How effective is fan cooling?

Barnacle1 · 07/26/2014, 07:43 PM

Everyone using fans for evaporative cooling, how many degrees below ambient have you reached? (Some equipment setup info too please).

Thanks.

ThaBeast · 07/26/2014, 08:01 PM

Have ever tried to go below ambient, but using a cheap 6" fan to keep my tank at 78.1, which would otherwise run at 81 on hot days. My a/c is set at 70, but poorly installed HVAC system allows my tank room to reach 75-76 on hot days.

I run open top with a sfiligoi 8 lamp t5 on a 4ft 160. Used to almost always need a heater until I swapped my eheim 1262 for the big Tunze 1073.11 running submersible. Also running a pcx-30 external pump for the skimmer

DownwardDawg · 07/26/2014, 08:05 PM

I run three 250 watt metal halides, and 4 T5's. I live in Mississippi. It's like Africa hot here. I have 2 fans that blow in my canopy while the halides are on. My tank stays at 78 degrees with NO CHILLER.

ca1ore · 07/26/2014, 09:00 PM

FWIW, evaporate cooling with the use of a fan is only effective if the humidity level in the room is low (below about 50%, if memory serves).

wolfblue · 07/27/2014, 04:02 PM

Certainly works much better with lower humidity. But as long as water goes away it takes energy with it. Under 40% RH its not real hard to stay within 1-2 degree's of air temp. Over 50% your going to have to be creative. Like moving decent CFM through a big (dead) trickle filter.

briankmarsh1980 · 07/27/2014, 07:16 PM

Works great in AZ I can get a 5 - 8 degree drop in temp depending on how much airflow. I currently dont use any cause my tank is tall enough I dont need a top on my canopy. And my tank stays at whatever the house is at. I have used fans a lot for cooling so if you have questions just ask

Drae · 07/27/2014, 08:46 PM

Works great here in Vegas also... Humidity is non exsistant here though. I too can achieve a 5° drop easily with just a fan.

wmilas · 07/28/2014, 12:19 PM

I have around 1400 gallons of tanks in a sealed "wet" room. I also have over 2 kilowatts of MH along with various pumps ect in there that need to be cooled. When I designed the room I designed it with evaporative cooling ONLY. No chillers or split coolers.

I keep the whole system at 82.5F or under even in the worst of the heat here in Chicago. That includes the 100F+ days with 80%+ humidity. So it is doable if you plan correctly.

I have a large (12") duct fan sucking fresh air in from outside, and dumping on one end of the room, and a twin running on the other end pushing out. The speeds of the duct fans are optimized where they create a wind tunnel through the room. There is no overage suction so I'm not sucking air from the rest of the house through door seals, ect.

I have large plastic fans (the kind you use to move air around in rooms) suspended from the ceiling/walls over target tanks to evaporate water.

So the system evaporates, then the ducts push the moist air out and replace it with less moist air. The system also cycles every 30 minutes even when not needed for a minute to turn the air over in the room to dump excess Co2 generated from the system.

Works great and is MUCH cheaper both in hardware and in electricity than having to use a chiller or a split system. Its a win-win

jda · 07/28/2014, 12:43 PM

Works great if humidity is low, as said. Don't underestimate the ability of the fans to move hot air from lights away from the tank.

They would work in Missouri where the lows were 76-84, highs over 100 and humidity over 80% for weeks at a time.

SaleenSc405 · 07/28/2014, 01:27 PM

Is there a certain type of fan that you guys recommend for a sump?

briankmarsh1980 · 07/28/2014, 01:36 PM

You can use a cheap clip on fan from say walmart for the sump area.
If you want to get fancy you can get pc fans and cut holes in your hood/stand and mount them I always used smart fans that had a built in temp sensor. They looked real nice and not hard to do and worked amazing

jda · 07/28/2014, 03:16 PM

I use the cheap box fans... like the 2' by 2' three speed ones.

usingthejohn · 07/28/2014, 03:29 PM

I just use the cheapie clip fans from target. Spent 10 bucks, mounted on my sump and connected to my apex. It maintains my tank between 78-80 without problems.

gcarroll · 07/28/2014, 04:04 PM

On my last tank 225g sps, I ran 3 400w MH and 200w LED with on clip on Vornado fan on low (got tired of buying little cheapy fans every year). Tank was kept at 78-80 degrees. Had I lived in an area with high humidity, I would not have been able to keep the tank this low.

IME, most people in my area with that much light ran chillers, however my tank was optimized to deal with the heat.

DownwardDawg · 07/28/2014, 08:07 PM

Humidity in Mississippi is around 80% all summer. No chiller needed. Of course, I have nice central units cooling my home.

Titans_Reef · 07/28/2014, 10:59 PM

125g mixed reef in NM. During the weekend it got to 100 degrees. My tanks heater is set to 78 but during the day it just goes up to 80-81. I take my canopy off and my glass top off also during the summer. I just put egg crate on top so the fish cant jump out. I have a ceiling fan over the 125g, a fan in the sump, and a fan blowing air from the outside in.

07/26/2014, 07:43 PM	#1
Barnacle1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 2	How effective is fan cooling? Everyone using fans for evaporative cooling, how many degrees below ambient have you reached? (Some equipment setup info too please). Thanks.

07/26/2014, 08:01 PM	#2
ThaBeast Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 332	How effective is fan cooling? Have ever tried to go below ambient, but using a cheap 6" fan to keep my tank at 78.1, which would otherwise run at 81 on hot days. My a/c is set at 70, but poorly installed HVAC system allows my tank room to reach 75-76 on hot days. I run open top with a sfiligoi 8 lamp t5 on a 4ft 160. Used to almost always need a heater until I swapped my eheim 1262 for the big Tunze 1073.11 running submersible. Also running a pcx-30 external pump for the skimmer Last edited by ThaBeast; 07/26/2014 at 08:08 PM.

