# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  DIY Chiller

## unclerobin

bought a mini samsung fridge at $20.00 from ebay. just finish drilling the hole and pipe fitting. 
running on an empty (just fill with water only) 4ftx1.5ftx1.5ft empty tank using a jebo power head to circulate the water form the tank to the mini fridge (don't know the waterflow rate) :Embarassed: 
will update tomorrow morning of the outcome.
any brother interested on my diy project are most welcome for discussion
or joint project over at my place.

temperature taken now ;2200hrs = 30c :Mad:

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## khtee

do you have a pic on your setup? sound very interesting....

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## unclerobin

hi khtee
will try to post the picture tomorrow my camera at my office forgot to bring it back today.
check on temperature just now, was reading at 29.5c  :Laughing:  so fast wonder if my thermometer are working fine or is my ceiling fan that is cooling the water.

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## BlackHawk

Bro,

You have a very smart idea! Is the electricity consumption the same as normal chiller?

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## Spid

> hi khtee
> will try to post the picture tomorrow my camera at my office forgot to bring it back today.
> check on temperature just now, was reading at 29.5c  so fast wonder if my thermometer are working fine or is my ceiling fan that is cooling the water.


Hi unclerobin, 

Please keep us updated. Interested to know more about the results at your side. 

Thanks.

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## unclerobin

Hi.bro.Blackhawk / Spid

Just check the tank after running for 24 hours.The water temperature was down to slightly below 25C , was 30C yesterday. My current planted tank water temperature was running at 26C. :Smile: should not be a problem if i shift the diy chiller to replace my current Hailea chiller.Sorry don't know how to insert picture here,can someone/senior kindly guide me on this issue)

I was poorer by a few ten dollars when using a hailea chiller every month 
will be able to save alot as the mini fridge are running at low cost,

mini fridge 80watts x 24hrs x 30days= 57,600watts divide by 1000watts =57.6kilowatt x $0.25 =SGD $14.40 per month.(correct me if i am wrong) 
Quite a big saving. 
Will update all bro again tomorrow night and try to find a way to upload the picture.
Thank
___________________________________
The Highway to Success are Forever Under Construction,
If You Reach Your Destination You Travel Nowhere.

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## BlackHawk

Bro Unclerobin, 

You can load your pictures by going to "Manage Attachment" when you reply your post..... it can be found below submit reply. 

You can then upload the pictures from your computer....  :Jump for joy:

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## unclerobin

Thank Bro BlackHawk.
Will do it later.
Check the water temperature this morning still remain at slightly below 25C. :Wink: 

___________________________

The Highway to Success Are Forever Under Construction
If You Reach YOur Destination, You Travel Nowhere.

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## Spid

Cool. Thanks for sharing. 

Looking forward to more photos.

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## BlackHawk

> Thank Bro BlackHawk.
> Will do it later.
> Check the water temperature this morning still remain at slightly below 25C.
> 
> ___________________________
> 
> The Highway to Success Are Forever Under Construction
> If You Reach YOur Destination, You Travel Nowhere.


 
You are always welcome. Looking forward for your great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

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## unclerobin

> You are always welcome. Looking forward for your great pictures. Thanks for sharing.


hihi all, am back. check on the tank temperature  :Well done: it reach 24C.
as promise will try to upload some picture to share with all bro here.

 pic ;tank water temperature taken last night around 2200hrs slightly below 25C 

pic.1; mini fridge bought from ebay and my future 4x1.5x1.5 tank

pic.2 ; inlet and outlet water flow pipe. i use a 1/2" holesaw to drill it, was blessed when drilling the 2 holes, manage to advoid the refrigerate pipe,wiring and heater which cannot be seen from the external housing of the fridge.as this is only an experiment i did not actually secure the pipe with PVC glue  :Laughing:  just a few round of wire tape does the job.

pic.3 ; secret behind close door. i manage to reach to my expected water temperature, might be due to the following reason ( seen many post on diy chiller by other bros but failed IMHO maybe they are using the wrong method)
1; i use an aluminum tray instead of a plastic tuberware ( aluminum tranfer heat faster then plastic)
2; i use the normal water hose instead of the Ehiem hose,(normal water hose are thinner compare to Ehiem hose, is only half the thickness of the Ehiem hose)
3; beside water i add ice cubes to maintain a lower cooling temperature in the tray.
4; try not to open the fridge door to often to maintain the cooling temperature inside.
just a few line here, hope bros here can understand my procedure of the diy chiller.
will continue to monitor for the next few days and transfer all my plants from this 3feet tank to the new 4feet tank.

anyway million thanks to bros who are keeping track of my project.
hopefully the temperature will drop to 23C :Wink:  tomorrow morning.
going down to sim lim tomorrow to get some led light for another project for light off at night >>> moonlighting  :Cool: any bro interested in this diy moonlight project are welcome to join me.

thank and regard
_________________________________
The Highway to Success are Forever Under Construction,
If You Reach Your Destination You Travel Nowhere

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## unclerobin

> You are always welcome. Looking forward for your great pictures. Thanks for sharing.





