Hot or Cold Air?

[a***@hotmail.com]

I've just completed a new air ring main in the fish house connected to
a new 45 lpm air compressor, this air compressor has an air inlet, and
I thought it would be a good idea to connect a length of eheim 9mm
tubing to the outside, so it can bring in fresh air, rather than the
stale warm air in the fish house (30 degreeC) into the fish tanks in
the fish house.

Is this a good idea, as it just occured to me, that this could cool
the water (possibly?), temperature in the UK in the winter falls below
zero (degree C) where I live.

Ideas please, hot or cold?

Andypandy

[NetMax]

Post by a***@hotmail.com
I've just completed a new air ring main in the fish house connected to
a new 45 lpm air compressor, this air compressor has an air inlet, and
I thought it would be a good idea to connect a length of eheim 9mm
tubing to the outside, so it can bring in fresh air, rather than the
stale warm air in the fish house (30 degreeC) into the fish tanks in
the fish house.
Is this a good idea, as it just occured to me, that this could cool
the water (possibly?), temperature in the UK in the winter falls below
zero (degree C) where I live.
Ideas please, hot or cold?
Andypandy

Lots of pros/cons. Cold external air will cool the body of the compressor,
possibly causing some condensation and water damage to the surrounding area.
It will cool the aquariums, though the magnitude will vary according to your
application (and may or may not be significant). External air will probably
be cleaner than internal air (probably more non-toxic particulates and less
organic pollutants), but this varies by your home's location, and proximity
to roads, industries etc. Internal air tends to be of a constant
temperature & humidity while external air varies daily (pro/con?
observation.). If I was using internal air, I would position the intake
high in the house, to capture dry hot air, but external air is a very good
idea too (fresh, well oxygenated). If you cannot decide, run an airline to
both locations and combine them at the compressor intake with a 2-way valve.
Then you can fiddle the balance to get the most fresh air without problems
of condensation. With any set-up, a pre-filter (jar with cotton) will keep
your compressor, aquariums and air fittings cleaner.

ps: Since when did the UK go metric? Is the USA the very last hold out?

[Gill Passman]

Post by NetMax

Post by a***@hotmail.com
I've just completed a new air ring main in the fish house connected to
a new 45 lpm air compressor, this air compressor has an air inlet, and
I thought it would be a good idea to connect a length of eheim 9mm
tubing to the outside, so it can bring in fresh air, rather than the
stale warm air in the fish house (30 degreeC) into the fish tanks in
the fish house.
Is this a good idea, as it just occured to me, that this could cool
the water (possibly?), temperature in the UK in the winter falls below
zero (degree C) where I live.
Ideas please, hot or cold?
Andypandy

Lots of pros/cons. Cold external air will cool the body of the compressor,
possibly causing some condensation and water damage to the surrounding area.
It will cool the aquariums, though the magnitude will vary according to your
application (and may or may not be significant). External air will probably
be cleaner than internal air (probably more non-toxic particulates and less
organic pollutants), but this varies by your home's location, and proximity
to roads, industries etc. Internal air tends to be of a constant
temperature & humidity while external air varies daily (pro/con?
observation.). If I was using internal air, I would position the intake
high in the house, to capture dry hot air, but external air is a very good
idea too (fresh, well oxygenated). If you cannot decide, run an airline to
both locations and combine them at the compressor intake with a 2-way valve.
Then you can fiddle the balance to get the most fresh air without problems
of condensation. With any set-up, a pre-filter (jar with cotton) will keep
your compressor, aquariums and air fittings cleaner.
ps: Since when did the UK go metric? Is the USA the very last hold out?

Officially the UK went metric in the 70's when we dropped pounds,
shillings and pence. I remember my pocket money going from 1/2 a crown
(very old value - 2shillings 6d to 12 1/2p - never had the same ring to
it or buying power....the 10 bob note for you birthday was never the
same when it was 50p - nowadays it is a £10 note - how's that for
inflation :-)... Some of us oldies (40's) were taught both systems at
school and ended up totally confused....I know what a foot/yard is but
can't visualise a metre until I look at a fish tank and realise it's
about 3ft 6". When you get into US galls, UK galls and Litres it gets
even worse - sometimes it is easier to deal in Litres (my tank is 47.5
UK gall, 107 Litres and I dread to think what this equates to in US
galls but I believe it is around 55). There are also urban myths about
people going into DIY stores and asking for a 3metre length of a 4X2
(inches) of wood....and I'm pretty sure it happens....we are a confused
nation - hopefully the kids understand it - lol

We buy our fuel now in Litres - a good marketing ploy to persuade us on
the price of petrol - 99p per Litre looks a lot better than £3.60 a
gallon....(I think it has just gone down a tad) - but bear in mind that
this is UK gallons which is more than US galls so just imagine the
cost!!!! (or whatever you pay in Canada).

