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Old 06-11-2010, 02:48 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
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Originally Posted by widespreadpanic View Post
How do you think I should insulate my 55 gallon drum?

The water inside is chilled with an aquarium chiller, but I want to insulate it somehow. I'd rather not have something like the Pink Panther doing it.

He's itchy.
There are a lot of ways to do it, from as simple as warping it in bubble wrap, to building a insulated box to place it in. I don't really know what funds you have to work with, I also don't know what resources you have to work with. Personally If I wanted it above ground, I would build a insulating box. Not using Pink panther insulation, but lining the box with sheet Styrofoam (2 inch thick). That will give a good "R" value, and it's also water proof. I have designs in a pdf. that I would be happy to send anyone. You can also cool inside the box.

Where I live, I could build a good box for 1, 55 gallon drum and it would cost around $80. The sheets of wood and Styrofoam are 4 by 8 foot sheets. The 2 inch thick Styrofoam sheets are about $18 each and your likely to need two. Plus the OSB board (about $7 ea) to build the box, as well as the Styrofoam adhesive and 100% silicone to make it water proof. But for a quick fix you can probably get bubble wrap from UPS or other shipping places. As long as it's a "closed cell" material it will be a insulator. Just wrap it tightly many times, and keep it out of the sun. Don't forget the bottom, and the top. And if you could wrap a light blocking material around the final wrap, that should help also.
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Last edited by GpsFrontier; 06-11-2010 at 04:43 AM.
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