Using hot water to heat our tanks

[Harpo]

Is anyone using hot water to heat your tank? In my previous house/tank I plumbed in a loop of pex tubing to my hot water heater with a pump that turned on when my ranco controller asked for heat. This was 15 years ago. Is there a more efficient way to do it now?

Thanks

David

 

[Harpo]

Tidal gardens is using a Lochinvar boiler

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I knew someone who heated their huge aquarium, off of their Domestic Water Heater. They used the Smallest Pool / Hot Tub, Titanium Heat Exchanger, he could get. It was double controlled, one thermostat would open the Solenoid Valve, another thermostat would turn a small pump on, to circulate the hot water. I did tell him he used the wrong solenoid valve, should have used a three way valve. BTW, the first, Heat Exchanger, he got wasn’t Titanium, as specified. He needed extension tubes welded on the exchanger, and the welder caught this.

 

[FishDaddy1992]

Do you have an inline RODI when heating this way?

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Do you have an inline RODI when heating this way?

He circulated the Domestic Hot Water through one side of the Heat Exchanger, controlled by Thermostats. The other side of his Heat Exchanger, had Saltwater Circulating Continually. RO/DI was not involve, at all in the heating of his aquarium. BTW, If you go with this set up, you need your Saltwater Circulating, all the time to cut down on Fouling. This is no different, than Heat Exchangers in Plumbing and HVAC Applications. Circulate, your water, that has the biggest possibility of fouling.

 

[ca1ore]

What is your goal? Save $? If your HWH is electric there is likely to be no savings over typical resistive aquarium heaters.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

What is your goal? Save $? If your HWH is electric there is likely to be no savings over typical resistive aquarium heaters.

I didn’t do this set up, please Read!! It was a Gas Water Heater. The Aquarium, that wasn’t mine, was assembled in the Basement, don’t remember how big it was, but seem to remember the total system capacity was over a 1,000 Gallons. He also had a Chiller, and the Condenser was outside. Huge system, couldn’t even imagine how much it cost.

 

[Harpo]

Here is a video of a guy here on R2R

 

[ca1ore]

I didn’t do this set up, please Read!! It was a Gas Water Heater. The Aquarium, that wasn’t mine, was assembled in the Basement, don’t remember how big it was, but seem to remember the total system capacity was over a 1,000 Gallons. He also had a Chiller, and the Condenser was outside. Huge system, couldn’t even imagine how much it cost.

I can read just fine thank you. My comment was for the OP not you ….. thought that obvious, no?

 

[ca1ore]

BTW (for the OP), I know somebody who added an additional hot water heating zone to their house boiler system and ran that through a titanium exchanger for a 1,000 gallon system. Worked brilliantly, but he was a plumber so did all the copper work himself. Seems like a better way to go than running through a HWH. I actually thought seriously about doing the same …. even going as far as having a heat exchanger made. Then got cold feet and never implemented it. Thinking about finally using it for cooling.

 

[Potatohead]

I’m pretty sure Sanjay is doing this

 

[Harpo]

What is your goal? Save $? If your HWH is electric there is likely to be no savings over typical resistive aquarium heaters.

My goal is to have a more efficient system and lower electrical bills. I have ordered this titanium heat exchanger from Amazon

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I would do a through check on that heat exchanger, to make sure it is Titanium. I think the guy who had the hot water set up said he got his first heat exchanger, from Amazon and it wasn’t Titanium. I know, from our discussion, that a Welder, told him that. BTW, I have a Titanium Knee, it doesn’t set off most metal detectors. Ones at the Airport, yes. Museums, Sporting Events, Amusement Parks, no.

 

[ptrick21186]

What is your goal? Save $? If your HWH is electric there is likely to be no savings over typical resistive aquarium heaters.

I agree with this. Also remember you have to factor in the expense of the entire project and weigh that against any savings (if any). If there are savings, how long until you see a return on investment? And then what if their aren't any savings? Or worse...it's less efficient. It would be nice to be able to test this before paying for the installation.

 

[Pistondog]

Is anyone using hot water to heat your tank? In my previous house/tank I plumbed in a loop of pex tubing to my hot water heater with a pump that turned on when my ranco controller asked for heat. This was 15 years ago. Is there a more efficient way to do it now?

Thanks

David

Anything metal, like titanium, would exchange heat more efficiently with water than pex.

 

[Sean Clark]

I have been doing this with a titanium heat exchanger for years and with multiple systems. You can see the setup on my build thread. Let me know if you have any questions that are not covered in the thread.

 

[Malcontent]

There are some heat pumps made for aquariums or pools (with Ti heat exchangers). Much less DIY and can act as chillers too. Heat pumps are several times more efficient than resistive heating and, depending on your electricity/gas prices, can be cost competitive with gas heating.

 

[Fungusamongus]

My goal is to have a more efficient system and lower electrical bills. I have ordered this titanium heat exchanger from Amazon

What size tank are you doong this for? Just curious.

 

[Waters]

I am all for innovation and making things cheaper, but this just seems like a lot of unnecessary work and setup costs to accomplish the same thing a 40 dollar heater would accomplish? I could be totally wrong of course lol.

 

[srobertb]

I am all for innovation and making things cheaper, but this just seems like a lot of unnecessary work and setup costs to accomplish the same thing a 40 dollar heater would accomplish? I could be totally wrong of course lol.

I think it depends on tank size and temperature needs. Some people need 2000+ watts of “basic” heaters for their systems. You’d need a couple dedicated circuits just for that before you add in lights and things . If you can run a loop from your hot water heater (which probably uses gas or 240v) it will be much more efficient.

Obviously for those of us who don’t have a hot water heater within 60’ of our sump, it makes less sense (me).

But if my sump was in the basement, where a lot of HW heaters are installed, it might make sense to run a pex line (which is easy) into a heat exchanger as others have mentioned.

We have an extremely energy efficient newer home with thick spray foam, concrete paneling, great windows, etc. Pre-Solar our electric bill was $400-$600 of which $100+ is aquariums. I think a lot of people will get creative to save $1,000 a year. Keeping in mind that is only running around 150 gallons of TOTAL volume across 3 tanks