Chillers - Page 2

tkeracer619 · 08/21/2014, 03:34 PM

My concern was never a water leak but a refrigerant leak on the drop in units. Can't say I have heard of it happening but still... makes me nervous.

Kaman8 · 08/21/2014, 03:49 PM

I'm using a Teco TR10 . It's not dead silent , but if it's in the living room it should be fine. You can also put a Teco UV and heater in the chiller if you want. So you have 3 things in 1 chiller.

sowildpaul · 08/21/2014, 04:40 PM

If I have a chiller or heat pump w/ cooling mode indoor (ex: a fish room), I'd install a metal duct between the unit and a wall to vent the heat out through exterior damper.

atreis · 08/21/2014, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

My concern was never a water leak but a refrigerant leak on the drop in units. Can't say I have heard of it happening but still... makes me nervous.

Same difference here. The drop-in chiller has a coil that you place directly in your sump. In-line chillers have a small chamber within the chiller itself that contains the cooling coil. In either case, tank water is flowing over the cooling coil.

Also: The cold coil is the low-pressure side... You're much (MUCH) more likely to have a coolant leak on the high-pressure side (between the compressor and expansion valve - on a chiller, there's a coil with fins that a fan blows air over - that's the high pressure side), which would release the coolant to the room.

Jasdave · 08/22/2014, 05:15 AM

I am not so worried about the heat coming into the house. I have a small 70gal tank, and a central AC system. Besides, I want to keep the house warmer than the tank.

I have the eco LED light systems (2 actually) for my 70gal, but only have them at 60%. So I am not worried about heat generation there. I just like to keep my house at 79 or 80 degrees to be comfortable, and that is a little warm for the tank I have.

The 1/5HP JBJ is what I went with. It is made for up to 180gal, so there should be no problem there. And with it only pulling down 2 to 3 deg, with so little heat input, it should not run much. But I will give an update on that.

A good question though:

I bought the pump, and the cooling unit. What is the best (and least obtrusive) way to plum this thing? Can I get the tubing at Home Depot, or do I need to special order it? PVC, or clear flexible?

sowildpaul · 08/22/2014, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasdave

I am not so worried about the heat coming into the house. I have a small 70gal tank, and a central AC system. Besides, I want to keep the house warmer than the tank.

I have the eco LED light systems (2 actually) for my 70gal, but only have them at 60%. So I am not worried about heat generation there. I just like to keep my house at 79 or 80 degrees to be comfortable, and that is a little warm for the tank I have.

The 1/5HP JBJ is what I went with. It is made for up to 180gal, so there should be no problem there. And with it only pulling down 2 to 3 deg, with so little heat input, it should not run much. But I will give an update on that.

A good question though:

I bought the pump, and the cooling unit. What is the best (and least obtrusive) way to plum this thing? Can I get the tubing at Home Depot, or do I need to special order it? PVC, or clear flexible?

It doesn't matter. It's your choice. However valves with unions on both inlet and outlet are recommended by most manufacturers so you can remove the unit for cleaning or repair. You would want a black tubing instead of clear one because algae bloom can grow inside clear tubing in a lighted room.

Jasdave · 09/23/2014, 03:32 PM

Okay. So I've had the Arctica now with a Mag 7 series pump. Takes from the clean side of the sump, and returns to the inflow side of the pump. The thing works great. And it is very, very quiet. So much so, you can't tell when it is running.

One very important thing. When I was speaking to the manufacturer about the cooling unit, I was told that ALL cooling units need a cleaning cycle every six months, or they will loose efficiency, and finally fail. There is a place on the web site where it describes how to do this. No one knew about this, so I thought I should tell everyone.

D

MikeTR · 12/03/2014, 01:59 PM

Gonna bump and older thread.. no sense making a new one. Those doing a search will find this one. I gotta recommend the Tradewinds chillers. Even though I'm having an issue with mine at the moment, Hal was quick to respond, within hours (unlike the A/C company I called) and is offering to fix it even though I'm just out of the warranty period (your mileage may vary) but no problems with it otherwise, it's been rock solid for 2 years. Can't say much about the A/C guy who came out unprepared, put me off for 2 weeks, hooked up some gauges, and left me with a $50 bill.