> Bro Unclerobin, 
> 
> You can load your pictures by going to "Manage Attachment" when you reply your post..... it can be found below submit reply. 
> 
> You can then upload the pictures from your computer....


Thanks bro BlackHawk. i manage to upload the picture.. happy surfing. :Jump for joy:

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## jason6142004

> going down to sim lim tomorrow to get some led light for another project for light off at night >>> moonlighting any bro interested in this diy moonlight project are welcome to join me.



hi also been wanting to diy my moonlight also. maybe you can start a new project log with photos of the stuff you are buying tomorrow and all the steps. CHEERS!

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## unclerobin

> hi also been wanting to diy my moonlight also. maybe you can start a new project log with photos of the stuff you are buying tomorrow and all the steps. CHEERS!


hi jason
just got the parts from sim lim today, will do a setup and post the picture here soon.
regard

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## unclerobin

> hi also been wanting to diy my moonlight also. maybe you can start a new project log with photos of the stuff you are buying tomorrow and all the steps. CHEERS!


hi..
just finish my diy moonlight effect on my tank, upload 2 picture for comment.

click here to view

thank
robin tan

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## jason6142004

got full project log? lol.

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## aquaSynthesis

IMHO, if you could replace the hose from rubber to copper is the best. 


cheers!

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## windcharm

Does the temperature maintain consistant around 23 -24? or it will fall below?

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## leechaorui

You are really brilliant unclerobin. Hope to meet you some day and learn from you.

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## unclerobin

> Does the temperature maintain consistant around 23 -24? or it will fall below?


hi windcharm
for a diy chiller i don't think i am able to get the temperature of 23c and also depend on the light i use.Every morning the water temperature read at 24.5c all the way to 4.00pm when my light are on ( 4x39watts T5HO) and gradually increase to 26.5 at night with the all the light on (10x39watts T5HO) my tank light are off at 2359hrs.
anyway the water temperature when using the chiller was maintain at 26c to 27c which was very comfortable for myself and the environment inside the tank.to be able to get this reading for the diy chiller was a great achivement to me spending only a little sum of money and saving alot on monthly electrical bill. :Jump for joy: 
regard 
robin

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## unclerobin

> You are really brilliant unclerobin. Hope to meet you some day and learn from you.


hi leechaorui
thank for your comment 
you are most welcome to join me in my project, anyway everything on my tank are diy except for the tank and stand which was given to me by a friend.
regard
robin

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## windcharm

> hi windcharm
> for a diy chiller i don't think i am able to get the temperature of 23c and also depend on the light i use.Every morning the water temperature read at 24.5c all the way to 4.00pm when my light are on ( 4x39watts T5HO) and gradually increase to 26.5 at night with the all the light on (10x39watts T5HO) my tank light are off at 2359hrs.
> anyway the water temperature when using the chiller was maintain at 26c to 27c which was very comfortable for myself and the environment inside the tank.to be able to get this reading for the diy chiller was a great achivement to me spending only a little sum of money and saving alot on monthly electrical bill.
> regard 
> robin


Thank you for your feedback. How does the pipe in the aluminium container runs? Simply a U shape back?

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## unclerobin

> IMHO, if you could replace the hose from rubber to copper is the best. 
> 
> 
> cheers!


hi, aquaSynthesis
agree with you by using copper piping for better heat transfer, but was worry of the high copper content in the water which might affect the water hardness ( correct me if i ma wrong )so will be switching to use stainless steel was awaiting for my friend to pass me the tools to bend the pipe ( pipe bender )
hopefully by using stainless pipe will bring down my tank temperature by a few more points  :Idea: 

regard
robin

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## aquaSynthesis

> hi, aquaSynthesis
> agree with you by using copper piping for better heat transfer, but was worry of the high copper content in the water which might affect the water hardness ( correct me if i ma wrong )so will be switching to use stainless steel was awaiting for my friend to pass me the tools to bend the pipe ( pipe bender )
> hopefully by using stainless pipe will bring down my tank temperature by a few more points 
> 
> regard
> robin


sir...do u intend to coil up the S/S pipe? i believe you can only coil for a few rounds, else the water pressure will be reduced.  :Grin:

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## unclerobin

> sir...do u intend to coil up the S/S pipe? i believe you can only coil for a few rounds, else the water pressure will be reduced.


yes bro, *aquaSynthesis/windcharm*. I coiled up the present rubber hose in a rectangular manner using cable tie to secure the shape ( about 3 coil ) water flow rate drop about 20&#37; was expected due to the diversion of the pipe, but was good in the way that there are more cooling time in the fridge, but can feel that the canister filter are pumping more harder :Knockout:  to deliver the water to the tank.

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## wllm33

thanks for sharing this wonderful idea.
from my simple minded understanding, is it just an in out system in the connection to cool down the tank water?
sorry for being simple minded, but presume your pump to push the water to the freezer compartment of the fridge is in the plant tank and can know what is the flow rate you are using for this part.
thnks for enlightening.
cheers.

