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H22_TURBO
03-23-2011, 03:33 PM
For those who have a top off system, dyi,tunze,etc. do you heat the water? or just let it pump the water in cold? I've been heating mine since I started with saltwater but was thinking it's probably not necessary.

so what does eveyone else do? I think i'm going to ditch the heater but i'll wait to see what other people do.
axe_man16
03-23-2011, 03:44 PM
I do not heat mine. Mine tops off severall times a day, and only spits out a little bit at a time. The small amount of water I add doesn't affect the temp at all. And I would assume that if you warm up your water there would be alot more evap, and you would have to fill the ato resevoir up more.
abcha0s
03-23-2011, 03:47 PM
No need to heat top up water.
Leah
03-23-2011, 03:48 PM
I have always heated mine too. But know lots of people who do not. So I am not sure why I do...just always done it.
dsaundry
03-23-2011, 03:50 PM
I heat mine as well, just had an extra heater kicking around I guess.
Ross
03-23-2011, 05:45 PM
Heating your top off water is a waste of electricity imo.

If you added 1 gallon of ice (-5°C) to 100 gallons of 28°C water
The temperature would only drop the temperature 0.3°C.

Adding room temperature water (21°C) will only drop the temp by 0.069°

I'm pretty sure that a change that small would be perrmissible and that your heater flucuates more than that during its cycling.
someguy
03-23-2011, 05:49 PM
Agree that it seems like a waste of electricity. Also, all of the organisms in our tanks will experience occ slight variations in temp in the wild. A temp variation of a few tenths of degree is not going to do anyone any harm.
H22_TURBO
03-23-2011, 06:18 PM
I just never put any thought into it till today. when I get home i'm ditching the heater.

thanks everyone:biggrin:
es355lucille
03-23-2011, 08:01 PM
:mrgreen:This is a great thread. Energy savings efforts for this week accomplished. I have never heated top off water....and I was not sure why you would. Apparently there are quite a few that do. Hmmm. Interesting.

I hope more people that do heat their water see this thread.



Bump for energy savings!!
cale262
03-23-2011, 08:12 PM
I heat mine...If I don't, the goldfish get cold :lol:
lastlight
03-23-2011, 10:19 PM
I don't even heat the 10 gallons of new saltwater I add during changes. My Ranco doesn't even detect a 1 deg drop. Topoff certainly not.
GMGQ
03-23-2011, 11:30 PM
I agree, and concur!

My ATO is from the 3gal RO/DI tank under the kitchen sink, so it's at room temperature.

But I do have a heater in my change water tank, so I'll be pulling that out tonight.

There really is never a dumb question. Thanks everyone!




I just never put any thought into it till today. when I get home i'm ditching the heater.

thanks everyone:biggrin: