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kulsdood
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 Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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awesome work... Peri
Btw I've one question.. I'll soon be moving into new house where I have provision for split AC's only.. My current window AC is going to be idle.. If I try to sell my existing Carrier 1 ton AC it will fetch me not more than 5k -- maybe less... Can I use it for chilling? What should I modify for that?
Thanks in advance |
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Shreyasmrao
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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PK Guruji, you finally did it. Congrats.
Long due. What happened to your lovely tank, especially you must have added some stuff from your HK trip. Did you manage to salvage anything? Really sorry to hear that.
Like always you reiterate your position as the DIY Guru.
You Rock  |
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Perikaruppan
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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kulsdood: we can re-model the window unit by just removing the heat exchanger unit, it will be similar to that of a car-radiator. there will be one copper wire leading into it and one leading out, you can ask your A/c mechanic to remove that and fix the in and out of that to the Titanium coil or Aluminum coil (for FW). I would prefer Ti Coil. If you can sell that unit for about 5k, you can manage to get a 2nd hand outdoor split unit of about 1 ton around 4-5k. Being summer it might be expensive, but from sept onwards you should be able to get some good deals.
Shreyas, boss managed to save the non-moving marine stuff by an intuition and send it to sampath's place before the tank crashed and they are doing well at his place. Whereas lost all the mobile Live stock then entire lot in one go - so have reset my tank completely again. another couple of weeks for it to complete cycling again.
Pk |
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natbox
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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why did you submerge the titanium coils in the salt water container?
is the water inside the container same as in the sump and the tank ?  |
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ilango_slk
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 11:33 am Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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Great DIY boss... not sure about the pressure involved but if we can get some flexible hose that can withstand such pressure in between the copper and titanium tube it will be really great. We will be able to move it around from one Tank/sump to another with ease  How about insulating the copper tube ?? |
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Prem kk
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 11:58 am Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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Super PK! Finally your done! Congratulations!
Cant wait to get back home to see the unit! |
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Tirtha C
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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| Perikaruppan wrote (View Post):
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it works for about 20min for reducing the temp by 1 degree. depends on the light and motor load on the system. i think there will be atleast 3 degrees addition to the tank on a daily basis and that is like 1 hour per day. not sure on the costing for 1 hour for a 1.5ton A/c.
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Not more than 15/- :)
PK you are simply great DIY guru. 
Can we have a cost estimation of the full project excluding the AC unit? |
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nash81
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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Hi Pk,
Excellent stuff there.
Just have a few questions.
How did you calculate the 3 deg to a day. In most setups about 1 deg in a couple of hours will be added just by the heat from Filters, Wavemakers and powerheads. So i am sure the unit will run more than 1 hour in a day. Also this would be climate dependent. For eg. In delhi the ambient temperature touches 42/44 deg. Here the tank temperature when the unit is turned off will rise very quickly. I look at it this way. If i take 5 ltrs of water which is at 24deg. It does not take it more than 30mins for it to reach 30 deg. Now considering the large volume of water this time may be extended. However the 5ltr water container does not have any powerheads, wavemakers or lighting that will add heat to the tank. This is just my observation and i may be wrong.
Also since the reduction in temperature is pretty quick as you mentioned. How does that impact the live stock. Wouldnt that be a way to sudden change for them and this could cause some sort of stress. Is there a way one can increase that timeframe?
Since you are running a A/c Unit. Why not directly run the split blower above the tank. This will not only keep the tank cool but also keep the room cool. If you have MH or other high heat generating lights that will be taken care of as well. However i do understand that controlling the tank temperature there may be difficult.
I am though still a little skeptical to the power consumption. Is it possible if you have a digital hour unit reader or a spare meter around with anyone you know ..and can attach it to the unit. This will give us an accurate reading of its daily consumption and a fair idea of what the electricity bill is like.
Cheers
Nirav Shah
Indiapetstore.com |
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Tirtha C
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Location: Miyapur, Hyderabad
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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| nash81 wrote (View Post):
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I am though still a little skeptical to the power consumption. Is it possible if you have a digital hour unit reader or a spare meter around with anyone you know ..and can attach it to the unit. This will give us an accurate reading of its daily consumption and a fair idea of what the electricity bill is like.
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I already have done this part in my home. 1.5Ton AC will consume 12-15/- per hour according to Haryana Power Unit price. In Chennai I think it will be lesser than this. |
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nash81
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:13 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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@tirtha
The intention is to check how many units this unit is exactly consuming. As in how many times does it come on and switch off. Cause it may turn on for 15-20 mins more than a few times in a day. The unit reading will tell us the exact time frame and units its consuming each day... Oh BTW my 1.5ton panasonic is only consuming Rs 8-10/hour 
So different brands may have different consumptions as well.