07/26/2014, 08:05 PM	#3
DownwardDawg Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 838	I run three 250 watt metal halides, and 4 T5's. I live in Mississippi. It's like Africa hot here. I have 2 fans that blow in my canopy while the halides are on. My tank stays at 78 degrees with NO CHILLER. __________________ Current Tank: 125 gal mixed reef, 3-250 watt Radiums, T5 actinics, CS2 skimmer, RKL 60 gal "fun tank", 2-Ecotech Radions, Lifereef Overflow, build-in-progress

07/26/2014, 09:00 PM	#4
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	FWIW, evaporate cooling with the use of a fan is only effective if the humidity level in the room is low (below about 50%, if memory serves). __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

07/27/2014, 04:02 PM	#5
wolfblue Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 300	Certainly works much better with lower humidity. But as long as water goes away it takes energy with it. Under 40% RH its not real hard to stay within 1-2 degree's of air temp. Over 50% your going to have to be creative. Like moving decent CFM through a big (dead) trickle filter. __________________ --John AALSO Level III

07/27/2014, 07:16 PM	#6
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	Works great in AZ I can get a 5 - 8 degree drop in temp depending on how much airflow. I currently dont use any cause my tank is tall enough I dont need a top on my canopy. And my tank stays at whatever the house is at. I have used fans a lot for cooling so if you have questions just ask __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

07/27/2014, 08:46 PM	#7
Drae RAIDER NATION! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: City of sin... Posts: 3,476	Works great here in Vegas also... Humidity is non exsistant here though. I too can achieve a 5° drop easily with just a fan.

07/28/2014, 12:19 PM	#8
wmilas Keep magnets 9" apart! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lemont, Il Posts: 1,023	I have around 1400 gallons of tanks in a sealed "wet" room. I also have over 2 kilowatts of MH along with various pumps ect in there that need to be cooled. When I designed the room I designed it with evaporative cooling ONLY. No chillers or split coolers. I keep the whole system at 82.5F or under even in the worst of the heat here in Chicago. That includes the 100F+ days with 80%+ humidity. So it is doable if you plan correctly. I have a large (12") duct fan sucking fresh air in from outside, and dumping on one end of the room, and a twin running on the other end pushing out. The speeds of the duct fans are optimized where they create a wind tunnel through the room. There is no overage suction so I'm not sucking air from the rest of the house through door seals, ect. I have large plastic fans (the kind you use to move air around in rooms) suspended from the ceiling/walls over target tanks to evaporate water. So the system evaporates, then the ducts push the moist air out and replace it with less moist air. The system also cycles every 30 minutes even when not needed for a minute to turn the air over in the room to dump excess Co2 generated from the system. Works great and is MUCH cheaper both in hardware and in electricity than having to use a chiller or a split system. Its a win-win __________________ 120x36x30 acrylic display, 1000 gallon sps with lots o fish

07/28/2014, 12:43 PM	#9
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Works great if humidity is low, as said. Don't underestimate the ability of the fans to move hot air from lights away from the tank. They would work in Missouri where the lows were 76-84, highs over 100 and humidity over 80% for weeks at a time.

07/28/2014, 01:27 PM	#10
SaleenSc405 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 22	Is there a certain type of fan that you guys recommend for a sump?

07/28/2014, 01:36 PM	#11
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	You can use a cheap clip on fan from say walmart for the sump area. If you want to get fancy you can get pc fans and cut holes in your hood/stand and mount them I always used smart fans that had a built in temp sensor. They looked real nice and not hard to do and worked amazing __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

07/28/2014, 03:16 PM	#12
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	I use the cheap box fans... like the 2' by 2' three speed ones.

07/28/2014, 03:29 PM	#13
usingthejohn Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Buena Park, CA Posts: 489	I just use the cheapie clip fans from target. Spent 10 bucks, mounted on my sump and connected to my apex. It maintains my tank between 78-80 without problems.

07/28/2014, 04:04 PM	#14
gcarroll Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 9,666	On my last tank 225g sps, I ran 3 400w MH and 200w LED with on clip on Vornado fan on low (got tired of buying little cheapy fans every year). Tank was kept at 78-80 degrees. Had I lived in an area with high humidity, I would not have been able to keep the tank this low. IME, most people in my area with that much light ran chillers, however my tank was optimized to deal with the heat. __________________ Greg Carroll I will be at REEF-A-PALOOZA! SPS = Stability Promotes Success Be wary of advice coming from those who will not show you the fruits of their success! Current Tank Info: building: 250g AGE Euro tank, Abyzz A200, Vertex Supra-G filtration, Ecotech Radion Pro LEDs, ...

07/28/2014, 08:07 PM	#15
DownwardDawg Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 838	Humidity in Mississippi is around 80% all summer. No chiller needed. Of course, I have nice central units cooling my home. __________________ Current Tank: 125 gal mixed reef, 3-250 watt Radiums, T5 actinics, CS2 skimmer, RKL 60 gal "fun tank", 2-Ecotech Radions, Lifereef Overflow, build-in-progress

07/28/2014, 10:59 PM	#16
Titans_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 188	125g mixed reef in NM. During the weekend it got to 100 degrees. My tanks heater is set to 78 but during the day it just goes up to 80-81. I take my canopy off and my glass top off also during the summer. I just put egg crate on top so the fish cant jump out. I have a ceiling fan over the 125g, a fan in the sump, and a fan blowing air from the outside in.