And then don't get me on to food....everything is now sold in Kilos....I
tend to do the shop and freeze the meat and stuff as we are incapable of
planning meals - we just eat what we fancy that nigh....my microwave is
currently set to defrost in pounds and ounces ( I need to adjust this)
so everytime I want to defrost something for dinner I need to do mental
arithmetic - ie. 2.2 pounds to the Kilo (but this is 2.2 of 16oz so not
that simple). Our babies are weighed in metric - no grandparent
understands my baby weighs 3 kilos - you have to do the conversion....

Sorry for the rant but you did ask the question :-)

Gill

[Peter Ashby]

Post by NetMax
ps: Since when did the UK go metric? Is the USA the very last hold out?

The UK won't go fully metric until they decide to do it properly, iow
stop giving the weather forecasts in C and F, just do it in C. And
change the road signs from miles to km gradually fanning out from the
ferry ports. The problem is we have cowardly politicians who only change
things when they can blame the EU for forcing them into it. Then they
wonder why the British people are so Eurosceptic.....

I was raised in New Zealand and think in metric though I can convert
easily enough. My wife and I took full advantage here in the uk as soon
as we could ask for 300g of cheese at the deli counter. It was rather
depressing that young shop assistants had no concept of how much that
was. As I said, half hearted...

So basically, yes the USA is the very last hold out, imperial measures
here are almost submerged under the metric tide. Any US company that
exports will work in metric too.

Peter

[Terry]

Post by a***@hotmail.com
I've just completed a new air ring main in the fish house connected to
a new 45 lpm air compressor, this air compressor has an air inlet, and
I thought it would be a good idea to connect a length of eheim 9mm
tubing to the outside, so it can bring in fresh air, rather than the
stale warm air in the fish house (30 degreeC) into the fish tanks in
the fish house.
Is this a good idea, as it just occured to me, that this could cool
the water (possibly?), temperature in the UK in the winter falls below
zero (degree C) where I live.
Ideas please, hot or cold?
Andypandy

I live in Vancouver, Canada. I grew up and was schooled in Imperial. Canada
went Metric in the late 70's. I never did completely change over. Nor, for
that matter did our nation.

Given our proximity to the United States of "our way or the highway" we
still come into daily contact with the American version of the Imperial
system. They'd never call it that, of course, it would just be the American
system.

We changed to accommodate the Europeans whom we trade with. Trouble is, we
also do a lot of business with the U-S and they do things their way so we do
too. As a consequence, Canada has never really converted. Our Metric System
is different from the Euro version as we use a sort of fractionated version.
Paying attention to smaller measurements than in the original system. We
also use decimals in our metric system unlike Europe. All very confusing.
Somehow though, the youngsters don't seem to have trouble with it.

Clear on that now, are we?

Terry

[Edward Cowling London UK]

Post by a***@hotmail.com
I've just completed a new air ring main in the fish house connected to
a new 45 lpm air compressor, this air compressor has an air inlet, and
I thought it would be a good idea to connect a length of eheim 9mm
tubing to the outside, so it can bring in fresh air, rather than the
stale warm air in the fish house (30 degreeC) into the fish tanks in
the fish house.

Personally I'd go with the warm air in the fish house. It's at tank
temperature, no one is going to be spraying anything in there, and
lets face it all the bubbles do is agitate the water a bit :-)

[Frank]

For quite a few years my basement was used as a fish room. Back then,
all the filters were air driven box, bubble-up hang ons, sponge, and
UGF. We used things like pollution pumps off cars, lawn mower motors
and refridgerator pumps hooded to elect. motors for our air pumps. Some
could be quite loud - I had a vain pump made by Gass. This thing pumped
over 300 lines of air into tanks, but was really loud so I installed it
in the basement window well (outside). Like NetMax pointed out, air
taken from outside will have volatile organic compounds (unburned
fuels) and other pollutants that can't be used or broke down by
bacteria. Like rain water, outside air should not be used unless it is
right after an initial downpour - I found that out the hard way. Winter
temps. would also tend to lower the room temp. a few
degrees............. Frank