overthinking things...agian

[kpiotrowski]

if you run a chiller, is it better to skim the cooled output water of the chiller ( mine is 6dg cooler), or the warmer water before in enters the chiller. Considering cool air is more dense that warmer, is cool water more or less dense? ice has more mass but is lighter.

I would say most of us try to tweek every little bit out of our systems. So why not consider it right?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If anything, would skim prior to the chiller to keep the chiller coils cleaner.

As to the physics Q, the colder any matter is the denser it is due to the molecules not as actively bouncing each other away. Ice is only less dense because the crystal matrix takes up more space.

 

[kpiotrowski]

so, would a skimmer operate more or less effeciently in cooler water and would it be much of a differnce?

good thought on the keeping the chiller coils cleaner...but thats a whole new can of worms too. The question being," does skimming your water before it goes through the chiller help to keep the chiller cleaner?"

 

[Spinner]

I wouldn't worrie about over thinking that's how steps forward work. In this day of forums more people just copy with reading and thinking going by the wayside

 

[kpiotrowski]

I wouldn't worrie about over thinking that's how steps forward work. In this day of forums more people just copy with reading and thinking going by the wayside

Thats a sad truth sometimes.

 

[Aquanaut]

Depending on the heat generated by the skimmers pump, you may nullify the cooling effect achieved by the pre vs post chill. I vote chill as last process prior to DT return. Besides, this may knock down the bubbles heading up the return.

Thinking beyond the box...lol

 

[kpiotrowski]

I think the heat given off by the skimmer pump is not relavant. you chiller is going to chill your water to what ever point you choose up to its full capablity.

In a hobby with sooooo many variables and different ways to hook things up....I guess my query is more specific, does cooler or warmer water help to skim better. Weather the chiller coils will foul faster or stay cleaner, or the chiller will help with microbubbles etc is consideration to be taken in the end of course.

I guess I'm trying to say that if skimming my water right off the chiller helps to improve the skimmer by say even 5% I would personaly choose to do that. someone with a $3000 chiller may wish to skim first in hopes of protecting thier skimmer for example.

but what if warmer water skims better, It would then behove us to skimmer the water right after its warmest point, right!

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I am going to answer based on anecdote in lieu of observation or testing. Skimmers act by producing bubbles and collecting out the surfactants. Bubbles form more easily in warm water...

If increasing skimmer efficiency is your primary goal, there are much better ways than raising temp. Bio pellets, Ozone, and the like. Do a google search for "raising skimmer efficiency", will proably find a lot of fun reads to fill your time.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Primary goal was to start a discussion on how water temp affects skimming. Thanks for other suggestion but improving my skimming was not goal as much as running it in the most effeciant way with the eqpuitment I already have.

so, bubbles form more readily in warm water. If that is fact then it would seem you would want to skim the warmest water possible and so run your chiller right after the water exits the skimmer....

another consideration though is fine tuning your skimmer and how different temps would change its performance. I would guess that, given bubbles form more readily in warm water, If you put your heater right in front of the skimmer intake then when the heater is on....and producing much heat...and your skimmer was tuned to skim dryer skimate in cooler water, then the increased temp may cause the skimmer to skim more wet. Perhaps even to the point of overflow. Or perhaps the periodic flushing by wetter skimate would be beniftial even.

 

[Peppie]

WOW
Kevin you are giving me a head ache.. LOL
Do an easy test. Set up a small tank with a skimmer and some dieing rock and a large heater. Try it both ways of course. Should be able to get noticeable results in a week or two.
Its not like you dont have a tank to dink with. LOL

 

[kpiotrowski]

have 3 less tanks than last week! thats progress!

 

[Peppie]

have 3 less tanks than last week! thats progress!

Sounds like progress on a plan to get a larger tank