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## sookf

I have tried the bar fridge method last year. Was having the same idea as yours. I manage to cool my 2ft tank to 22 degree C.

I shut it down after a month and scrap the idea eventually as the running cost was not as cheap as I thought. Although the spec of the fridge is 80W, the actual consumption was about 170W (can't remember the exact figure) when measured by a power meter. Which turns out to be about 80 cents to $1+ per day.

Do you have a power meter to measure the daily consumption? You might be surprise by the actual cost of running your diy chiller.

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## unclerobin

> I have tried the bar fridge method last year. Was having the same idea as yours. I manage to cool my 2ft tank to 22 degree C.
> 
> I shut it down after a month and scrap the idea eventually as the running cost was not as cheap as I thought. Although the spec of the fridge is 80W, the actual consumption was about 170W (can't remember the exact figure) when measured by a power meter. Which turns out to be about 80 cents to $1+ per day.
> 
> Do you have a power meter to measure the daily consumption? You might be surprise by the actual cost of running your diy chiller.


hihi sookf
i agree with wat you say that the total wattage comsumption of your bar fridge are 170W but i'm just refering to the compressor.
maybe the 80W spec you seen is only refering to the compressor itself, your are getting the total reading of 170W might be due to the following reason.
1: did you unplug the heater coil connection ( the heater coil is to prevent the housing from sweating usually can be seen clearly in the early morning of cool day if the heater are not working properly) from the electrical suppy compartment, hence the heater are running 24hrs x 30 day.
2: is there a fan in the bar fridge, it might be a small wattage fan but when the door are close it runs non stop thus increasing your reading too.

Due to the 2 factors your bar fridge spec show a 90W increase in the total reading, IMHO you should only reading the reading only from the compressor and not the whole.

sorry bro who are reading this post, please correct me if i'm wrong, it just only my few cents counts .... cheers
feel free to comment to my unprofessional quote.

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## shrimp999

The fridge compressor will keep running.
Eventually will damage the fridge.
It will not save energy but rather use more than normal conventional chiller.

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## wllm33

i think no matter how "inefficient" this project sounds like , the fridge only cost $20/- , and if you compared to a new chiller , can probably buy 10 fridges, not to mention the maintainence for a chiller after a while, which can be pretty expensive adding to the cost of the whole chiller usage also.

If not mistaken, a chiller like the CL650 has a rating of 600w, so no matter how inefficient this project can become, it will never reach this wattage.

So IMHO, if we compare these facts it is still a very good DIY project and will still save some money if not short term.
Guess it will still be worth it for most of us who has a bit of problem with cash flow and still wants to enjoy the hobby.
my 2 cents worth.

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## unclerobin

> The fridge compressor will keep running.
> Eventually will damage the fridge.
> It will not save energy but rather use more than normal conventional chiller.


 hihi shrimp999
for your information i had a timer attach to my fridge, it run 2 hours and stop for 15 mins during lighting period, when light off from midnight to 4.00pm the next day my timer will be set at 2 hours and rest 30mins, till date i had no problems with it and due to the 22% raise in electrical bill i still save a few piece of red note on the utilities bills compare to using the chiller, btw i still connect the chiller to the filteration system just in case the fridge failed me.

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## unclerobin

> i think no matter how "inefficient" this project sounds like , the fridge only cost $20/- , and if you compared to a new chiller , can probably buy 10 fridges, not to mention the maintainence for a chiller after a while, which can be pretty expensive adding to the cost of the whole chiller usage also.
> 
> If not mistaken, a chiller like the CL650 has a rating of 600w, so no matter how inefficient this project can become, it will never reach this wattage.
> 
> So IMHO, if we compare these facts it is still a very good DIY project and will still save some money if not short term.
> Guess it will still be worth it for most of us who has a bit of problem with cash flow and still wants to enjoy the hobby.
> my 2 cents worth.


 hihi bro wllm33
thank for the compliment 
sorry to not have reply to your earlier post .
i bought a Hailea chiller at $360.00 and was using it for a month before using the mini fridge and totally agreed to what your had post. *the frigde* *cost only $20.00* from ebay and my PUB bill was sky high compare to my average monthly of $130.00.
the first month into using the mini fridge to cool my tank i can see the decrease in my PUB bill, 
just to kill yor curiosity you are most welcome to my place to view my diy project ( any bros here who are interested into diying a mini fridge to cool his/her tank water are most welcome too, am most willing to share my ideas)

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## wllm33

thanks for the invitation, but also would like to let us have some "lobang" of how to get a second hand fridge cost $20/- also.
That is real cheap for a working second hand fridge.
Is ebay really so fruitful all the time?
I don't go there as it is rather busy there , so many things.
Perhaps I should , since you showed us that there are really worthy bargains there with your fridge, especially in such times.

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## windcharm

I got my mini frigde for $20 dollar too! I am using it to cool my 20" 20" 24" tank. I manage to cool down the water temperature by 3 - 4 degrees. Currently, I have disconnected it from my tank due to rescaping. I am also using this opportunity to add more piping to my DIY chiller compartment.

