Chiller maintenance time - annual cleaning and checkup

[gregzz4]

Reminder to do an annual clean and test before the hot weather comes

When's the last time you cleaned your chiller (if ever), or even tested it ?

Once a year, somewhere between Oct and Apr, I clean mine out. I also test it.

I keep my chiller feed pump in a chamber after my socks, so I'm confident it's never going to plug up with large stuff. But what about buildup that happens during regular usage - the stuff that builds up on the inside walls of all our plumbing ?
And let's not forget about the air filter.

To clean out the water side;
I put my feed pump and chiller output in a 5g pail with a mix of 4:1 water and vinegar, and I run it for upwards of a full 24 hours.
This cleans it out really well. A gallon of vinegar currently costs $2.27 @ Walmart.
When I'm done that, I use 2 buckets to run maybe 10g through the system to flush it out - 5g per flush. I put the feed pump in 1 bucket and the chiller output in a 2nd bucket. Do whatever you like to flush it out. All you are doing is diluting the vinegar.
Once I'm satisfied it's flushed, I return it to service.

To clean out the air side;
Another thing that needs to be done is a filter/exchanger cleaning.
This may not seem important to some, but it's critical for proper operation of your unit.
Vacuum the intake filter very well. Make sure it's clear.
If you are able to, remove the intake cover and use 'desktop' compressed cans, or another source of compressed air, and blow the crap out of whatever you can see inside the unit. If using compressed air from an actual compressor, be careful to not bend over the cooling fins !!
Bending over or otherwise damaging the cooling fins on either of the heat exchangers will interrupt their ability to perform properly.
These are the condenser and evaporator located at the front and back of the unit (in most configurations) and blocking their air flow is a a waste of energy. If you bend/find bent over fins, use a plastic knife or something else friendly to straighten them. If you've never worked with heat exchangers before, I highly recommend the use of plastic tools.
You do not want to damage the cooling tubes !
Also, you may cut yourself on the fins, so use caution.

Test that it works;
Now is a good time to make sure it still works, ya ?
You’ve cleaned it out, and gotten past all the possible connection issues you may have found when you re-plumbed it, so let’s test it.
Turn it on, let it run, and watch your temp. Is it dropping your temp the way it should ?

If not, then it’s a good thing you checked it now.
If all is good, then you should feel happy to know that it’s most likely to last through another summer !

Now you’re done ‘till next year.

[LeanneP]

Thanks Greg! Very informative.

[gregzz4]

You're welcome Leanne

Hopefully it's informative to at least a few members

[hillegom]

Great article Greg.
Only thing I can add is if your fins are bent then you could use a special tool to straighten them. From Princess Auto, under $10

[gregzz4]

Ah yes, a fin comb

Good find Dietmar

Care is still needed to use such comb ...

[brisco]

I have chiller envy...I am currently chillerless and instead use the old COMPLETE PANIC method when my tank temp goes up in the summer! I use LED lighting so it isn't outrageous, but would love to get a chiller before the summer. Any clue to how much hp to get? 100 Gal DT with 25 Gal sump with a mixed reef.

[hillegom]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Ah yes, a fin comb

Good find Dietmar

Care is still needed to use such comb ...

Oh yes use care. Fins are very sharp. However, once you get one of these, you can fix the fins in your car as well, which is what I bought it for. Works wonders

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by brisco

I have chiller envy...I am currently chillerless and instead use the old COMPLETE PANIC method when my tank temp goes up in the summer! I use LED lighting so it isn't outrageous, but would love to get a chiller before the summer. Any clue to how much hp to get? 100 Gal DT with 25 Gal sump with a mixed reef.

Look on the sites where they sell chillers. They have charts that display system requirements.

Originally Posted by hillegom

Oh yes use care. Fins are very sharp. However, once you get one of these, you can fix the fins in your car as well, which is what I bought it for. Works wonders

Good find Dietmar, glad you found something that works for you
I've worked with cooling systems for nearly 30 years and I'm familiar with fin combs

[gregzz4]

Using fin combs is a delicate procedure, and you don't need to own a comb to work on your chiller

You can easily straighten out the cooling fins on your chiller using a small screwdriver - but be careful to not cut yourself or damage the tubes.

For most of us, we will never need to own a tool such as this, and all you will need to clean out your chiller is a can of compressed air, and a gallon of vinegar

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by brisco

I have chiller envy...I am currently chillerless and instead use the old COMPLETE PANIC method when my tank temp goes up in the summer! I use LED lighting so it isn't outrageous, but would love to get a chiller before the summer. Any clue to how much hp to get? 100 Gal DT with 25 Gal sump with a mixed reef.

1/4HP tops. I use a 1/2hp, and it drops the temp in minutes, but I got a great deal on it, so it's what I use. I've used 1/4hp on a 180 without issue, running 3 x 400w MH.