
List of things you need to take care of this project.
1. Smallest window a/c don't have to be new can be used but working condition. $40.00
2. 10 gal fish tank used or new. $0.00 found in my garage.
3. new cheap evaporator core for car (i bought one for 89 chevy cavalier) since car is old parts store wants to get rid of old car parts stock.
4 tools , star screw driver, flat screw driver.

once step take a/c cover off completely where you can see all the internal parts. front of a/c there is evaporator core the piece that gives cold air. try to separate it from a/c and move it on the side ( make sure you don't crack or kink any a/c copper line be careful of that other wise it won't work . move it in a way where you can move that core and drop it in 10 gal tank easily. it should be able to submerged in water completely. attach two clear hoses to new evaporator core one for water going in and one for water going out and use small pump that is going to feed water to evaporator core make sure to add flow control valve to adjust water flow. i have my unit connected to neptune controller that shuts the unit off when water temp in my tank drops to 76-77 degree. and there you have it.
here are pics of the functional unit.

http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l630/ravi197699/?action=view&current=2011-08-11_06-16-28_596.jpg
http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums...tion=view&current=2011-08-11_06-15-27_741.jpg
http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums...tion=view&current=2011-08-11_06-16-37_456.jpg

 

[NL146]

Interesting, but if the core is made out of copper you may have an issue.

 

[beerfish]

Looks like copper to me. I would get it out immediately if you have any corals or inverts in the tank. Copper kills.

 

[duke62]

what you should have done was put that AC in the window..instant chiller LOL.

 

[nate82]

what you should have done was put that ac in the window..instant chiller lol.

+1

 

[ravi197699]

evaporator core that i am using for my tank water to run through is made with 100% aluminum and both pieces are sitting in freshwater not saltwater its cold water that is cooling water that is running through the evaporator and doing fine job.

 

[albano]

I see what you're doing, but I question how 'efficient' it is...you're cooling water, to cool the tank water...whereas... a chiller would actually be cooling the tank water, only.


.

 

[ravi197699]

you are right but the smallest a/c available is 5000 btu and trust me it drops 10 gal water temp down to 40 degree in about 8 min and i have my controller set at if water temp in tank goes to 79 degree then turn it on and when water temp in tank is 77 then off and i see that a/c unit comes on for few min only because water in tank is already cold and it makes it ever more cooler and water in tank drops 1 degree i hardly ever see unit come on. and efficiency is great. my temp in tank right now is 77.5 and where with chiller it used to be 80 + degrees and heat forget it and it was staying on all the time.

 

[Imbarrie]

I applaud your ingenuity but where does the temp control come into play.
You can add a heat exchanger that transfers the temperature gradient more efficiently. However, the A/C unit you are using measures the air temp and shuts off at a determined level that can be adjusted. All of this is independent of the water temp of the tank. This unit looks like it would keep running unless you hook it up to a controller.

 

[ravi197699]

it is hooker up to neptune systems and it is turned on and off when the temp changes in tank and i have adjusted the a/c cooling to coldest so far its running great and no heat in my living room and heat goes out through chimney of my fire place. its does not look impressive but doing great job. my next project is to find broken chiller and part it out and take out heat exchanger and attach it to my a/c unit and use it as at chiller.

 

[INNEED]

crazy my tank is at 74.9 with out a chiller or ac on

 

[tosiek]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/7/chemistry

I wouldn't want my tank water running through aluminum tubing at all if I were you. Certain coral and animals don't do well with even slightly elevated amounts of aluminum in the water. That aluminum inside the tubing will start corroding and leaching into your tank.

Also, thats actually alot of work, space, and energy to cool the tank off. Why not just save the trouble and put the AC in the window where the fishtank is? Would run you the same amount of $$ in your electric bill roughly for the same purpose and you get a cooler room. You would spend extra just to cool the room with this setup.

 

[albano]

crazy my tank is at 74.9 with out a chiller or ac on

what is your apartment temp?

:shhh: I think someone may need a new tank thermometer at the next swap!

 

[INNEED]

i dont knoe but my reef keeper is saying 74.9 75 lol

 

[albano]

i dont knoe but my reef keeper is saying 74.9 75 lol

I would think the tank would be at or above the average room temp...which is probably closer to 80* plus! Do you have another thermometer to double check it?

 

[dubs]

I like this thread there is a lot crazy/ bad & good ideas running around in it... man Ohh man it show how crazy this reefing addiction we all have in some way can drive us to come up with some killer invention .... Thumbs up on that 100 $ chilled idea tho

 

[Wesley]

That's an interesting idea and cost very little as well!

 

[sheldols]

Looks like copper to me. I would get it out immediately if you have any corals or inverts in the tank. Copper kills.

I am also looking for a new chiller because my old one does not work properly any more. I had no idea that copper is so dangerous. I am very happy that I know this now. In the mean time I use a chiller rental but I hope that I will find a cheap chiller soon in order to have my own one again.