Garage setup?

[jaybk5211]

Jim how do you handle frigid winters bud and humidity?

 

[saleen385]

Jim how do you handle frigid winters bud and humidity?

2 300w heaters that go in the tank, for the humidity I use one of those 2 fan window fans 1 blows in the other blows out. no cars get parked in the garage anymore but one of the doors gets opened at least once a week for water changes.

Jim

 

[jaybk5211]

So you need a window for the fans I assume? Since I don't have any windows I would need to make one I guess. Do the fumes from a car going in and out hurt the tank?

Also what gallonage is your tank and what are your 2 300watt heaters rated for? Wondering how overkill I need to go on the heaters

 

[saleen385]

So you need a window for the fans I assume? Since I don't have any windows I would need to make one I guess. Do the fumes from a car going in and out hurt the tank?

Also what gallonage is your tank and what are your 2 300watt heaters rated for? Wondering how overkill I need to go on the heaters

This is the type of fan http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...f_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2128211222&pf_rd_i=3737641
we don't park any cars in the garage there isn't any room with the tank on one side and a slot car race track takes up the other side

Don't really know what the heaters are rated for they are on a controller but the last winter here was extremely cold in the single digits for about a week at a time and the tank stayed 76-78.
The tank is a 180
There is also a attic above the garage which I keep the panel open in the winter to let the hot air out also.

Jim

 

[Ginu]

Ah, this is a great idea, however you will run into a few issues...
First i suggest reading d2mini's 200 gal thread and get ideas from there as he had his sumps in the garage but ended up closing a section of it to create a "fish room".

1 - most garages have lower insulation which will be a problem summer/winter
2 - salt air will make things corrode faster, probably not good for any cars or other equipment stored in the garage
3 - it would be costly to heat and cool the garage down due to insulation
4 - you will most likely have quite a bit of condensation/humidity which fuels bacteria

I think the list can go on and on, however these are the main concerns.

I suggest closing a section of the garage down and making as reef safe as possible with a AC which can do heat/cool/dehumidify. The initial investment will be higher in order to do it right, but I think it will most likely be made back in heating/cooling and keeping cars and other tools away from salt humidity.

Seriously tho, skim through the thread above as Dennis has tons of great ideas and great detail/pictures, this read is well worth it.

 

[ProjectAnemone]

Project anemone could I touch base with him on how he does it?

Justin is always ready to help other reefers. His name here is 'ctenophore' but he is rarely logged on under that name here on R2R - he is one of the owners of Avast Marine Works.

 

[ReefBuzz]

I'm in a single car garage that's fully insulated on the exterior walls. It does get cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I just put a space heater in there and I'm a fan of evaporative cooling so I have an extremely powerful fan in the summer months. Keep the lights off and everything stays cool for me. I'm in Oregon so it doesn't get TOO hot. But it does get up there sometimes.

I bought a chiller but never had to hook it up.

 

[s2nhle]

do you park your car there? if you do, i am worry about the exhaust from car.

 

[DrayB]

i would say the best bet would be to build a small fish room within the garage, doest need to be that much bigger than the footprint of the tank/s but that way you could insulate it from the heat and cold. you could vent out the humidity through wall vents or even go so far as to install a MVHR system (multi/single vent heat recovery that works with a heat exchange unit) that keeps the temp stable within the room but keeps the air fresh and recirculated (vented to outside), also will serve to keep any salt levels down where your tools and cars are kept. this will also eliminate any car fumes entering the "room" as the air space will be separated from the garage. sounds a lot but it isn't really build room....install power...install heat recovery vent system.....job done

 

[MarsRover]

My car will stay outside, the wife and kids not so much. Lol.

I'm thinking with multiple heaters air couldn't cool a tank that fast within 1 minute but I could be wrong I guess.

What you aren't considering is that while the garage is only going to be open for a minute or two, the room has lost all of its heated/cooled air when the door opens, and the room stays that temp for an extended period of time...until whatever HVAC system you use brings the temp back to spec.

You can also consider making a tank that is super insulated itself. That way your heater/chiller will have more of a fighting chance, dips won't be as drastic, and you wont be conducting to the ambient as much except off the top of the water surface.

I'm curious about the exhaust question. Oceans, I've heard, filter most of the planets car-crap out of the air.... I'd suspect that the minimal output of a modern vehicle for the time it takes to pull in/out with the door open wouldn't cause and issue. Especially considering the inevitable outflow of the air within the garage due to the temperature being at a higher/lower temperature than the outside during winter/summer.

I know this is a mega old thread.... curious what happened with your project?