Tank chiller

F

fred

Guest
I am seriously considering buying 2 of these interesting little amphibians, although I do have one problem. I keep my house too warm for them, where can I buy a tank chiller/how do I make one? My dad is an H V A C repairman so if worse comes to worse I can just rig one up... (don't try that at home folks!
lol.gif
)
 
I think chillers are pretty darn expensive - never had one myself though. How hot does it get in summer then?
 
errr.gif
Cheapest chiller on that site is $400! As for temperature in the summer I am in KY and we hit 95 (F) reliably.
I may try the DIY chiller, my idea for one was buy a cheap AC unit ($100 or so) or bum an older unit from my dad and place the cooling coil (or make a special one for the size of the bottom of the tank). Then place the thermometer in the water so that when the mean temperature of the water hit a good temp it would shut off and come on as needed. Would that work for the axies (would that keep the temperature in a small enough range that they wouldn't have any of stress issues?)?
 
When you say thermometer, you mean thermostat, right? A good thermostat should be able to regulate the temperature within a fairly tight range. Aren't cooling coils copper? You don't want to add metals to the tank. If you use an AC unit, you could try having the air blow directly at the tank, or directly across the surface of the water. I'm not sure if that would really be effective enough if your interior temp is really 98F.
 
Interior temp sits more like 80, I was talking about exterior temperature. As for the coil, it would be sitting under the tank and the fan would be thrown away because the coil (what actually cools the air) would be sitting under the tank and cooling the glass, then the sand, then the water in the tank. As for the thermostat, that is what the system is set to cool too, the thermometer is what measures the current temperature in whatever you are cooling. What I am talking about here isn't just sitting an AC unit beside the tank, I am talking about breaking it apart and cooling the water directly...
 
Ah I see, the cooling coil would not be submerged then, but in contact without the outside of the glass, correct? If that is the case, I'd be careful with this; having a different tempurature on the inside and outside of the glass could cause the glass to crack or even shatter. I suggest doing a test run first in an area where, if this were to happen, the water would cause no damage. It will also allow you to monitor the temperature and make sure that this will work. Not that I doubt it will, the theory is sound, but I've never seen anything like this in action, so things could go wrong. Good luck, and keep us posted with your results!
 
I will, if I get the cash AND my parents say I can. As of yet I haven't talked my mom into it. (takes a week or so LOL...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top