Air cooler for montane species

[biffle]

This experiment is to test a threory.... This test unit is no where near any of my chameleons.

My goal is to find a way cool and hold 74 degrees during the day and slowly drop to 64 during the night in an ExoTerra 36” x 18” x 24” terrarium with a room tempreture up to 90 degrees.

I’ve decided to test a thermoelectric cooling chip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

I have one of the 1st generation ExoTerra incubators that randomly stop cooling collecting dust in my garage. I'm going to use it for a parts donor.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/incubator.php

I pulled the cooling unit from the incubator and rewired it to run constantly when plugged in. I used the Exoterra incubator plastics, fans, and power supply.

I mounted it on a Wal-Mart tub to test. After an hour the temp had dropped
in the tub from 75 to 65.

Now I need to figure out how to...
mount it in a hood cleanly.
find a temp control unit.
improve the cool side intake and exaust.
test it in a real exoterra.
test it with 90 degrees room temp.

Jason

 

[imcurt]

I think your on to somthing worthy of getting patented. Good luck!

This experiment is to test a threory.... This test unit is no where near any of my chameleons.

My goal is to find a way cool and hold 74 degrees during the day and slowly drop to 64 during the night in an ExoTerra 36” x 18” x 24” terrarium with a room tempreture up to 90 degrees.

I’ve decided to test a thermoelectric cooling chip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

I have one of the 1st generation ExoTerra incubators that randomly stop cooling collecting dust in my garage. I'm going to use it for a parts donor.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/incubator.php

I pulled the cooling unit from the incubator and rewired it to run constantly when plugged in. I used the Exoterra incubator plastics, fans, and power supply.

I mounted it on a Wal-Mart tub to test. After an hour the temp had dropped
in the tub from 75 to 65.

Now I need to figure out how to...
mount it in a hood cleanly.
find a temp control unit.
improve the cool side intake and exaust.
test it in a real exoterra.
test it with 90 degrees room temp.

Jason

 

[qdude46]

No kidding. This could spark a whole new way of keeping montane chams.

 

[gavriel]

Could try using an duct stat like what's linked below or a digital thermostat from a home inline with your fan controls.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt...Sensitive-Switch-DS100/100028788#.UWsOocnD8ic

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I am super interested in your project! Keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Hoj]

Interesting, but for this to work well the air would have to remain in same enclosure and chams need a constant supply of fresh air. Keeping the same cool air in there may not be benificial for the cham. And I dont know if the cooling unit would keep up with a constant supply of fresh warm air.
Let us know you experiment comes along.

 

[Todnedo]

I think your on to somthing worthy of getting patented. Good luck!

too late
http://customthermoelectric.com/assemblies.html

 

[maxttu]

Way to think outside the box, Jason! Let's see how this turns out!

 

[LazardLizard]

Magyver!!!

 

[maxttu]

Magyver!!!

Maytag Man!!

 

[spawn]

Wouldn't it be much easier getting a mini fridge college kids use, punching a hole in the side and running the air from that to side of the cage? You can set those to 40 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, I believe. If you had a 90 degree room, that would balance out to 65-70 for at least a few inches of the enclosure. You could use a tube just like those humidifiers use.

Again, most people would just opt for a garage or basement for that reason ahah. Put it on the FLOOR, where it's coldest, on concrete, if you have it.

 

[pssh]

I have no idea how that thing works, but would it be blowing air into the cage? Would the humidity be stable enough for a montane with that being used?

 

[biffle]

Mixed results.

It will drop the temp in an exoterra 24X18 X24 by 4-6 degrees lower than room temprature.

I tested with Hydroballs only to hold humitiy up a bit.

The humidity never changed through my test cases. The humidity averaged 30% before adding the hydroballs, a stabile 60-70% after with no misting.

The cooler..

The results.

Jason

 

[biffle]

That's 78 room temp and 71 tank temp.

Jason

 

[biffle]

That Ductstat is cool!!

I'm going to use this to trigger a mister on my outside cage whe the temp gets above 90.

Jason

Could try using an duct stat like what's linked below or a digital thermostat from a home inline with your fan controls.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt...Sensitive-Switch-DS100/100028788#.UWsOocnD8ic

 

[Saldarya]

Jason, does it maintain that differential at all times? Could it provide the night time drop in temp that we are looking for?

You seem a bit underwhelmed by the result.

 

[biffle]

Yes it could be used to create a "curtain" of cold air but is not stong enough to cool the whole enclosure. The cold air drops from the cooler then collects at the bottom. It escapes though the venting under the door before it has a chance to cool the rest of the enclosure.

I'm using a 40 watt chip. it cools the opposite equvalent of a 40 watt heat source. I'm left wondering if it would cool the whole enclosure at 100 watts.

This is a crude drawing of what I'm seeing.

Red is ambient temp
blue is -5

 

[spawn]

Any updates?

 

[laurie]

This experiment is to test a threory.... This test unit is no where near any of my chameleons.

My goal is to find a way cool and hold 74 degrees during the day and slowly drop to 64 during the night in an ExoTerra 36” x 18” x 24” terrarium with a room tempreture up to 90 degrees.

I’ve decided to test a thermoelectric cooling chip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

I have one of the 1st generation ExoTerra incubators that randomly stop cooling collecting dust in my garage. I'm going to use it for a parts donor.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/incubator.php

I pulled the cooling unit from the incubator and rewired it to run constantly when plugged in. I used the Exoterra incubator plastics, fans, and power supply.

I mounted it on a Wal-Mart tub to test. After an hour the temp had dropped
in the tub from 75 to 65.

Now I need to figure out how to...
mount it in a hood cleanly.
find a temp control unit.
improve the cool side intake and exaust.
test it in a real exoterra.
test it with 90 degrees room temp.

Jason

My husband designed a system a couple years ago that controls my temps. I also don't have humidity that drops below 60%. It is the only way I keep montanes in Montana. It was 97 here yesterday. My daytime highs are 72 my night drops to 61. Seems to keep my chams very happy.BTW my chams are on the main floor, not downstairs.

 

[kokom05lb]

My husband designed a system a couple years ago that controls my temps. I also don't have humidity that drops below 60%. It is the only way I keep montanes in Montana. It was 97 here yesterday. My daytime highs are 72 my night drops to 61. Seems to keep my chams very happy.BTW my chams are on the main floor, not downstairs.

I didn't think that it got that hot in Montana lol, never been.

Anyways the temps suck here in this apartment. I can only get it down to 79 to 83 in the house during the day and that's with both AC units running. 69 to 73 at night. I can't get it to get any lower