Use thermal mass IE water from the fridge. Perhaps the peltier would add
additional cooling to it. Betcha a gallon from the fridge a day would
work if it isn't in a sunny window.
Plan: bottom of vivarium has small stone deep enough that a gallon
leaves the top dry. little aquarium pump pumps water from another 1
gallon reservior outside the tank. Can pump it through a small heat
exchanger for the peltier. Every day you take a fresh gallon of tap
water out of the fridge and change out your external reservior. Insulate
the bottom third of the tank to keep water cool. When the evap cooling
effect is added, bet it works. Cheep too.
Salamander would seem a boring pet
Tim Wescott wrote:
Karl Vorwerk wrote:
Anyone know anything about Peltier coolers. A friend of mine wants to
cool 12"x15"x30" glass vivarium a maximum of 20-30 degrees
farienhieght below ambient temperature. It's long term for a
salamander. A friend of hers got her a surplus Peltier cooler. Which I
installed. It didn't drop the temperature very much inside the
vivarium. After doing some research I don't think it's powerful
enough. As far as I know she doesn't have any specs on it.
So the questions a
Is this a good way of cooling in this situation? Got any better
suggestions? Would house insulation sheet foam on 5 sides make an
appreciable difference?
My first suggestion was air-condition the room but she doesn't like
air-conditioning. I'm in Hawaii so ambient temperatures are 59-90
farienhieght.
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.
Karl
Peltier's are inefficient (you've been told that). They conduct heat as
well or better than they pump it (they're metal). You want to have a
BIG heatsink/radiator on the hot side and a BIG heatsink/radiator on the
cold side. With fans. Insulating the vivarium would be a good idea.
I heard a suggestion to use a mini-fridge -- I second that, but get a
real one with a compressor. Or use water cooler, set the water
temperature & circulate it through the vivarium (probably closed-cycle
through some piping in the soil). Make sure that getting too cold won't
hurt the little beasty, and if so put in some failsafes on the
temperature regulation.
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