I believe the running will definitely cost less than a chiller especially when the temperature is constant & maintained.

I will update my DIY chiller again once get it up and runnning again.

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## unclerobin

> thanks for the invitation, but also would like to let us have some "lobang" of how to get a second hand fridge cost $20/- also.
> That is real cheap for a working second hand fridge.
> Is ebay really so fruitful all the time?
> I don't go there as it is rather busy there , so many things.
> Perhaps I should , since you showed us that there are really worthy bargains there with your fridge, especially in such times.


hihi bro,
i use to roam ebay every morning sometime when you are lucky you will be able to get very good deal there.
if you are interested into diying a mini fridge to cool your tank i'm most willing to share my humble knowledge with you 

click on the link, there's a mini fridge now bidding at $38.00. ( will monitor for a good one for you if you need it as i roam ebay every morning.
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Mni-Fridge_W0...1%7C240%3A1318

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## unclerobin

> I got my mini frigde for $20 dollar too! I am using it to cool my 20" 20" 24" tank. I manage to cool down the water temperature by 3 - 4 degrees. Currently, I have disconnected it from my tank due to rescaping. I am also using this opportunity to add more piping to my DIY chiller compartment.
> 
> I believe the running will definitely cost less than a chiller especially when the temperature is constant & maintained.
> 
> I will update my DIY chiller again once get it up and runnning again.


hey bro,
how's thing going on on your side , though you give up your idea, still waiting for your update of your diy project, can we have some picture next time you update your project.

happy diying

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## wllm33

> hihi bro,
> i use to roam ebay every morning sometime when you are lucky you will be able to get very good deal there.
> if you are interested into diying a mini fridge to cool your tank i'm most willing to share my humble knowledge with you 
> 
> click on the link, there's a mini fridge now bidding at $38.00. ( will monitor for a good one for you if you need it as i roam ebay every morning.
> http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Mni-Fridge_W0...1%7C240%3A1318


hi robin,
thanks for the nice gesture.
will appreciate your help.
as you know nowadays economy bad, so everyone is looking at cost effectiveness.
i also like to diy like you, but on top of saving cost , is sort of give you the feeling of satisfaction that you had done some achievement. It's like building your own pc.
cheers.

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## windcharm

> hey bro,
> how's thing going on on your side , though you give up your idea, still waiting for your update of your diy project, can we have some picture next time you update your project.
> 
> happy diying


Will do, I am busying shifting house now.. thus my tank has not really been setup yet. I am also DIYing my own stand to have my fridge hidden from sight..

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## fabby

Unclerobin sir,
I am very fascinated with your DIY Chiller. Is it still working fine?
Currently i am keeping a crs tank. approx. 1.5ft using a fan to lower the temp.
Quite successful as now the weather is so cold. 
Was thinking, how much time did u dedicate into this project? was thinking of doing one for myself. 
I have became your number 1 fan. What other DIY projects you have?

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## unclerobin

> Unclerobin sir,
> I am very fascinated with your DIY Chiller. Is it still working fine?
> Currently i am keeping a crs tank. approx. 1.5ft using a fan to lower the temp.
> Quite successful as now the weather is so cold. 
> Was thinking, how much time did u dedicate into this project? was thinking of doing one for myself. 
> I have became your number 1 fan. What other DIY projects you have?


hi fabby
thank for your compliment, till date it give me zero problem at all.
i'm not into crs so not very sure what is your tank water temp, to use a fan to cool down your tank temp it depend mainly on your room temp to cool down your tank water. for a 1.5ft tank using a fan i presume your water temp should be around 26 to 27 degree.
quite a straight forward project, just get a new/used fridge, piping and neccessary fitting. btw you need to have a canister filter to use this diy mini chiller.my light set are also diy.( feel free to contact me if you need any assistance on your project i'm most willing to guide you, ( hehe i'm your fan  :Jump for joy: )
btw we are having a gathering this coming sunday over at my place at 2.00pm, maybe you can join in to discuss on your oncoming diying chiller, refer to this tread> 
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=50848

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## fabby

Hey UncleRobin sir,
Sorry for not replying cause was busy with school attachment.
Was wondering, where can i get cheap 2nd hand mini fridge.

Still your number 1 fan,
Fabby

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## unclerobin

hihi,
you can try ebay.com.sg just surf in at type ' refrigerator'
btw what is your tank size, maybe i can help you to source out the mini fridge

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## fabby

hello,
My tank size is approximately 1.5ft x 3/4 ft.
Where did you get your tube from?
Anyway, is your chiller still working?

Fabian

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## inque

Did you glued the Pipe elbows using Pipe glue ?
I noticed one of them has a hose taped to the pipe ......
maybe you can buy a hose clamp 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hose_clamp
to tighten the hose ..... looks scary

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## unclerobin

> Did you glued the Pipe elbows using Pipe glue ?
> I noticed one of them has a hose taped to the pipe ......
> maybe you can buy a hose clamp 
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hose_clamp
> to tighten the hose ..... looks scary


thank bro for your kind advise :Well done: , btw the pic your saw on my post was just a trial to be sure it can cool my 3 footer tank.
had already done a proper installation using pvc glue and hose clamp.

