submersed pump vs plumbed pump, heat transfer?

[jason the filter freak]

ive always been a big proponet of running return pumps externally becuase i like the look, the ease of service, and most importantly the theroetical heat transfer thats avoided by running external. it does how ever mean have to worry about a possible leak, doing creative plumbing, and of course extra cost of drilling and related plumbing... i digress my system is going to be a 54 display with a 20 gallon sump that will likely have around 12 gallons of water at any given point. i could run the pump externally but its going to cost around an extra $25 and a lot of creative plumbing as well as space which is at a premium under the stand.

 

roughly how much extra heat am i looking at if i run the pump in sump vs out?

[Coral Hind]

I noticed a big difference when I took my internal mag-9.5 and ran it external. About a 2 degree average less a day in tank temps.

[jason the filter freak]

if it makes a difference its an eheim 1260 that im using as a return

[Coral Hind]

Eheims run cooler then Mags so it might not be such a huge difference. Submerged pumps run quieter so if the tank is in an area where noise is an issue submerged may be a way to go.

[jason the filter freak]

hmm maybe ill run the pump internal and the skimmer external and possibly run the pump externally down the road if heat is an issue... now the question is whether or not to drill the sump now

[paul b]

Go and feel the heat on an external pump, that same heat will go into the tank.

[Charlie]

One of the things that I thought about was that the pump is going to generate heat anyway, so why not use it to augment my tank heater (that is in the sump)? The heater is on a thermostat, so it won't come on unless more heat is needed.

[Coral Hind]

One of the things that I thought about was that the pump is going to generate heat anyway, so why not use it to augment my tank heater (that is in the sump)? The heater is on a thermostat, so it won't come on unless more heat is needed.

 

That makes since for winter but it would work against you in the summer and that is when most of us have trouble keeping our tanks at the right temps.

[jason the filter freak]

i will be drilling the tank but going to try internal first but have the option to move the pump externally down the road if needed the eheims run pretty cool

[zygote2k]

It's a small tank with a small pump, you'll be more likely to notice how your house cools or heats your tank to a desired level. If you're concerned with heat, ditch the UV and only go with 2 small circulation pumps.