Winter to hit soon......

[destroyer125]

OK this will be the first year My dye's and acid tank will face freezing temperatures.....Since our garage isnt connected to the house Im looking for a practical way to keep the dye from getting messed up and im looking for any tips that might help preserve the dye


Putting a fishtank heater in each one?

If I was to do a part would it be ok to annodize when its around 30*F outside but heated with a heater....would it effect the turnout?

Thanks

[sswee]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

The building I have my setup in is a tin building standing by itself. No insulation in it yet. Last winter I anodized alot with it 35 to 45 degrees in the building. It took a good size aquarium heater to warm my anodize tank to 60 degrees. I haven't had any problems as long as the tanks were heated to working temp. A good size incandescent light should keep it from freezing as long as the building is closed up pretty good.

[Paintbalaguy]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

The aquarium heater I have that came with the LCD kit seems to be holding up so far and its been getting down to 40 during the nights.

[acidrain]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

I put my entire tank in a plywood box with a lid, and 1-1/2 in. rigid foam lining it leaving about 2 ft. of empty space at one end. Then I placed a small space heater in thye box and close the lid... played with the thermostat until I got it to hold the temp I wanted.
That worked well, but I have moved up to a home-made heat exchanger made from 30 ft. of 1/2 in. PVC tubing, and a whole bunch of elbows to make a square shaped coil of tubing that the acid circulates through. The heat exchanger box is a welded aluminum box shaped to fit in that same 2 ft. space, with a 3500 watt hot-water tank heater and thermostat set to about 100F. Then my circulating pump is wired with a thermostat to come on when it gets cold.
I built the entire heat exchanger for about $100, but honestly, the small space heater worked just as well.

[destroyer125]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

I have a small 3 gallon setup in all the dyes and the ano tank so a basic fishtank heater should work?

also....if the dye freezes is it good anymore?

[sswee]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

Have to check with Caswell on the dye. I'd just put some old blankets around them and a lamp in the vicinity. It would have to be very cold for a long while to freeze it.
SS

[destroyer125]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

Well it will be in cold weather for about 3-5 months and some days below 0*F

[sswee]

Re: Winter to hit soon......

That's why I don't live near you. Something else I thought about, at one time I used a small 110V space heater just to keep the bite out of the cold. It wasn't big enough to warm the room but big enough to keep the freeze out.
SS