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## unclerobin

> hello,
> My tank size is approximately 1.5ft x 3/4 ft.
> Where did you get your tube from?
> Anyway, is your chiller still working?
> 
> Fabian


hi bro
had reply you on your pm feel free to call me if you are ready to do the set up.

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## daphne12

wow... i want to have a dIY chiller too...
gd job unclerobin!

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## unclerobin

> wow... i want to have a dIY chiller too...
> gd job unclerobin!


thank bro,
1 stone 2 birds, can cool my tank water and at same time store my beer and can drinks

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## inque

> thank bro for your kind advise, btw the pic your saw on my post was just a trial to be sure it can cool my 3 footer tank.
> had already done a proper installation using pvc glue and hose clamp.



U pro DIY man  :Well done:  .... if me i'll be too scare to do the actual drilling 

I dun know if installing Heal insulation on the pipes will help ?
U know the black sponge like material. 

Anyone have installed them on their chiller's tubing ?

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## medicineman

If you need something of a much bigger gun for the job, can look for these items for very basic materials :

- Split aircon unit : you need the condensor and compressor part only (the one box unit hangs outside of your home). General rule of thumb for optimal and superior power is 1W per liter (so if your tank is 500W, gets the 1/2pk rated aircon unit). The blower has no use in this case. You will need all the piping from the outside unit to reach you aquarium.
- Titanium piping, bent into coil or zig-zag. This will act as evaporator, the part which transfer the coldness to water. You dip this part in your sump or directly at the corner of your tank if you have none. Titanium alone will work safe and well. Do not use copper or even worse aluminium tubing.
- Electrical cut off timer : to regulate when the cooler work. You need to study this by running the system. Maybe more when (on for 15 minutes every 30 minutes interval) the light is on and less when the light is out.

You cannot do the welding and installation alone and will need mr aircon handyman to help out. Torching and coolant filling (involves welding equipment, cylinder or refrigerant and vacuum pump) must be done by the experts.

Now, dont mention 24C.
This kind of setup, powered by right machine will gave no problem to pull down to 15-18C.

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## wllm33

> If you need something of a much bigger gun for the job, can look for these items for very basic materials :
> 
> - Split aircon unit : you need the condensor and compressor part only (the one box unit hangs outside of your home). General rule of thumb for optimal and superior power is 1W per liter (so if your tank is 500W, gets the 1/2pk rated aircon unit). The blower has no use in this case. You will need all the piping from the outside unit to reach you aquarium.
> - Titanium piping, bent into coil or zig-zag. This will act as evaporator, the part which transfer the coldness to water. You dip this part in your sump or directly at the corner of your tank if you have none. Titanium alone will work safe and well. Do not use copper or even worse aluminium tubing.
> - Electrical cut off timer : to regulate when the cooler work. You need to study this by running the system. Maybe more when (on for 15 minutes every 30 minutes interval) the light is on and less when the light is out.
> 
> You cannot do the welding and installation alone and will need mr aircon handyman to help out. Torching and coolant filling (involves welding equipment, cylinder or refrigerant and vacuum pump) must be done by the experts.
> 
> Now, dont mention 24C.
> This kind of setup, powered by right machine will gave no problem to pull down to 15-18C.


this is probably the rolls royce of all diy chiller. Unfortunately it is a bit "high power" and may need more from most diy can provide.
THE other problem is the high consumption of electricity from the condenser vs the bar fridge imho.

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## medicineman

Yes.

And the fridge do work I assure you. But to lesser extent in terms of tank size.
A good alternative to make it cheap.

In Singapore it is usually common to have small to medium sized tank.
But sometimes folks will own insanely big tank relatively mad for personal property. When the volume reaches 1000L and even more (some go nuts to over 3000L), people will start to look and appreciate the power of aircon unit.

Such unit is relatively free of hassle and maintenance is exactly like your aircon unit. The outside unit is rarely serviced (unlike the blower part).

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## wllm33

can give an idea of what is the wattage of the air con model vs the fridge diy model?

think the bar fridge should be pretty low in wattage.
thanks

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## medicineman

The fridge should rate at 75-100W, cheap to buy and serve well smaller tank size maybe around or less of than 50g. It has to run long haul, probably 12 hrs in total in a single day due to the small capacity cooling.
If it to last longer, you will likely need a small fan to blow at the compressor/condenser to keep them cool. Fridge are not made to be on for long hours.

VS

Air con unit on the other had can range from 400-2000W and can serve well enough to the bigger tank. 2000W unit on 500g or 400W on a 120g would be no sweat at all to pull temp down to 20C. Due to immense cooling power it holds, other than capable of handling large tank, it also can run for less hours per day, probably just on for 10-15 minutes per hour. This translates to less burden and longer service time.
The unit may not be so expensive but needs more effort to install. Titanium coil for the evaporator is not cheap at all and is needed for reliable and safe way of transferring cold temp.

