Chilling questions

foxsavage

Member
I have a chiller that I got used awhile back. I just turned it on for the first time and it makes noise and it seems like it's on. The temp reading is accurate but I left it on for more than an hour and it didn't cool the tank 1 degree. I think the refrigerant needs to be charged but I'm not sure, it's been in storage for a long time. If anyone has any suggestions as to what the problem might be I'd welcome them.

I tried a fan on top of the tank before I put the fish in to see how much it would cool and it brought the temp down by 8 degrees total, about 1.5 degrees per hour. Is this a reliable amount that I will be able to count on even if the ambient temp is above 90, or will I get less cooling with the fan when it's hotter out? The humidity is usually very low here.

Thanks,
Mike
 
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Robzilla

Active Member
Not sure on the chiller as I have no need for one...but make sure your ATO is in full gear if you live in an area of low humidity. ESPECIALLY iff you run an aiur conditioning unit in your home AND have a fan blowing.
 

foxsavage

Member
Yeah, I learned that lesson the hard way. The first time I tried it I had coral in the tank but no fish, it ran the pump dry and blew air on some of the corals and I lost 5 large hammer colonies.
 

N83259

Member
I haven't experienced it with my chiller yet, but its manual says effectiveness decreases somewhat at temps above 90degF. So maybe try it again if you can cool the room down with AC or at night.

Also be sure to clean the filter sponge (if any) and the "coils" in the front. Very important.

If it's in a cabinet, make sure the heat is exhausting. And try blowing a fan directly into the unit. If these things don't work, you may need to recharge the coolant as you mentioned. Some HVAC places can probably do this and some appliance repair places that work on household refrigerators can do it too. If you go this route you may ask them if they can leak test it first with a UV dye. Don't get discouraged if you hear a few "no's" since it's out of their daily experience. And I'm betting no one will guarantee the fix so it might be best to let them know you don't have that expectation up front. But it shouldn't be too horribly expensive. Good luck.
 

catran

Well-Known Member
+1 Take it to an HVAC place to have it recharged. Sorry to say, I have first had recent knowledge about the fan. I lose 1-1/2 gallons of water a day in my 29g. due to fan cooling. Your fan will only help a couple of degrees when the ambient temperature is at 90 or above. You may want to get that chiller fixed asap before it gets hot out. If you have air conditioning, you need to keep your ambient temperature down. You didn't say how big your tank is but, to be prepared, get a couple of 6 packs of water and freeze them. That was the only thing that saved my tank when temperature topped 90 here a couple of weeks ago. Just float a bottle (or however many you need) in your tank and if it isn't really big, it will definately help. The important part is to watch your temperature and start cooling it off before it gets too high. It's a hard battle to fight if you get behind the eight ball on that one.
 

foxsavage

Member
My total system volume is 250 gallons. I do have AC, I was hoping I could leave it set at 85 and the fan would take care of the last 7 degrees. My logic is that I was able to cool it by 8 degrees with the fan when I tested it. It was only 65 degrees when I tested it though so I guess I'll try setting it to 82 first to make sure it can handle it. It's going to be 90 here by the end of the week so I have to get the chiller back online asap.
 
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