Ot: condensation in aluminum

rrman61 · Aug 11, 2021

My fish feeder hopper is aluminum and sweats (condensation).if I would switch to a plastic or other material would I still have the same problem? I live in very humid south Louisiana.its an automatic spin feeder thats set to activate twice a day.I only have 40-50 pounds in it but the feed gets wet within a week

Turkeyfoot · Aug 11, 2021

Water condenses on the coolest surface. It's likely that the hopper is heating up in the sun and driving water out of the fish feed itself creating a warm humid interior. Then as the sun sets and the external air cools the aluminum lid cools fastest since it is in contact with the exterior air but not in contact with the warm feed. The water in the interior air condenses on the lid and drips back on the top of the food. Maybe some ventilation holes near the top would allow the moisture to escape as vapor before re-condensing inside. A plastic lid might help since it doesn't conduct heat as well as aluminum but I think I'd try ventilation first. That trapped water vapor is going to condense some place as it cools. Alternatively you could try preventing the initial heating by putting the feeder some place where the sun doesn't shine, haha.

Stephen Newell · Aug 11, 2021

Could you coat the hopper with some of that Great Stuff expansion foam? That should stop it.

Steve@Advance · Aug 11, 2021

Can you insulate it?

Insulation is the best way to stop the condensation.

Richard G. · Aug 11, 2021

Go to Lowes and get a small roll of that foil coated insulation and glue it on it.
Or a roll of that sealer that goes on top of a block foundation.

DoubleO7 · Aug 11, 2021

(quoted from post at 14:51:33 08/11/21) My fish feeder hopper is aluminum and sweats (condensation).if I would switch to a plastic or other material would I still have the same problem?

Yes.

Is this feeder above water water out in the pond??
Floating or on legs?

If it is a tapered square hopper, I would insulate it with foil faced polyiso (foam) insulation. Maybe 1" .
Another piece for the lid.

as mentioned already, ventilation would help too.
A pipe made of hardware cloth and covered with metal window screen vertically up from the bottom to top of hopper along with side vents in the hopper?

rrman61 · Aug 12, 2021

Its hanging about 4 feet above water and has no
ventilation .I can make the top fit loosely providing
ventilation and I will install some kind of insulation
thanks guys

Ot: condensation in aluminum

rrman61

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Turkeyfoot

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Stephen Newell

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Steve@Advance

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Richard G.

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DoubleO7

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rrman61

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