Outdoor sump ????

[jerryc]

OK hear is a plain I'm going to try out and i need info from my friends hear.
Have any of you tried to set up a outdoor sump if so id like pics?

I plan to set up a fiberglass tool shed next to the outside wall behind
the tank and run the lines out the wall into it with a 55 gallon sump.

1 ill insulate the tool shed

2 separate heater for tank and sump

3 may have to run a chiller in summer' gets hot hear in med summer

OK whit am i missing' will it work ????

[jojo22]

I would worry about wildlife (mice and what not) getting in. Seal it up real good and I think it should work.

[dakar]

Should work... I've heard of it being done before, also heard of one being sabotaged as well... so padlock for the doors would be a good idea. Be sure to seal up the doors and any seams as best you can.

Other than that maybe a temp alarm of sorts for shed/water tank/water during the summer.

BTW I learned a good trick for field mice a while back, use steel wool around your pipes where they pass through the walls, it will oxidize and rust over time so annual changing will be needed, but mice and such will not chew through it to gain access.

[jojo22]

Also I think a good roof mounted vent would be in order to keep down humidity.

[jerryc]

Will with the grandkids running around a lock will be mandatory lol

For humidity i was thanking a Small exhaust fan on a humidistat

[jojo22]

Sounds like it would work. Are you planning to heat the building in the winter I would think that letting the water heater do that would give it quite a workout.

[jerryc]

I thank a good heat lamp will do for the space ill have

[hummer]

for heating the building you could use base bord heater along the bottom of the walls and in the summer you could install a ac wall unit too lower the temp of the shed

[Fatman]

Jerry how do you plan to control temps in the summer?

[jerryc]

Ill try to control with fans to start [as much as possible] to save $
later in the Dog days of summer i thank ill have to use a chiller.
As my plain develops i may try some other things.

[melev]

I know a guy in west texas who's username on ReefCentral is npaden. He's got an enormous cistern made of HPDE material (food grade plastic such as some Rubbermaid products) that was originally made to store water. He cut off the top section to make the container accessible across the entire vat.

He then dug a huge hole, and placed it inside the hole, and later poured flooring around it and built a building over it. This gave him an enormous sump & refugium, used geothermal heat and is able to maintain a stable environment. Having it outdoors in the sunlight and then exposed to cold night air will be a huge challenge that will take constant monitoring. Your shed will help some, but I think the idea of getting it into the ground will be your best asset.

[Fatman]

I know a guy in west texas who's username on ReefCentral is npaden. He's got an enormous cistern made of HPDE material (food grade plastic such as some Rubbermaid products) that was originally made to store water. He cut off the top section to make the container accessible across the entire vat.

He then dug a huge hole, and placed it inside the hole, and later poured flooring around it and built a building over it. This gave him an enormous sump & refugium, used geothermal heat and is able to maintain a stable environment. Having it outdoors in the sunlight and then exposed to cold night air will be a huge challenge that will take constant monitoring. Your shed will help some, but I think the idea of getting it into the ground will be your best asset.

Whats the ground temp in texas? I know your winters defintely get colder than ours here in South Fla. I remember reading on reef central of a guy in Ft Laderdale trying that since our water table is only 10 feet down, problem is our water table is also 80+ degrees and with the extra heat of the pumps, skimmers, and sun it was not enough to dissipitate the heat.

[carpenterwrasse]

put a skylight and you got natural sunlight for the plants in the fuge

[melev]

Whats the ground temp in texas? I know your winters defintely get colder than ours here in South Fla. I remember reading on reef central of a guy in Ft Laderdale trying that since our water table is only 10 feet down, problem is our water table is also 80+ degrees and with the extra heat of the pumps, skimmers, and sun it was not enough to dissipitate the heat.

I don't know the answer to that, but you could contact Nathan (npaden on ReefCentral.com) to find out more. Odds are he has pictures, a thread, etc somewhere handy.

[jerryc]

If i go ahead with it i may consider a ground Lupe if i can talk the boss
in to it lol

[RWalston]

Reefmaiden on RC has a similar set up as well. Except it is in her garage. If you can find her thread about her tank build up the pictures are fabulous.