What do I plug into this controller?

[Stix]

OK I finally got a chiller (custom sea life 1/2 HP in line). It came with a single stage controller. What do I plug into the controller? The chiller or the mag drive that I'm gonna use to pump water through it or both?

[Corpus Callosum]

I don't have any experience with chillers, but wouldnt you want the mag drive to always be on, and the chiller hooked up to the controller?

[Stix]

Yea Mike thats what i have just been told. Not to let the chiller turn on dry so to let the pump run 24/7. What a waste of energy.

[JohnL]

The chiller is what you want to control. Leave the pump running all the time.

[JB NY]

Just as johnL said, leave the pump on 24/7. The chiller gets pluged into the controller.

[Stix]

Thanx guys!

[Bravodelta]

I have a 1/3 hp Custom Sea Life Chiller. Since the chiller is flow through and the pump is always running I hooked up two sea swirls to the output of the chiller. Now nothing is wasted. Just a thought.

Bulldog

[jdieck]

If the chiller is on its own loop I do not see why you can not connect both, the pump and the chiller to the controller.

True that the chiller should not operate without waterflow when it is cooling but if the chiller is off there is no reason to keep the flow so the controller could cut both off and on at the same time, just insure that the controller can handle the Amps of both loads.

[Stix]

Originally posted by jdieck
If the chiller is on its own loop I do not see why you can not connect both, the pump and the chiller to the controller.

True that the chiller should not operate without waterflow when it is cooling but if the chiller is off there is no reason to keep the flow so the controller could cut both off and on at the same time, just insure that the controller can handle the Amps of both loads.

This is what I would like to do. It would only take a few seconds (if even that much) to get water from the mag-drive 1800 in the sump to the chiller when the controller kicks on. So the chiller wouldn't really be running dry for longer than 2 or 3 seconds. What do you guys who advised I leave it on 24/7 think? Am I overlooking something here?

[JB NY]

You really don't want to have the pump turn on when the chiller does. The most likely time for the pump to fail is after a shutdown. Many people, myself included, have had pumps run continuously for months at a time, only to finally shut it off and find it will not start. If the chiller turns on and the pump does not, the chiller's coil housing can crack. Better to leave the pump running 24/7 than take the risk.

[jdieck]

Is there a way you can avoid a separete pump for the chiller? Why it can not be connected to the return pump?

[JB NY]

Originally posted by jdieck
Is there a way you can avoid a separete pump for the chiller? Why it can not be connected to the return pump?

:thumbsup: That's how I do it.

[fishome25]

i guess you would have to make sure that the return is in the correct range for the flow rate.

[JohnL]

Originally posted by JB NY
:thumbsup: That's how I do it.

Me too.

[Stix]

OOO good idea guys. I'll plumb it into my closed loop that I haven't gotten around to yet. Now I gotta call thatfishplace.com when I get the mag 1800 they're sending me; I hope they take it back. Thanx for the suggestions!