Power saving tips and ways to save money!?

[Baldy]

Just a quick look at the specs,
http://www.rlss.ca/#!dc-pump/vstc3=dc10000
they show 2650 gph using 85w
mag drive 24, 2400 gph uses 265w
sedra 20000 pumps 2000 gph using 220w

looks like i might be upgrading soon =)

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by ashr

Can you give me some more info on this?

dc pumps run cooler and have lower power consumption, they produce lots of flow and have a soft start in theory making the pump life longer.....time will tell of course as they are still a very new product.


heres a great read:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog...d-and-reviewed

Originally Posted by reefgirl189

We have a wood burning fireplace. It saves us on heating costs during the winter.

Whatever you do, don't put your sump in the basement and the DT on the main floor. The beefy return pump you'll need is heavy on power consumption, so I've learned.

hopefully they will make a stronger dc pump soon but either way the largest one might do for you , depending on how high it has to travel......80watts!! giggaddy!!

[Baldy]

geez, the Iwaki MD100RLT shows 2000gph on marinedepot using a whopping 391w. 85w to 250w difference is another $10 per month savings. $10.44 @ 8.5c per kwh

[reefgirl189]

Originally Posted by reefwars

dc pumps run cooler and have lower power consumption, they produce lots of flow and have a soft start in theory making the pump life longer.....time will tell of course as they are still a very new product.


heres a great read:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog...d-and-reviewed


hopefully they will make a stronger dc pump soon but either way the largest one might do for you , depending on how high it has to travel......80watts!! giggaddy!!

It needs to clear 12' of head pressure. I like to oversize the return as it helps with overall flow to the tank. Currently using the largest Sedra pump and it works great, just needs a lot of juice.

[cwatkins]

So the question is, is it better to replace my main pump (that runs 24 hrs/day) with a DC pump. Or replace 500w of MH lighting with LED (that runs 8.5 hrs/day).

What are peoples thoughts?

My Sedra KSP-7000 claims to use 70watts (versus 25watts for the DC pump), but my AquaController says that it lies! It uses at least 100watts probably due to the head pressure (and maybe more. I think it commonly uses 1 amp or more)

[ashr]

I think the best thing is to go through everything in your tank and find out what the whole system wattage would be. Does anyone recommend a special type of power bar over others?

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by reefgirl189

It needs to clear 12' of head pressure. I like to oversize the return as it helps with overall flow to the tank. Currently using the largest Sedra pump and it works great, just needs a lot of juice.

at 12 ft what are you getting out of the 20000?

from the chart on the speedwave box the dc2640 at 12ft is about 900gph at 85w

from the chart in the box for the sedra it says at 12ft its also 900gph but uses 200w

[reefgirl189]

Originally Posted by reefwars

at 12 ft what are you getting out of the 20000?

from the chart on the speedwave box the dc2640 at 12ft is about 900gph at 85w

from the chart in the box for the sedra it says at 12ft its also 900gph but uses 200w

I calculated roughly 750 gph (We have a couple 90 elbows the clear on the way up). I'm going to show this to the SO and see if he might let me upgrade. We've had some heafty bills lately and it's getting annoying. Now if only there was a cheaper upgrade for the iphones...

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by reefwars

at 12 ft what are you getting out of the 20000?

from the chart on the speedwave box the dc2640 at 12ft is about 900gph at 85w

from the chart in the box for the sedra it says at 12ft its also 900gph but uses 200w

I guess it would depend on whether a new pump is required and how long a person plans to use the pump to see if there is any actual savings. 115w at 0.089 cents works out to $7.36/month. The price I found online for the DC2640 pump was $299 (not sure what you are selling them for) so 3.5 years to break even. Maybe pumps will be more efficient in 3-4 years time as well. If a new pump is required then DC is the way to go for sure, just to replace an existing pump to save money a buyer should do the math first to see if they are satisfied with the possible results. How the pump is being used will also effect the outcome, I'm calculating at 100% 24hrs a day but if a person doesn't require 100% the speed control on the DC unit can be dialed down to adjust flow as compared to an AC pump that runs at 100% all the time and uses a valve to control flow. This would further increase the power savings with a DC pump.

[phi delt reefer]

run your lights when power is cheaper. here in ontario, 7pm is when electricity is its cheapest. thats when my lights come on. this also has two additional benefits. In winter i keep the house cooler when we are all sleeping so having the lights on at night keeps the tank warm. In the summer, its cooler in the evening so having the lights on then keeps over heating to a minimum. I am home at 6PM so i get to enjoy my tank right up until i go to sleep.

use your return pump to drive your reactors - you can usually upsize your pump one model and use less electricity than running 3-4 smaller dedicated reactor pumps. This is very dependent on your pump selection so take the time to do the math.

you can use your ro waste water to fill your washer but be-careful, leaving it unattended will ensure a flooded laundry room.

skimmers and return pumps run 24/7. spend some good money on quiet and efficient models. the more expensive stuff has a better resale value as well.