One step closer, or Chiller ?'s.

[bad coffee]

I finally picked up a chiller. Pacific Coast Imports 1/10th.

The flow rate is supposed to be 500-800gph. Right now my return pump is an Eheim 1262 @900gph. I'd like to use it so I won't have to add another pump. (producing more heat, using more electricity, more to clean, ect.)

Plan 1: Switch my 1262 for a 1260 (635gph) I'm pretty sure I can either sell my current pump or just get an even up trade.
Pros: easy swap out if I can get a trade, No money out of pocket.
Cons: Reduced flow- after the chiller I would be getting ~500gph. That's about half what I have now. There's also another 1262 on my closed loop with an ocean's motion 4 way. Which means my spare 1262 is only a spare for my cl, not my return as well.

Plan 2: I split off the return to feed my phosban reactor. It would be easy to do and It would only take some pvc parts. Most of which I have lying around.
Pros: I get to keep the same return and CL pump. If I feed my Phosban reactor I'd lose the pump feeding it. (eheim compact 1000)
Cons: Replumbing. again. Also I'm not sure how much flow I'll have to steal from the return to get the phosban to run correctly. I might be back to the same thing as using a 1260.

The other question, what if I just push the return straight through the chiller, at ~900gph? There is a ball valve, and a couple of 90's in the the plumbing. It also reduces from 3/4" down to 5/8" tubing to go through the chiller. This will add a bit more head pressure to the run. What happens if I exceed the MAX flow?

Okay, guys and gals, what do you think?

B

 

[cb747]

Id go with plan 2. You can also split your return and divert some of the water back into the display but hats basically the same. You could also put a vavle in and cut back on the flow slightly to your desired GPH

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I run into a somewhat similar situation when switching a chiller.

I would go with plan 2 "IF AND ONLY IF" you can loose the phospahte reactor else plan A is easier. I just don't like too many motro everywhere-especially for some one like me who has one exploded before.

 

[meschaefer]

You can also split your return and divert some of the water back into the display but hats basically the same.

I like this plan

 

[bad coffee]

Okay, I plumbed it in via method 2. Diverting some water back to the sump right now.

I'm only getting about 100gph back to the tank now. Even with the bleed off valve completely closed, NOT good.

Today I'm going to shorten the run to the chiller (and back) as much as possible, and I'll see how that does. I think I can take out about 4-5' of tubing.

Here's another question. How do I know if the chiller is clogged? I bought it used so It might just be a bit clogged. Right now the input hose to the chiller seems a little backed up. If I squeeze the tubing, it's alot firmer on the input than the output. Is this just the resistance from the water going through the coil? or is it something else?

Thanks
B

 

[loismustdie]

brett, this year I ran vinegar through my chiller. You would never believe what came out of it. After that was done, I plugged a garden hose into it and blasted it. I also cleaned my cooling fins with a cleaner. On top of that, I put the chiller in my window, venting it outside. My chiller used to run around an hour to cool the tank 1 degree and it made my basement very hot, which is counterproductive. Now it might run for 30 minutes and no residual heat . Clean that thing up really good and vent it outside.
With your apartment configuration, wouldn't have been better off just putting an A/C with a thermostat in your window?

 

[pecan2phat]

Brett,
I've found that all the PCI chillers that I have used are quite restrictive. IMO, bad design. Your chiller might not be clogged and that you might just need a pressure rated pump.

I ran a 1/4 hp with a 1262 straight from one end of the sump back to the opposite end with minimal amount of tubing and the output was less than 300 gph.
Now I have the chiller plumbed from the sump to return via a seaswirl but this needed a gen-x 40 pressure pump to work properly.

 

[bad coffee]

We have an in-room ac. But I'd rather have a 200w chiller run all day than a 10,000 BTU AC. Especially when the electric bill comes!

I really don't want to switch pumps. everything is plumbed and I really like the eheims for energy ratings.

Here's a thought. What about running the chiller off the Bleed side of the T and return it back to the sump. That way it doesn't have to push up the 4' to get to the tank, and the return would push more than 100gph?

It might not be the most efficent way to cool the tank, but it should work, right?

 

[loismustdie]

It will work, but it will probably turn on and off frequently, which can prematurely burn out the compressor. Just like halides, you want to give them at least 20 minutes of down time before switching back on. Some chillers have a safety which will not allow the chiller to turn on for a certain amount of time after it shuts off.
I'm with you on the ehiems. I love them and I too would be figuring a way to make it work.
Also, is your A/C on a thermostat? I set mine to 78 degrees and it usually runs only 20 minutes every hour and a half. Not very much... on the rare occasions i even use it. Will your chiller be venting into the same room? You room mates are going to kill you.

 

[bad coffee]

The AC is on a thermostat, but it still runs quite a bit at 80degrees. It gets pretty warm in here. And with no sealed door to the living room it tries to heat up the hallway too.

There's bars on the 1st floor windows, so we can't get a normal ac unit. The indoor one we have isn't that great.

If we don't run the ac when we're not home, nobody will care. The chiller can kick on and heat this room up. There's no way to vent it to the outside without putting the chiller beside the window. And that means 15' of tubing each way.

Once someone is home they turn on the ac bringing the room temp down, and the chiller shouldn't kick on.

FWIW the chiller shut off and turned back on in the time it took me to type this out.

B

 

[SIReefer]

I also have the same chiller. I run a quiet 1 3000 pump. With HR I push apx 500 gph. With the chiller hooked up I push about 400gph. Watch your tank temperature. My chiller reads differently than my tank thermometer. I used 3 therms. for comparison & let my Pac Coast chiller run a little hotter. I used the 3 thermometers as a guide finding that the chiller was off 2 degrees. (might just be mine or all of them?)

 

[bad coffee]

If you download the instructions there is a way to correct the chiller temp.

I did what I thought of doing. I switched the bleed off side of the T to the chiller and returned it to the first compartment of my sump. Now it's crusing along. Lots of return (warm) vs a little (chilled) means the water will mix pretty well before it gets back to the chiller. I hope it doesn't run all the time.

All I have left to plumb now is my litermeter topoff/kalk dispenser! But they have to come from my other tank so it won't happen right away.

B

 

[SIReefer]

Thanks Bad Coffee. I didn't know you could adjust the temp readings.

Good luck w/your plumbing project.