Old AquaNetics Chiller any good?

[seafansar]

A local guy is selling an AquaNetics 1/6 chiller for $150. I'm thinking of using it on my 40 gallon frag tank, cause I'm going to keep it out on the porch where it can get pretty warm some days. I'm actually going to just be trading him zoas and palys for it, but I wanted to make sure it's a good chiller. Anyone have one of these? Any opinions about them? I know it's an older chiller and a big one at that. I think it was built in 1993. Eeek! But seems sturdy. And don't they always say, "They don't build them like they used to."

And while researching it, I found a website selling controllers that will shut off the chiller if the flow is messed up. Is this really necessary? I figure the pump shouldn't get clogged and the only time it would shut off would be if the power went out and that would just shut off the chiller too anyway. I dunno. It costs $150 too!

 

[DaveK]

I had an AquaNetics chiller many years ago. Yes, it was an excellent chiller in it's day, and comparable to what is on the market today.

The downside is that the unit is 17 or more years old, and with a unit that old it's going to be on "borrowed time". The company is long out of business, and replacement part are not going to be available. In addition, a unit that old will be using freon, so if it needs recharging it will be extremely expensive, and when it comes tme to dispose of it, you'll need to pay someone to properly discharge it.

If you are going to get it because of the low price, be sure to see it working first. If the chiler has been sitting around, it's possible the compressor has gone bad. To test it, all you need is a bucket, pump and the fittings needed to circulate the water. Plug in the chiller, and you should see a noticeable drop in water temp.

If you do install it, make sure you design the plumbing so that you can install another chiller, easily, and so you can bypass the chiller completely. It's going to go sooner or later. prepare for replacement now.

 

[seafansar]

Hummm.....He had it on his tank he recently sold, so it hasn't been sitting that long. Maybe I'll reconsider the trade.