Chris Mills · 12/03/2014, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasdave

I am looking to get a chiller for my 70Gal reef tank. I've noticed some wide needs based on manufacturers recommendations (from 1/10HP to 1/4HP), and some crazy prices in so far as price per unit. Any opinions on which manufacturer builds the quietest most reliable system? I was looking at JBJ, Coralife, and Aqua Euro.....

I use an Aqua Euro 1/4 HP Chiller. Works great. No complaints.

Quiet running and has been reliable for 4 years now.

MikeTR · 12/11/2014, 08:30 AM

Well.. maybe if it's leaking after 2 years I shouldn't be recommending it..

But probably just my luck. Components and such are all good quality.

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08/21/2014, 03:34 PM	#26
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	My concern was never a water leak but a refrigerant leak on the drop in units. Can't say I have heard of it happening but still... makes me nervous. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

08/21/2014, 03:49 PM	#27
Kaman8 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 1,686	I'm using a Teco TR10 . It's not dead silent , but if it's in the living room it should be fine. You can also put a Teco UV and heater in the chiller if you want. So you have 3 things in 1 chiller. __________________ Current tank : 60 gallon rimless , 29 gallon sump , 2x Radion xr15w Pro , MP10 and MP40 Quietdrive , Bubble Magus Curve 7 , Eheim Compact+3000 return pump , sps dominant Gratiana

08/22/2014, 05:15 AM	#30
Jasdave Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Holly SPrings Posts: 6	Heat Exchange I am not so worried about the heat coming into the house. I have a small 70gal tank, and a central AC system. Besides, I want to keep the house warmer than the tank. I have the eco LED light systems (2 actually) for my 70gal, but only have them at 60%. So I am not worried about heat generation there. I just like to keep my house at 79 or 80 degrees to be comfortable, and that is a little warm for the tank I have. The 1/5HP JBJ is what I went with. It is made for up to 180gal, so there should be no problem there. And with it only pulling down 2 to 3 deg, with so little heat input, it should not run much. But I will give an update on that. A good question though: I bought the pump, and the cooling unit. What is the best (and least obtrusive) way to plum this thing? Can I get the tubing at Home Depot, or do I need to special order it? PVC, or clear flexible?

09/23/2014, 03:32 PM	#32
Jasdave Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Holly SPrings Posts: 6	Artica Okay. So I've had the Arctica now with a Mag 7 series pump. Takes from the clean side of the sump, and returns to the inflow side of the pump. The thing works great. And it is very, very quiet. So much so, you can't tell when it is running. One very important thing. When I was speaking to the manufacturer about the cooling unit, I was told that ALL cooling units need a cleaning cycle every six months, or they will loose efficiency, and finally fail. There is a place on the web site where it describes how to do this. No one knew about this, so I thought I should tell everyone. D

08/21/2014, 04:40 PM	#28
sowildpaul Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 383	If I have a chiller or heat pump w/ cooling mode indoor (ex: a fish room), I'd install a metal duct between the unit and a wall to vent the heat out through exterior damper.

12/03/2014, 01:59 PM	#33
MikeTR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SW FL Posts: 351	Gonna bump and older thread.. no sense making a new one. Those doing a search will find this one. I gotta recommend the Tradewinds chillers. Even though I'm having an issue with mine at the moment, Hal was quick to respond, within hours (unlike the A/C company I called) and is offering to fix it even though I'm just out of the warranty period (your mileage may vary) but no problems with it otherwise, it's been rock solid for 2 years. Can't say much about the A/C guy who came out unprepared, put me off for 2 weeks, hooked up some gauges, and left me with a $50 bill.

12/11/2014, 08:30 AM	#35
MikeTR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SW FL Posts: 351	Well.. maybe if it's leaking after 2 years I shouldn't be recommending it.. But probably just my luck. Components and such are all good quality.