*I was told that for each 1 pk of air con may be equal to around 750-800W of electricity. Deduct power taken for the blower (which is absent in this use), it should be around 650W.

I personally made my DIY chiller out of freezer parts. It takes around 400W (compressor and cooling fan) and has to work for 8 hours in total a day just to cool down my 240g tank at 26C. The tank itself is quite hot with 3 x 150W MH lighting and 144W of neon, on for 7-8hrs a day. I would recommend something like 750W worth of compressor energy for a tank of such size, so that it cools faster, better and work for less hours.

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## unclerobin

> U pro DIY man
> 
> Thank bro,
> Forgive me if i get carried away by your comments.
> 
> I design water cooling system for restaurant huge FGT to house australian lobster and live abalone with the cooling capacity ranging from 10c to 15c in the early 80's.
> 
>  .... if me i'll be too scare to do the actual drilling
> Yup drilling part are scary cause you never know where are the wiring and heating element conceal in the compartment. for the freezer part i did not have to worry as it is visible, and the rest piece of cake. ( read all my thread you will get all the answer) 
> ...


The black sponge you refering to are those insulation rubber wrap round the copper piping to prevent water condensation when the liquid gas return back to the compressor after the capillary tube from the cooling coil, and to prevent burning of skin when someone accidentally touch the copper tubing when gas are pump from the compressor to the capillary tube into the cooling coil. ( this installation technique was during the early 80's don't know if there is any changes now in cooling system, any bro please correct me if i'm wrong as i'm no longer in this trade.)

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## Viper007

> [COLOR=blue]The black sponge you refering to are those insulation rubber wrap round the copper....


Hi Bro, I was just wondering if I can view your DIY chiller one of this days cos I'm really impress by it, can chile the tank yet use it to put coke! :Grin: 

I saw a mini fridge in Giant costing about $200... not sure should I diy it or go for a new std chiller as $280 for a 1/10hp. Lost!

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## unclerobin

> Hi Bro, I was just wondering if I can view your DIY chiller one of this days cos I'm really impress by it, can chile the tank yet use it to put coke!
> 
> hi bro,
> just mention your timing for me to "show-off" my so call invention,
> 
> I saw a mini fridge in Giant costing about $200... not sure should I diy it or go for a new std chiller as $280 for a 1/10hp. Lost!


i suggest you should not act on impluse, visit ebay.com.sg you can get cheap fridge there. the diy chiller might work on my tank but maybe not your tank cause the surounding room temp in your house play a very important point, and in term of your lighting too, if you are using 2 x 150watt MH light i gurantee it will steam all your life stock for dinner if you are using a mini fridge.

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## Viper007

> i suggest you should not act on impluse, visit ebay.com.sg you can get cheap fridge there. the diy chiller might work on my tank but maybe not your tank cause the surounding room temp in your house play a very important point, and in term of your lighting too, if you are using 2 x 150watt MH light i gurantee it will steam all your life stock for dinner if you are using a mini fridge.


Thank you so much for the advise. I will keep in mind. Well I guess my house is rather windy with 2 fans blowing I was able to achieved 27C... previously with my old filter I was getting 25.5... Lighting is at 96W and base on a 2ft tank size. I just want to bring to 25C will do actually. :Smile: 

Well do you also stay in Tampines  :Smile:

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## unclerobin

> Thank you so much for the advise. I will keep in mind. Well I guess my house is rather windy with 2 fans blowing I was able to achieved 27C... previously with my old filter I was getting 25.5... Lighting is at 96W and base on a 2ft tank size. I just want to bring to 25C will do actually.
> 
> Well do you also stay in Tampines


yeah bro. me at tampines st 11
btw what are the plant in your tank, is it those hardly type, if so i think 27c is okie. i'm using 2 ac fan for my wife 2 footer and the temp are around 25c to 27c, all the plant and riccia are growing well.

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## inque

> The fridge should rate at 75-100W, cheap to buy and serve well smaller tank size maybe around or less of than 50g. It has to run long haul, probably 12 hrs in total in a single day due to the small capacity cooling.
> If it to last longer, you will likely need a small fan to blow at the compressor/condenser to keep them cool. Fridge are not made to be on for long hours.
> 
> VS
> 
> Air con unit on the other had can range from 400-2000W and can serve well enough to the bigger tank. 2000W unit on 500g or 400W on a 120g would be no sweat at all to pull temp down to 20C. Due to immense cooling power it holds, other than capable of handling large tank, it also can run for less hours per day, probably just on for 10-15 minutes per hour. This translates to less burden and longer service time.
> The unit may not be so expensive but needs more effort to install. Titanium coil for the evaporator is not cheap at all and is needed for reliable and safe way of transferring cold temp.
> 
> *I was told that for each 1 pk of air con may be equal to around 750-800W of electricity. Deduct power taken for the blower (which is absent in this use), it should be around 650W.
> ...


