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View Full Version : chiller size??


smellsfishy
05-11-2006, 07:17 PM
does anyone know what the formula is for figureing out the size of chiller/gallon required. i have a 180gallon plus 75 sump, with 1200 watts metal halide lighting i have had a 1/3 HP chiller running so far but lately it's haveing trouble keeping up. Am i overdriving or does the chiller need a charge?
Can anyone suggest some alternative cooling ideas as my power bill is going crazy, not to mention the heat comeing from the chiller

Chin_Lee
05-11-2006, 07:27 PM
run a fan in the sump in conjuction with the chiller. evaporation process uses a lot of energy therefore it removes a lot of the heat from your tank but it also removes a lot of water as well.

TheReefGeek
05-11-2006, 07:47 PM
Is your lighting enclosed over your tank, or is it open?

Use fans to minimize the heat getting to your tank from your lights, and use fans over your water surface to increase evaporation that increases cooling.

Are you running lots of internal pumps? Have you checked to make sure you heaters are turning on and off, and not just staying on?

smellsfishy
05-14-2006, 03:21 AM
got fans running all over, even pushing air out of the hood which has no back no internal pumps, removed the heater a year ago (never turned on), sump with 2 fans, is even in the cool basement.
Other than fans which just make it hummid does anyone know of a system to replace a chiller such as geo thermal (buried irrigation hose) etc.

StirCrazy
05-14-2006, 04:48 PM
got fans running all over, even pushing air out of the hood which has no back no internal pumps, removed the heater a year ago (never turned on), sump with 2 fans, is even in the cool basement.
Other than fans which just make it hummid does anyone know of a system to replace a chiller such as geo thermal (buried irrigation hose) etc.

there are some website about installing a underground chilling line but depending on where you are it might not be effective. I think for out here you would need to be at least 4 foot under the ground and it would be a ton of work to do.

if you don't use the chiller how hot will your tank get in the summer? and how hot is it getting using the chiller?

according to the UMI chart a 1/3HP chiller will pull 250 gall of water down 30 degrees so unless you are hitting over 115 degrees with no chiller you should be fine. So this brings a couple questions to mine, was it bought new from a fish store, or was it bought second hand from a private sale?

Is the flow rate through the chiller proper? where do you have the water being drawn from and returning to?

Steve

smellsfishy
05-14-2006, 06:11 PM
it was used, and seems to work (lots of heat from the condenser/compreser/fan) and the water coming out is cool and at 700gph at the moment but i have tried higher flow with no change. water i pulled from sump upstream, and put back right beside the input for the Hammerhead return pump. It has 1" in/outs. The Paper label has worn off but was intact when i bought it and it is for sure a 1/3 however i can't quite remember what kind Corelsea ??sea?? something it's cubeshaped black and in/out are out the top, a comparison might be the Aqualogic in-lines. It occured to me that perhaps it may need a recharge but i had thought if it needed that it would not work at all, Any refrigeration guys out there who can comment.
if the house temp is 23C the tank can get to 82F. if the room temp is higher the chiller will stay on for at least 13hrs with a 12hr light cycle. After lights go out it will go down to 80F which is what the chiller is set at and chiller will shut off. If i keep a fan running on the sump it will slowly drop, until the lights go on.
my basement concrete floor is a 72F maybe i could utilize that fact somehow??? Ultimitly i would like to drop the constant temp to 78F.

StirCrazy
05-15-2006, 12:34 PM
My guess is you need a recharge.

Steve

seashells
05-21-2006, 12:22 AM
Not a refrigeration guy. The unit will remove heat but not at the same capacity as a fully charged system. So even if it needs a recharge it will still work to some degree. I would say it needs to be pressure tested and or recharged. If it has not run for awhile prior to your buying it then some of the seals may be dried out and not sealing properly.

Doug

smellsfishy
05-21-2006, 01:35 AM
i had a refrigeration guy look at it and he did a test the refrigerant was good and preasure was up there but the compressor was not transfering what it should be. he said it was exchangeing about 20% of what it should. short answer compressor is shot or 80% shot anyway. not able to even replace the compressor either as it is a coralsea and they went under and the specs and reference numbers etc. aren't available.
bottom line is anyone want to buy a really good looking black box..... cheap.
JUST KIDDING