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Water heating system

big blue frog

New Member
Messages
15
I am looking for info on a system or method of heating several tanks with one source of heat. I have seven tanks now and I have become aware that heaters are a big part of the electricity bill of running the fishroom, especially here in Maine. Any ideas ? Thanks. BBF
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
I am looking for info on a system or method of heating several tanks with one source of heat. I have seven tanks now and I have become aware that heaters are a big part of the electricity bill of running the fishroom, especially here in Maine. Any ideas ? Thanks. BBF
You can get spacer heaters, but in terms of electricity usage tank heaters will be cheaper to run.

cheers Darrel
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
None of my tanks use separate heaters. They are just too unreliable for me. All my tanks are in a fish room that is heated by a separate thermostat on my central home heating system. Walls are insulated from the rest of the house, of course.
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Mike's is the ideal option if you are having a "new build", but if you don't have that option, you can insulate the tanks.

My tanks nearly all have enclosed tops, and I have thick polystyrene sheets fitted to the back and one/both side of the tanks, and the tanks sit on a polystyrene block. This makes a real difference to heat loss.

cheers Darrel
 

Rico Suave

Member
Messages
34
how big are the tanks you need to warm? i was thinking about getting some large critter keeper tanks and using some electrical heat tape like reptile people use to heat tubs but idk how i would regulate the temp properly over many tanks
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
Electric heat costs the same to produce whether the heating device is an aquarium heater, heat tape, or heating pad. The rate of heat loss from the water to the surrounding room is what ultimately determines the electric cost. Put all the tanks side-by-side, insulate around them, and cover them as completely as you can to reduce heat loss and thus electric bill.
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Electric heat costs the same to produce whether the heating device is an aquarium heater, heat tape, or heating pad. The rate of heat loss from the water to the surrounding room is what ultimately determines the electric cost. Put all the tanks side-by-side, insulate around them, and cover them as completely as you can to reduce heat loss and thus electric bill.
Gerald is right, all energy ends up as heat eventually.

If you have a system where you can use a cheaper energy source (like gas fired central heating) you can heat space more cheaply than electric tank heaters.

If you have to use electric heating the cheapest option is to heat the tank water, and insulate the tanks as efficiently as possible.

Again the loss of heat from the tanks will depend upon the temperature differential between the tank and the room. The more efficiently the room is insulated the smaller this differential will be.

cheers Darrel
 

big blue frog

New Member
Messages
15
Hello all, thank you again for the ideas for cost and energy conservation. Since the house is approx. 200 years old and I am using a room on the 2nd floor, the idea of insulating the tanks with outer coverings of insulation seems like the best idea at the moment, especially since I can probably scrounge the insulation up for free. BBF
 

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