I thought Fridge is Not Meant to be OFF at all. If a mini fridge works like the 
Normal ones then i dun think additional fan required. Just that u need to do 
PM (Preventive Maintanance) like check Coolant gas pressure ( this maybe nid expert to check for you) , clean fin and suck out dirt on the compressor area for better air circulation.  :Grin:  

Anyone know Temp. best for Planted tank ?  :Jump for joy: 
Generally speaking of course.

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## unclerobin

> I thought Fridge is Not Meant to be OFF at all. If a mini fridge works like the 
> Normal ones then i dun think additional fan required. Just that u need to do 
> PM (Preventive Maintanance) like check Coolant gas pressure ( this maybe nid expert to check for you) , clean fin and suck out dirt on the compressor area for better air circulation.  
> 
> Anyone know Temp. best for Planted tank ? 
> Generally speaking of course.


hihi bro,
agree with you that fridge are meant to work 24x7 and will cut off only it reach its temp of the fridge set by the user.
instead of using the fridge thermostats i had a timer to adjust to run 2 hours and stop for 15 mins during lighting period, 
when light off from midnight to 4.00pm the next day my timer will be set at 2 hours and rest 30mins, no fan needed and maintenance are easy. :Well done:

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## unclerobin

hihi bro/sis 
just a update of my diy chiller using a mini fridge.
bought this fridge on 11 sept 2008 ( haha 911)

been many month, the fridge still working fine and trouble free cooling my 3 footer tank ,not a small 1ft cube or a 1.2 ft cube tank ( click on the hyperlink to view pic) oso i can use it to store my other drinks.
temp at this time (2230hrs) of the night are 26.2 with 6x39watts T5 with 2 dc fan blowing out 

my equipment
fridge 

my 3 footer 

my planted tank

*comment and enquires welcome*

sorry got to go will not write much, wife not feeling well.

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## limz_777

cooling the drinks , storing food , and chill the tank water at the same time , now this is better then a conventional chiller , good job  :Well done:

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## unclerobin

> cooling the drinks , storing food , and chill the tank water at the same time , now this is better then a conventional chiller , good job


thank bro,
cheers

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## tco

Wow..practical and nice setup...thumb Up.  :Well done:

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## unclerobin

> Wow..practical and nice setup...thumb Up.


 Thank bro, the chiller still going good since day 1

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## dexter

hi all.

i found a akira mini cooler that states that it can cool 20 degrees below ambient temp.. power consumption 48w only... 
http://www.myakira.com/singapore/Pro...3&CatId=,7,131

above is the link to the product.. can anyone advise if i can use the above to cool a 2ft tank? my target is only to hit 24.5-25 ... 

Have read through the threads, some said using mini fridge will consume more power and thus higher elec bill.... but as what bro robin mentioned, he saw a decrease in elec bill. When i use to stay in hostel in uni, we only have to pay $80 per 6 months for elec to have a mini fridge in room... so i think power consumption for a fridge is quite low to on 24x7 right? therefore cheaper than a normal aquarium chiller?

Would chaning a mini fridge to a chiller for tanks or use MC-789 mini chiller plus a good fan be more effective and cheaper in terms of elec bill? pls advise. thankyou all

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## unclerobin

> hi all.
> 
> i found a akira mini cooler that states that it can cool 20 degrees below ambient temp.. power consumption 48w only... 
> http://www.myakira.com/singapore/Pro...3&CatId=,7,131
> 
> above is the link to the product.. can anyone advise if i can use the above to cool a 2ft tank? my target is only to hit 24.5-25 ... 
> 
> Have read through the threads, some said using mini fridge will consume more power and thus higher elec bill.... but as what bro robin mentioned, he saw a decrease in elec bill. When i use to stay in hostel in uni, we only have to pay $80 per 6 months for elec to have a mini fridge in room... so i think power consumption for a fridge is quite low to on 24x7 right? therefore cheaper than a normal aquarium chiller?
> 
> Would chaning a mini fridge to a chiller for tanks or use MC-789 mini chiller plus a good fan be more effective and cheaper in terms of elec bill? pls advise. thankyou all


hi dexter.
imho the mini cooler you mentioned are not suitable to diying it into a mini chiller cause it does not come with a freezer compartment.

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## wllm33

anybody with experience of this mini 789 chiller ability to cool a 2 ft tank since it is a peltier principle based and how many degrees will it bring down to?
thanks.

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## dexter

> hi dexter.
> imho the mini cooler you mentioned are not suitable to diying it into a mini chiller cause it does not come with a freezer compartment.


wow, need freezer compartment ar... >.< 




> anybody with experience of this mini 789 chiller ability to cool a 2 ft tank since it is a peltier principle based and how many degrees will it bring down to?
> thanks.


would like to know this too...is 789 possible to cool 2ft tank to 25-26 if room temp is 29?

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## sengwoon

I have a Panasonic NR-A5ED mini refrigerator, can this be converted as a cooler for 2ft tank?

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## unclerobin

> I have a Panasonic NR-A5ED mini refrigerator, can this be converted as a cooler for 2ft tank?


 hi bro.
i would say Yes provided there is a freezer compartment in the fridge
btw what is the wattage of your fridge.

