Chiller caught fire!

ApolloDog · #1 06/02/2004, 12:03 AM

I am having some work done on my house so we have vacated the premises for a few months. I got a call today from the contractor telling me that there was a fire at the fish tank and the guys had to put it out!

Needless to say I rush home and find out that my Arctica chiller was the culprit. The guys that put it out said they noticed a burning smell. Thinking it was their equipment, the went downstairs to check. They noticed a orange glow coming from the living room, FIRE! The said the flames were shooting up about seven feet in the air! They ran out and got the hose and put it out. I have to say that we were EXTREMELY lucky that it happened when the guys were working, otherwise my house would have gone up in smoke.

The side of the stand was burnt. There was soot on the aquarium and the wall up to the ceiling. The chiller was partially melted. I can't believe the thing actually caught on fire.

Has anyone had any problems with fire and this chiller, or any chiller for that matter??? I don't think I have ever heard of a chiller burning up.

dattack · #2 06/02/2004, 12:24 AM

Wow. This is the first time I have ever heard of a chiller catching on fire, at least in S. cal.

ApolloDog · #3 06/02/2004, 12:35 AM

Yeah, its usually end caps that burn up. I guess I am the lucky one

dattack · #4 06/02/2004, 12:49 AM

So what's your plan of action? You have house insurance? Or will you have JBJ fork over the bill?

ApolloDog · #5 06/02/2004, 12:49 AM

Here are some pics of the end result:

http://members.cox.net/pault1/images/chiller/canopy.gif
http://members.cox.net/pault1/images...r/chiller1.gif
http://members.cox.net/pault1/images...illerStand.gif
http://members.cox.net/pault1/images...nkAndStand.gif

ApolloDog · #6 06/02/2004, 12:57 AM

Well, not sure that I want to involve my insurance, might cause a problems with the premiums. I have been talking to JBJ, they want me to send it back to them. I want someone else to inspect it first though, don't want them to see and then try to cover up and say I did something wrong...

The scary thing if this happened the day before when nobody was there, the house would have been gone. I'm hoping JBJ understands the seriouness of this, but you never know.

SeanT · #7 06/02/2004, 12:58 AM

Did water leak onto it?
Did you buy it new or used?
Still have he receipt?
Under warranty?
I would contact the manufacturer ASAP and subit a claim to THEM for the damage.

ApolloDog · #8 06/02/2004, 01:14 AM

SeanT
No water or leaks at all, its plugged into a GFCI as well.
It was bought about a year ago, new. I am looking for the receipt at this very moment. I believe it is a 2 year warranty. So far JBJ seems to be cooperating but they mentioned going through my insurance company which I don't plan on doing. I need to talk to them tomorrow to see what they say.

A Reef Scene · #9 06/02/2004, 07:46 AM

Wow lucky that the workers were there. Hope that JBJ will work with you in solving the problem.

TANGBOY5000 · #10 06/02/2004, 08:32 AM

Sometimes I wonder what the point of GFCIs are. Every time someone has a fire their equiptment is usually plugged into a GFCI and it never trips. What's the deal with that?

cwboomer · #11 06/02/2004, 10:21 AM

A fire wouldn't trip GFCI, unless there was a short. The fire might have been independant of electrical.

Apollodog, good luck man! don't let them contact your insurance company or you might be out of the aquarium hobby!!!! You might want to consult a lawyer, just to double check the situation, not to sue anyone, just to make sure you don't get jammed on this whole deal. You might want to check with the workers to see if they had any equipment running near it, or if they blew any circuits in the basement that they kept resetting.

either way, super luck to you! you seem to be on a good roll with the phone call from the construction folks.

Mr Limpett · #12 06/02/2004, 10:28 AM

You assume that the voltage needed to start a fire exceeds the GFI. As long as the short doesn't pull too much electricity it won't trip the GFI. The chiller probably smoldered for a while then ignited.

ApolloDog · #13 06/02/2004, 10:47 AM

cwboomer: Thank you. I was thinking the same thing about the insurance company. Actually, the whole thing freaked me out enough that I was already reconsidering the hobby!

