cooling a water tank
#1
04-03-15, 01:29 PM
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
cooling a water tank
My boss has a stainless steel tank to keep minnows in that she sales, they die off quickly when the temperature gets to high.
Every year she asks me of ways to cool the water, about the only commercial solutions I have found cost over a grand to buy.
I think the guts out of a refrigerator would work, the tank is elevated off the floor, so couldn't you but the coils under the tank insulate around that and have the compressor isolated from the tank .
My neighbor works for a professional HVAC company so if the lines need cut and then recharged He could do that. The tank is 24" x 72" and has about 12" of water, the temp of the water needs to be about 50F. She actually has a mini fridge right now that she is thinking about replacing for a larger one.
I wouldn't think it would take much to get the water to that temp, the room it is in is about 80F
Every year she asks me of ways to cool the water, about the only commercial solutions I have found cost over a grand to buy.
I think the guts out of a refrigerator would work, the tank is elevated off the floor, so couldn't you but the coils under the tank insulate around that and have the compressor isolated from the tank .
My neighbor works for a professional HVAC company so if the lines need cut and then recharged He could do that. The tank is 24" x 72" and has about 12" of water, the temp of the water needs to be about 50F. She actually has a mini fridge right now that she is thinking about replacing for a larger one.
I wouldn't think it would take much to get the water to that temp, the room it is in is about 80F
#2
04-03-15, 02:10 PM
Group Moderator
Interesting question. I'm going to have to think on that one.
You can't use the coil from a fridge as it's not designed to be submersed in water.
You can't use the coil from a fridge as it's not designed to be submersed in water.
#3
04-03-15, 02:29 PM
Back in the day some soft drink vending machines had a cold water drinking fountain on the side. The water was cooled by a coil of copper tubing in the refrigerated section of the machine. The same principle could be used with a refrigerator and a pump to circulate the water through the coil in the refrigerator. A thermostat would turn the pump 0on and off.
#4
04-03-15, 02:44 PM
Super Moderator
I'm thinking just convert the mini-fridge into sort of a kegerator but route 2 lines into the tank that will constantly circulate water via an aquarium pump, which may already be present? It would take a while to reach temp, but at least once it did it would stay pretty constant and be adjustable.
I dunno whether just a coil would be enough. It would have to be many windings and would leave a lot of empty space in the fridge I would think?
Is there any sort of insulated lid on the minnow tank now? That would help a lot once you get some sort of cooling system.
Looking at hits on "How to cool a fish tank?" it seems like shooting for 50 might be pretty expensive. Most fish people just want it below 80 or so and the chillers can run from $500-1500, depending on capacity.
I dunno whether just a coil would be enough. It would have to be many windings and would leave a lot of empty space in the fridge I would think?
Is there any sort of insulated lid on the minnow tank now? That would help a lot once you get some sort of cooling system.
Looking at hits on "How to cool a fish tank?" it seems like shooting for 50 might be pretty expensive. Most fish people just want it below 80 or so and the chillers can run from $500-1500, depending on capacity.
#5
04-03-15, 02:46 PM
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
PJmax nothing would be in the water,the cooling area would be under the tank,then foam board would be around the tank and coils making a box the compressor would sit outside of that.
I could maybe make room for a mini fridge and just run lines into that, but then I would need a pump, and I really have no room to spare for even a mini fridge
I could maybe make room for a mini fridge and just run lines into that, but then I would need a pump, and I really have no room to spare for even a mini fridge
#6
04-03-15, 02:51 PM
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Gunguy...minnows need to be kept near 50 F their lifespan is short at higher temps once it is 75 we lose maybe 8 dozen a day
#7
04-03-15, 03:07 PM
Recirculating chilled water it seems to me would be a better solution then trying to cool the tank. Is your idea based on something you have seen successfully done? If so post those details. How big is the tank?