Cheers
Nirav Shah
Indiapetstore.com |
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Tirtha C
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Location: Miyapur, Hyderabad
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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| nash81 wrote (View Post):
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@tirtha
The intention is to check how many units this unit is exactly consuming. As in how many times does it come on and switch off. Cause it may turn on for 15-20 mins more than a few times in a day. The unit reading will tell us the exact time frame and units its consuming each day... Oh BTW my 1.5ton panasonic is only consuming Rs 8-10/hour
So different brands may have different consumptions as well.
Cheers
Nirav Shah
Indiapetstore.com
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@Nash Bro... got the point. Let me go back to home. Need to search where I kept the full calculation. We can calculate the unit consumption based on the wattage of the AC. But roughly, it should not take more than 10/--15/- per hour. |
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nash81
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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@tritha
Buddy i dont want to know what the A/c consumes |
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nash81
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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@tritha
Buddy i dont want to know what the A/c consumes, I can figure that myself. I want to know what this unit consumes, how many times does this unit powers on and off and what are the total unit it consumes in a day !! ... I want to know if this unit actually only runs for 1hour a day or more than 1hour..... Also with the modifications and i am sure non insulation of the Copper pipes, etc there will be a change in the amount of consumption. |
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Madan
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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Insulating the Copper pipes is not necessary. Want it to look good, wrap some old cloth over it. Keeping it out of the sun is more important and that will anyway be taken care of.
The unit runs for 1 hour per day, worst case 2 hours per day if PK is way off his reckoning.
How much does it cost to run an A/C for 2 hours in a day ? Why should running this unit for 2 hours a day be any different ? |
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Perikaruppan
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: DIY Chiller using Split Outdoor Unit : WORKING!!! |
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sorry for my delayed responses:
Natbox: I had planned to directly submerse the Ti coil into the sump, but the guy who fabricated the coil didnt make it like an "L" shaped with the bottom part of the L being the wounded coil and the top part being the straight projection in which the copper will be attached (this will be out of water contact). He had made it like an "l" and hence i had no other go but to make a separate container for the heat transfer. Have asked him to bend it like an "L" for my next chiller. so that i can directly put it into the sump, and i can use my existing Ti coil for my other tanks if required.
Tirtha, the unit of Ti is the most expensive : costed me about 9k and is 6m in length (the cost including winding and getting the bolts fitted on the ends). My A/c guy for fixing the copper and all costed 3k plus another 950 Rs for the digitial thermostat. So without the outdoor unit it had costed me 13k approx. with the outdoor unit it shall be around 17-18k. (assuming the outdoor is a 1ton used unit).
Ilango: flexi hosing at the joint is a problem as there might be pressure leaks which most of the A/c mechanics are not comfortable with. not any major issues apart from loss of gas as we can re-fill the gas, but the compressor will be killed very quickly. any plumbing or any wiring, when we want flexibility, we should be willing to expect failure anytime and be prepared for it - I have major experience in my DIYs when i want Flexibility in it. Now i am in the mood of minimum flexibility and more stability in the system.
Prem: thanks. We will do one for your planted which is more economical say 70% of my costing. Lesser coil length is required and lesser Tonnage of A/c we can even work with 1/2 ton.
Nash: First and foremost if the ambient temp is around 42-44 the tank temp doesnt get close to that anytime. Here in chennai now the ambient temp is around 40 and my normal tank temp is around 31. And also during normal operations without the chiller and with all the motor units added (2 high power motors, 1 for return and 1 for skimmer) and four power heads with the lights on add about 3 degrees to the tank temp. The 3 degree is the difference in temp in the tank in the morning and at night, this is with the fans running. Currently i have turned off the fans in the system to minimize water evaporation. This is also the answer to having the blower on the surface of the water, i do atleast 30ltrs of water change per day due to evaporation. In the last 1 wk (when the chiller is working) i have done only 20 ltrs. So there is enormous saving in water addition. And with regards to the sudden reduction in temp, it is only at the first time of installing the unit after that the temp hovers between 24 and 25 degree with only 1 degree variation. I havent done a precise working on how many times the unit turns on and off. I have done a seperate counter circuit that i will add only when i get back to chennai on 6th. But when i was there when the unit was operational, the unit turned on once in the morning and twice in the afternoon to late evening so totally thrice it turned on and it maintained the temp at 25. That is three times 20 min each to make it 60 min, whereas there is a probability that the unit was on'd at night time that i didnt have a count. Even it it had done twice it totally adds upto about 1.5 hours a day which is pretty good for a 1000lt tank.
With regards to the insulation, that part of the copper pipe was not insulated for testing purposes. by now it would have been insulated and compact till the Ti coil segment.
I dont have a watt meter nor do i know anyone who does have one. But can know my power consumption on a approximate basis when the bill arrives and i dont think it iwill be far different if i had used an Aquarium Chiller. I have already explained my method of working on the cost, and i feel this is far more better than that of an aquarium chiller in many ways. The best is, i can have two tanks hooked onto a single chilling unit (assuming, both the tanks become operational at the same time and both the tanks have approximately the same motor load).
Pk |
Last edited by Perikaruppan on Fri May 29, 2009 3:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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