One of the things that is being done with the home reconstruction is that a fish room in being built. I am seriously considering adding fire sprinklers in that room. It will be located under my sons room so I would hate to have anything like this happen while we are asleep.

The only thing the workers have going is their compressor and a few radios, but they are on a different circuit. It has been running this way for over a month without any problems....really strange.

iSpeakWhale · #14 06/02/2004, 11:04 AM

Tagging along b/c I just myself a Arctica chiller! OMG!

ApolloDog · #15 06/02/2004, 11:06 AM

Actually, I am not 100% sure if they guys have their stuff running on a different circuit? I need to find out for sure. I wonder if running too much could cause it to burn up, or whether it would just trip the breaker? I don't know enough about electricity...doh!

Old Yeller Tang · #16 06/02/2004, 11:08 AM

That's some scary stuff right there! I've never ever heard of a chiller catching on fire. Do you have any clues what might have caused this?
I really don't understand Artica's logic in having the input/output lines right on top of it!

xrunner1234 · #17 06/02/2004, 11:18 AM

GFI's will only trip if there is imbalance of current in the hot and return leg such when a short occurs to earth ground. You can have a fire without the main breaker or GFI tripping.

Think about itâ€¦ How hot is the filament in a light bulb? This can certainly start a fire.

ApolloDog · #18 06/02/2004, 11:18 AM

I not really sure what happened. The only possiblities that I can think of is that it was defective and burned up on its own, or everything running on one circuit caused a problem, don't know if that can happen?

The tank is plugged into one circuit which covers 2 rooms in the house. Its run like this for over a year without a hint of a problem. The only difference now is that the house is being remodeled so all the electrical is being replaced. The only circuit left is the one tied to the tank. There MAY be a second one for the construction workers compressor and raidos and drill, but I need to find out for sure. If there isn't, all of this would be running on one circuit, maybe a problem, dunno.

Old Yeller Tang · #19 06/02/2004, 11:36 AM

I used to run my whole tank setup in the family room where my entertainment center is and my circuit would always trip when the chiller was on for more than 5min. That's when I decided to add another breaker just for my tank to solve this issue. I would think yours would've done the same.

Also, your chiller should have a Protection Device that would shut it off if the compressor was overheating. My guess is this failed on the chiller. Artica's fault and should take full responsibility!

I wish JBJ would take full responsibility for the crappy pc systems I bought from them!

Mine melted pretty bad too!

blgreef · #20 06/02/2004, 11:41 AM

I think you need to wait to see what actualy started the fire. in the chiller

I would also be careful about what is posted on this board more so if you have issues with the company.

looking at the picture it seem the fire did most damge to the power cable input, is this a removable plug or hard wired into the chiller.

And it may just be a case of a short generated by a small leak, crazy to have the pipe inputs on the top, looks like asking for trouble..

need4reef · #21 06/02/2004, 12:19 PM

damn! sorry to hear about this...

on a side note, the Pacific Coast chillers also have the hoses on top, mine is like that

csunracer · #22 06/02/2004, 12:31 PM

Wow, how ironic that an item designed to maintain stability and to keep your inhabitants safe can be the culprit of such a huge potential disaster.

ApolloDog · #23 06/02/2004, 01:15 PM

blgreef : The power cord comes attached (hard wired inside by company). I agree, it looks to have started where the cord ties into the unit. I do see the point of the water being above the powercord, wonder if there was a leak????

I have found out that the tank is running on its own circuit. The guys working on the home have 3 seperate circuits dedicated for their own equipment.

carl0209 · #24 06/02/2004, 01:59 PM

I don't think the fire had anything to do with the power. Even if the circuit was being over loaded, that means you have less juice
to the chiller... But the fire was inside the chiller... If it was electrical the cord would have been burnt. The pic shows the cord has little or no damage. I think it was inside that caused it.
On a side note I just got the Pacific Coast 1/2 hp chiller and the in and outlet are on the side not the top... By the way in the second picture there is an orange line across the tank. Is that a copper line and if it is find out if it was insulated and with what? That is where I would start looking... Good Luck

royb · #25 06/02/2004, 02:36 PM

What type of work was being done in the house? What about fine powder/dust collecting in it and the heat inside the unit causing it to ignite?