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## konvikt

hello i am new to this site.. i am planning to diy chiller myself...i will buy a cube fridge in few hours(hopefully second hand) anyone interested to help me out throughout the project....( i am not so familiar with the drilling part..it says that we should see for the coils before drilling..confused)mine is a 120 cm tank

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## johnlim

hi robin ,
current i am using TEM peltier 12V 5A to DIY chiller the temp is good about 23'c ,by got a problem the wiring is too hot so how to slove this problem ...

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## Shadow

Yous wire cant support the current flowing through, use bigger wire

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## unclerobin

> bought a mini samsung fridge at $20.00 from ebay. just finish drilling the hole and pipe fitting. 
> running on an empty (just fill with water only) 4ftx1.5ftx1.5ft empty tank using a jebo power head to circulate the water form the tank to the mini fridge (don't know the waterflow rate)
> will update tomorrow morning of the outcome.
> any brother interested on my diy project are most welcome for discussion
> or joint project over at my place.
> 
> temperature taken now ;2200hrs = 30c


Dear friends and supporters of my DIY chiller thread,

Due to some other commitment and the breakdown of the chiller (mini fridge) i had decom this tank.

Lastly thanks to all bros who have been following my threads and giving advise on planted.

Regards
Unclerobin aka Robin Tan

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## eddy planer

Hi Robin

Do you like me to assist to resurrected your chiller?

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## unclerobin

> Hi Robin
> 
> Do you like me to assist to resurrected your chiller?


Hi Eddy, 
Thanks, but i have already decom and disposed away the fridge.

Regards
Robin

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## nlh4ever

why?? it isnt really that effective compare to a chiller huh?

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## felix_fx2

No wonder you said tank decom.
Anyway, Good that you only downsize and not quit hobby.

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## foxunlimited

Hi unclerobin, I'm thinking of DIY-ing a chiller too. Hope you can guide me on this.. I'm not familiar with the drilling/coil/piping works and would certainly need your expertise on this. Hope you still look up this thread.. cheers and happy may day!

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## Evilsands

Hi All, I would like to tag along to learn/DIY my own "Mini Chiller" too. 
Hope more brothers share their making of DIY chillers

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## xuan87

Well instead of creating a new thread, I'll just update this one:

My situation is kinda similar to the TS's original situation, with my tank's ambient temperature very high at 31C. Hence I've been looking at different chiller options. My tank is quite small at 15gal, 2ft, so I can either get a small chiller, or diy my own using a mini fridge. The diy process shouldn't be too hard, drill two holes (either through the door for less chance of damaging crucial components, or maybe even through the magnetic seals?), run a long tube in and out of the holes, with the bulk of the tubes in the freezer component of the fridge using a water pump. Alot of trial and errors will be needed to get the right flowrate so that water won't freeze in the tube and the temperature in the tank won't go too low too.

My main concern is: will using a mini fridge over a chiller really consume less electricity? A fridge will be running 24-7, while the chiller won't be. Though the fridge should be cheaper than the chiller, if the operating costs add up over the years, it may be better to just get the chiller. From reading the entire thread, it seems like if you use certain fridge models, it will be more economical to use the fridge over the chiller. But with my tank being so small (and hence chiller being small too), I'm not sure if that will still apply to my situation. 

Any input will be welcomed. Thanks.

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## BFG

I think the one done by Timebomb should be good enough. A coil of hose in a container of water in the small fridge. The fridge chill the water in the container which in turn chill the hose, which cool the tank. The fridge would shut itself off while the chill water prolong maintaining the lower temperature.


During the monsoon season, you can get away with a coil of hose in a pail of water whereby the hose is connected in a close loop to the tank. But nowaday, the monsoon season is short and in between rainy period, the temperature would rise again.

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## qngwn

My dad is in the refrigeration business, and time to time, they received quite a few refrgeration units where by people have tried to DIY their own stuff, and accidentally drilling through the pipes which contain the refrigerant fluid.

Be it installing a lock, or drilling holes for DIY as such, we gotta be careful if not the fridge will be as good as in the bin. It will be good if hobbyists try out this method on a mini fridge that has been used by a fellow hobbyist and has succeeded, and drill at the same place. Pipe layout differ from models and brands, so unless you're familiar with the pipe layout, you would be taking a risk by randomly drilling holes through the casing.

Save the risk and buy a chiller where you can set the temperature you would want, and it would not fluctuate given the changing weather conditions we experience throughout the year. Afterall, by having a certain length of pipe inside the fridge and coldness setting of the fridge will remove certain amount of heat, the temperature would fluctuate more than that of a chiller.. By using a fridge, the amount of water in the tank will also play a role in the final tank water temperature given the relatively fixed rate of cooling.

I would rather pay a little more for the convenience that I can achieve my desired water temperature with a few presses of the buttons rathering than monitoring the temperature of the tank over an extended period of time.

But well, it certainly will be a great learning experience and a weedend project!

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