Using Well Water to Cool Reef Tank

[ca1ore]

OK, probably a longshot, but is anybody still doing this? If so, any advice or design thoughts. I am in the process of downsizing and dispensing with my 3/4HP chiller. I have a heat exchanger sitting around that I never used because it was mis-sized by the vendor. I was promised a replacement that never arrived . Now that I'm deleting 400 gallons from my system, it may actually be big enough now .

 

[crusso1993]

OK, probably a longshot, but is anybody still doing this? If so, any advice or design thoughts. I am in the process of downsizing and dispensing with my 3/4HP chiller. I have a heat exchanger sitting around that I never used because it was mis-sized by the vendor. I was promised a replacement that never arrived . Now that I'm deleting 400 gallons from my system, it may actually be big enough now .

Hey Simon… I thought you said you were getting out of the hobby. Happy to learn you’ll be sticking around with a smaller system!

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah, I know, I did say that . My sons talked me into retaining the smaller tank (110 gallons). Way to stick to my convictions ......

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

If you have Submerged AC Power Return and Skimmer Pumps, I would ditch them, and switch to the Submerged 24Vdc Return pumps, as there is much less heat transferred too the water. BTW, I did the math, using my total gross wattage rate. For a Simplicity 1000 pump, the payback was about 14 months, the 1600, about 10 months. I was not able to factor in if there was any extra heater usage, but I think it would balance out, as I have to use multiple fans to cool during the Summer. Plus there’s the extra RO/DI Make-up water.

 

[bnord]

Yeah, I know, I did say that . My sons talked me into retaining the smaller tank (110 gallons). Way to stick to my convictions ......

here's to son power!

mine convinced me to get back into diving!

 

[ca1ore]

here's to son power!

Right!

 

[ca1ore]

If you have Submerged AC Power Return and Skimmer Pumps, I would ditch them, and switch to the Submerged 24Vdc Return pumps, as there is much less heat transferred too the water. BTW, I did the math, using my total gross wattage rate. For a Simplicity 1000 pump, the payback was about 14 months, the 1600, about 10 months. I was not able to factor in if there was any extra heater usage, but I think it would balance out, as I have to use multiple fans to cool during the Summer. Plus there’s the extra RO/DI Make-up water.

I don't have any submerged pumps, whether 110 or 24 volt. Once I ditch the 450, heat may be much less of a problem.

 

[Soren]

I have a cistern behind my house that sits directly under a planned addition of a sun-room/veranda that would house my main marine system if I do go this route.
My plans include a closed loop with several piping switchbacks in the cistern to allow for geothermal cooling should I need it. I have not started specific plans or done the calculations, but geothermal sources are probably the cheapest and easiest cooling method available.

Typically in central Illinois USA, I would not need cooling beyond my house thermostat, but I would like to keep plants in the addition, which would require a "greenhouse" portion with direct sunlight that has the potential to overheat the room. I plan to include exhaust fans and keep the aquarium portion in partial/full shade, but additional cooling would be a nice safeguard and could be easily acquired through geothermal use of the cistern.

My lack of experience and minimal specific research are probably not much help to you here, but I do find geothermal considerations quite interesting to my engineering and DIY senses.

 

[ca1ore]

That’s interesting. I collect my RODI waste water in a 150 gallon tub under my deck to the use to water the garden. I wonder if that will stay cool enough run through a heat exchanger. I may try that first.

 

[ca1ore]

I have been using the water from my RODI collection tub circulted through my heat exchanger to cool the tank and it’s worked really well for the last couple of weeks. I set it up back in May but temps here in CT have been pretty cool so it has only come on recently. At some point outdoor temps will rise enough that the water in the tub probably won’t be cool enough. At that point I will switch over to water from my well (nominally 50 degrees). I think a trickle will probably suffice given the large temperature differential.

 

[ca1ore]

I ended up with two cooling outlets on my apex.

The first opens a solenoid to push a trickle of 50 degree water from my house water/well system through the heat exchanger. This turns on at 80 degrees, and off at 79.5 degrees. Since there is no practical way to return the well water back to the house, it ends up in a 150 gallon cistern located under the deck. That is also where the RODI waste water goes. I use it to water flowers/veggies.

The second turns on a pump in the cistern and circulates water through the heat exchanger. Water temp in the cistern at night is in the 68-70 degree range, so this second cooling circuit operates from 8 pm to 8 am. Turns off when tank reaches 78.5 degrees. It is also off when cooling circuit 1 is on. Purpose of circuit 2 is to minimize well water wasted and take advantage of the cool-ish water in the cistern.

So far, it’s been working really well.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I know someone who followed the pipe out from his Sump, to out away from the house. Put a Pex Loop just above the 4” Pipe, to Cool his Aquarium. I’m like Dang, I just got through doing this, even buried the pipe extra deep, so it would never freeze. Could have easily done this.

 

[ca1ore]

This ended up working really well. As I noted in a different thread, I am actually getting some use out of AE equipment I thought to be the proverbial paperweight. AE gone now also (shocking).