In-line vs Drop in Chillers?

[RobbyG]

No im not picking an Argument, I really just want to understand how your system is working and what you mean by 35ft of pipe being better, outside or inside I am perplexed at how this would work. I really want to learn how, and I figure with 4000+ posts you know a ton of stuff, so if you have found out something new please share it. (good gosh even this sentence sounds like an argument, but no I really am just interested in knowing because I live in a hot area and anything I can do to save some electricity would help)

Originally posted by golfish
I think you are




what the hec are you talking about? who said my lines ran outside? besides, going with your idea, running long lines outside would be better because 90% of the times its cooler then 78 degrees Hec, I could get rid of my chiller

Relax, you don't need to be on the defense so much, your jumping to conclusions.

[golfish]

Originally posted by RobbyG
I really want to learn how, and I figure with 4000+ posts you know a ton of stuff

[maxxII]

I really just want to understand how your system is working and what you mean by 35ft of pipe being better, outside or inside I am perplexed at how this would work. I really want to learn how

Sooooooo.........................................????????????????????


Nick

[jscan1]

I have a 240 Gallon built into a wall Unit, the left side of the unit has a cabinet where the chiller is housed and the coil goes through and into the sump under the aquarium........I installed this fan http://www.ventdepot.com/index2i.cfm...=EU&ididioma=2 so it vents to the outside, and hooked it to a controller that comes on 2 degrees before the chiller, and shuts off two degrees after the chiller, it keeps a ton of air moving underneath, and cuts the chiller run time down considerably

[RobbyG]

Oh I see, like the old Kung FU series. Till I can snatch the pebble from the palm of your hand I will learn Nadda!!

Originally posted by golfish

[golfish]

Originally posted by maxxII
Sooooooo.........................................????????????????????


Nick

Nick, your not reading what I wrote correctly (could be the way I wrote it) again, I said an "in line chiller can be more efficient". Then I said "but then you have to plumb 30 feet of 1.5" PVC" did you notice this at the end.. I also said that this was "IME" you do know what that stands for, right? What your missing is that if you want it to be more efficient your going to have to plumb it away from the tank. I just wrote the 30 feet (funny how its up to 35 now..its really longer then 35) to be funny and let you know how mine is plumbed...get it!

I didn't want to respond to the other posted because its going no where and he's just looking to argue.

I've had this same chiller in an area that would simulate it being in a stand. Probably an area about the size of a standard 150 gal stand, no sump, no pumps, just the chiller. There is good ventilation, much better then in a stand. While I had the chiller in that location the ambient temp would get up to 115 degree's, when it reached that temp the compressor would kick off. I thought I had a bad compressor so I called Aqualogics. I guess its setup to do that so the compressor doesn't burn up.

So, like I said "IME, You really have to consider the area the chiller is located, if there's not good air circulation the chiller isn't go to be very efficient no matter if its a drop in or in line.

"If you were to consider the heat released by a in line chiller a drawback, all you would have to do is move it to another location, there's not much option with a drop in. That said, there have been some good threads about people making cooling barrels, heat excahangers using drop in chillers"

"IME, you want to have the chiller as far away from the tank as you can get it. If you can locate the drop in chiller outside or in another area like you can an inline chiller then it would make adding a chiller a little easier. I have had my chiller outside on the front porch and now in my garage. I also had it in a crawls space under the house that wasn't very big (4x4x2). The chiller didn't get good air flow around it down there so it didn't work very well.

A drop in is much easier to use but for the most parts its going to be less efficient, the main reason being that most people will have it located in an area where it wont get the proper air flow and or it will throw unwanted heat in the tank area.

I have read about people running the lines for a drop in chiller through walls. That's a good option.


quote:
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if possible I would go with drop, no playing around with flow rates, no pump that can fail,
and to me, more efficient, why

no need to add another pump, some cases,
water cooled right in the sump, no need for lines running outside


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Most people use a return pump so there's no need to add one.

I'd go find somebody who has a chiller that's running and see how much heat it puts out before you decide. If you feel the heat wont be an issue then your options are greater.


OK, so lets get back to the 40 feet of PVC I have. The pipe runs up about 7 feet to a crawl space that's between the 1st and 3rd floors of my house, then about 8 feet to the garage, through my chiller that's up high on a shelf and then back to the tank. I use a Sequence Barracuda pump for sump return another one for the closed loop. The chiller is in the closes place to the tank for it to work proper.....that's the way it works for me

I still say, IMO, an in line chiller is more effecient the a drop in

[RobbyG]

Jeez you are a strange dude, I dont know what it would take to convince you but hey I give up trying, and BTW thanks for Nada, I already have my chiller outside the house and I did not need 40 feet of PVC to do it.

Originally posted by golfish

I didn't want to respond to the other posted because its going no where and he's just looking to argue.

[golfish]

Originally posted by RobbyG
Oh I see, like the old Kung FU series. Till I can snatch the pebble from the palm of your hand I will learn Nadda!!

Originally posted by RobbyG
Its 98 deg outside on a summer day, your tank is at 78 deg that means the Ambient air is 20 deg hotter than your water so when you run 78 deg water through 30 feet of pipe that is surrounded by 98 deg heat, some of that heat is going to transfer to the water in the pipe! The longer the pipe the more heat it will pickup. BTW even plastic pipe transfers some heat.

Originally posted by golfish


besides, going with your idea, running long lines outside would be better because 90% of the times its cooler then 78 degrees Hec, I could get rid of my chiller

I was hoping we could get back to your comments above

[golfish]

Originally posted by RobbyG
I dont know what it would take to convince you but hey I give up trying, and BTW thanks for Nada, I already have my chiller outside the house and I did not need 40 feet of PVC to do it.

what is it your trying to convince me of other then you like to argue about nothing

I get it, your trying to get 4000 post

[maxxII]

Thanks for the clarification. I understand what you are saying. My initial confusion was on how you had your chiller set up.
I dont necessarily feel that In-line chillers are inherently more efficent than drop ins, but your point about chiller placement is well made. I guess its like realestate...location, location, location.

If the Current USA Prime Tower chillers came in a drop in form, I'd buy one, as they are the most efficient I've found thus far.

Anyone have an idea why drop in chillers only come w/ a 5 foot cable for the heat exchanger?

Nick

[maxxII]

I have absolutely no idea whats going on, but I just received 19 emails telling me RobbyG posted to this thread.....

I've seen this happen a couple of times lately here on RC.

I wonder whats up.

Nick

[RobbyG]

Something is really wrong with the forum, I could not post yesterday for about 3 hours, also the search was working on and off for most of yesterday. I think this forum is overloaded! I keep seeing a "to many users message"

[RobbyG]

I hope when I get to 4000 posts I will still be able to give good information instead of being Cryptic like you

BTW looking back at all your posts, the end result is that 35 or 40 feet of pipe do nothing, worst yet the pump is just adding more heat! Basicaly all you where saying was to move the chiller away from the Tank, woop-di-doo that was said from the very start.

Originally posted by golfish
what is it your trying to convince me of other then you like to argue about nothing

I get it, your trying to get 4000 post