#8
04-03-15, 03:27 PM
Super Moderator
minnows need to be kept near 50 F
#9
04-03-15, 03:44 PM
Group Moderator
Actually.... you gave me an idea. If you were to remove the evaporator coil from a fridge, along with the other parts of the sealed system, you could mount that coil inside your insulated box around the tank and blow air thru the coil.
A coil just sitting there will ice up..... so a fan would circulate the air inside your sealed box.
A coil just sitting there will ice up..... so a fan would circulate the air inside your sealed box.
#10
04-03-15, 03:45 PM
Member
Adding A/C to that room would help lower the tempeture in the tank some.
A simple cheap thing to try is a 5 Gal. bucket with a coil of copper 3/8" pipe, fill the pail with ice and salt, then connect to a low GPM cirulating pump.
A simple cheap thing to try is a 5 Gal. bucket with a coil of copper 3/8" pipe, fill the pail with ice and salt, then connect to a low GPM cirulating pump.
#11
04-03-15, 04:03 PM
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
PJmax thats exactly what I want to do just wasn't sure it could be done,
Joecaptain. The building is air conditioned
But due to the location of the tank it stays hot there,I would only have to cool an area 6" x 24" x 75"
Joecaptain. The building is air conditioned
But due to the location of the tank it stays hot there,I would only have to cool an area 6" x 24" x 75"
#12
04-03-15, 04:06 PM
Group Moderator
The key to your project is the insulation of the tank. You'll also need to make a top for the tank.
#13
04-03-15, 04:56 PM
You might be able to chill the insulated space underneath with a window A/C. I'm thinking you need to circulate the water in the tank also.
Sound like a good idea that would be cheap to test. I'd suggest se an ice chest instead of a bucket.
A simple cheap thing to try is a 5 Gal. bucket with a coil of copper 3/8" pipe, fill the pail with ice and salt, then connect to a low GPM cirulating pump.
#14
04-03-15, 05:16 PM
Super Moderator
You will not have much luck trying to convert a coil and compressor that is designed for a freezer or household fridge.
A unit for a home fridge/freezer is designed to run at below freezing temperatures.
If you put the evaporator coil in water it will be operating at higher temps than it was designed for and the compressor will overheat and burn out in fairly short order.
Anything you construct has to run 24/7 and unless you have a commercial sized ice machine you would soon run out of ice.
What you need is a water chiller.
A unit for a home fridge/freezer is designed to run at below freezing temperatures.
If you put the evaporator coil in water it will be operating at higher temps than it was designed for and the compressor will overheat and burn out in fairly short order.
Anything you construct has to run 24/7 and unless you have a commercial sized ice machine you would soon run out of ice.
What you need is a water chiller.
#15
04-03-15, 05:30 PM
Group Moderator
First I would look into acquarium chillers. Which I assume you've already done since you know they are expensive.
I've heard a few have some luck cooling fermentation tanks with a plan like Gunguy's. Put a big container in the freezer section of a fridge. A pump circulates a glycol mixture to a heat exchanger in your fish tank. Stainless steel coils are available from home brew suppliers that would work well for the in tank exchanger.
If you had an old fridge it might be economically doable. You have to consider by the time you get a fridge, pump, a stainless or copper coil for the fish tank you've spent several hundred dollars. Then there is the energy cost cause you're running a jury rigged system. It might be worth it for short term use but for continuous use you might find there is a reason there are chillers made for the job.
I've heard a few have some luck cooling fermentation tanks with a plan like Gunguy's. Put a big container in the freezer section of a fridge. A pump circulates a glycol mixture to a heat exchanger in your fish tank. Stainless steel coils are available from home brew suppliers that would work well for the in tank exchanger.
If you had an old fridge it might be economically doable. You have to consider by the time you get a fridge, pump, a stainless or copper coil for the fish tank you've spent several hundred dollars. Then there is the energy cost cause you're running a jury rigged system. It might be worth it for short term use but for continuous use you might find there is a reason there are chillers made for the job.
