Need help choosing chiller size.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys-

I'm finally ready to break down and buy a chiller, after losing two acro colonies to heat.

My tank is 110g with a 20g sump, so 130g total size. My apartment, however, is extremely hot during the day, easily breaking 90-95.

My tank gets to about 86F (with no AC on) and I'd like to keep it around 78-80. So I'm looking at 6-8 degrees of bringdown.

Does anyone know any guidelines for sizing chillers? Are size recs. standard across manufacturers? Also, I need recommendations for a relatively quiet brand.

Many Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Most chillers will be rated for an aquarium size. Some will show so many degrees for tank of x-size. I am thinking you will need a 1/4 hp. You better double check that tho. They run about $700 for that size.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Wazzel.

From what I've found online 1/5 or 1/4 hp should do it, but I've learned that it's best to oversize. Sheesh...what a surprise. :roll:

Looks like I'll be getting the 1/4.

 

[Anonymous]

Went with the 1/2 hp. So far it's working well, slowly bringing the temp down.

 

[Anonymous]

for the price diff, and given your situation,(degrees pulldown needed, ambient room temp, etc etc) i think a 1/3 chiller would actually be better, and would prob'ly last longer

 

[Len]

I use a 1/3 on a 180 for about 10 degree pull down. It is about the max size tank I'd use it on. 1/3hp was perfect for my 120 gallon. But since you went bigger, it will simply run less of the time.

 

[Anonymous]

Went with the 1/2 hp. So far it's working well, slowly bringing the temp down.

heh i didn't see that post

 

[Anonymous]

:lol:
You scared me there!

Anyway, I have a question about how this chiller is running. It's a Hailea, a brand that afaik doesn't sell much in N. America.

It has the temp sensor internally. It's designed to turn on when the temp raises to one degree (C) above the set temp, and turn off once the temp reaches the set temp.

The strange thing is, the temperature sensor seems to be measuring the temp of the water that's leaving the chiller, not the temperature of the water entering it. Because of this, the chiller turns off soon after turning on, as it measures the water temp of the water leaving the machine. Then it turns on a few minutes later. It's going on and off quite frequently.

Does that sound right?

 

[Anonymous]

Try plumbing it the other way. It should not be short cycling. That will wear out your motor in a hurry.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Wazzel.

I have it plumbed correctly. I mean the in is in and the out is out. I'm starting to think I don't have enough flow going through it. It's plumbed to my return pump (700gph) but that's got 4 feet of head and is connected to a SCWD.

 

[Anonymous]

Alrighty- just bough a much larger pump 1200gph and hooked it up as the return through the chiller. The problem I mentioned is gone, so I guess that was the problem.