Planning Phase on a Waterbox 220.6/ Garage sump and refugium questions

[pledosophy]

I think I finally found a larger tank that the wife likes!!! Super stoked to find one used as well for a very descent price.

I am starting my planning phase and I am considering drilling through the wall and placing my sump, external protein skimmer, and a 75g or so refugium in the garage. There seems to be a perfect place in the garage for it, with water access, and it should be easy for me to plump a sink and drain right next to the sump.

I have never done this in California and am concerned about temperatures. I live 2.5 miles from the ocean, but it still gets warm here 4-5 months a year and my garage is not insulated now.

For people who have done something similar is this worth doing, and if so what steps have you taken besides a chiller to keep the temperatures under control?

Just trying to see what is feasible and what is not.

Thank you!

 

[five.five-six]

I run halides and all I use to cool my tank is fans and evaporation. My Concern about a sump in the garage as possible contamination with poisons and vapors and other things that are in the garage.

 

[All Delight]

I've lived in 2 places with sumps & tanks in the garage. Both were insulated and both had glorified Panasonic bathroom exhaust fans that ran on timers. That helped control humidity and also kept a better ambient room temp. I also ran a portable dehumidifier, that did wonders.

There are only a few weeks during the summer when I need to blow a room fan directly over my sump. I live in long beach about 7 miles from the beach. So you'll be even cooler than me.

If anything I'd be more worried about the cold than the heat. By those probably 6 months of the year, your heaters will be cranking with your garage not insulated. Electric bill will go to the moon. Unless you have solar.

Chillers won't work well in the garage since they need a fairly modest ambient room temp and by the time the chillers kick on the ambient temp in the garage will be too high for the chillers to function properly. At least that was the case for me.

Maintenance wise, I love the sumps in the garage. Wouldn't want it any other way.

 

[pledosophy]

I live in long beach about 7 miles from the beach. .

Another Long Beach Reefer!?!!! We should be friends. Never know when you need an emergency something, and I am a bit of a hoarder for fish gear.

Sounds like I might need to insulate the garage.

I do like the idea of an exhaust fan. I will put that in for sure. I hadn't thought much of the cost of heating it. Thanks for putting that in my mind.

 

[whiner25]

I am in a similar situation to you, here is what I did.

- Garage is north facing (not insulated though) so it normally doesn't heat up too terribly but it has gotten up into the 90's inside the garage during the summer. Drops to the low 60's during the nite.
- Sump is covered with acrylic to cut down on evaporation. There are a couple small openings for the skimmer, pipes, etc and to promote air exchange, but for the most part it is covered. Helps to keep temp steady and really cuts down on evaporation. So much so that I got rid of my dehumidifier and decided to not install an exhaust fan in there.
- Taped some styrofoam panels on all 4 sides of sump to help insulate.
- Tried to run a chiller as an experiment, but it just heated up the garage. Had better luck just running fans for evap cooling.
- Temp range is pretty stable. Heaters kick on 76, temp only fluctuates a few degrees during the day and it hasn't gotten up past 81-82 (and that's when it's over 100 outside). Temp range is normally 76-81 during the year.
- Use low power/wattage pumps for skimmer, return, misc.

Misc info - I'm live in Fillmore and we have a wide range of temps here. At nite in the winter, it's usually in the 30's and in the summer it's in the 60s/70s . During the day it's same 40 degree swing.. can be 70 during the day in the spring and 110 during the summer.
Sump is 100 gallon tank and the cryptic zone is another 75. I believe the large water volume helps stabilize the temp.
I could probably cover my drain, return, misc pipes with pipe insulation to help insulate even more.
I covered up my window with blinds to help cut down on heat/light.
No rusting on tools, cars, surrounding area, very little salt spray (I accredit this to a covered sump).
Temp in tank is strangely always 1 degree less than the sump
Been running this way for almost a year with no issues.