Has anyone ever seen sold or tried to make a system that uses the heat from the light fixture to heat the tank?
Liquid coolers are common on computer CPUs nowadays. they consist of no more than (1) conductive surface to CPU plate; (2) tubing caring water, (3) a tiny pump that sounds like an Aqualifter, and (4) a thermo exchange area, e.g. fans blowing over a coil. The same could work by attaching one side to the ballist. The cooling side could consist of a thin glass jar of water in the sump in a closed loop.
If it sits on the side of the ballast, it wouldn't replace normal cooling. It would work nicely with a controller. If the tank needed heat, then the controller would start the cooler pump. The traditional heater would work at night and as supplemental heating during the day. If it generated too much heat, the controller would simply turn it off and the normal cooling of the light fixture would take over.
I would think one of these ends would work well over a LED fixture.
As I recall, even T5 lights are highly inefficient. All that heat energy could be recouped. Less tank heater usage. Less AC bill to compensate for light fixture heat. More efficient. More green.
Liquid coolers are common on computer CPUs nowadays. they consist of no more than (1) conductive surface to CPU plate; (2) tubing caring water, (3) a tiny pump that sounds like an Aqualifter, and (4) a thermo exchange area, e.g. fans blowing over a coil. The same could work by attaching one side to the ballist. The cooling side could consist of a thin glass jar of water in the sump in a closed loop.
If it sits on the side of the ballast, it wouldn't replace normal cooling. It would work nicely with a controller. If the tank needed heat, then the controller would start the cooler pump. The traditional heater would work at night and as supplemental heating during the day. If it generated too much heat, the controller would simply turn it off and the normal cooling of the light fixture would take over.
I would think one of these ends would work well over a LED fixture.
As I recall, even T5 lights are highly inefficient. All that heat energy could be recouped. Less tank heater usage. Less AC bill to compensate for light fixture heat. More efficient. More green.
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