Chiller Plumbing Questions

[theringnebula]

If you have a large enough return pump can you run the output of the pump through the chiller before it returns to the tank or will these really reduce the flow?

I might do 2 return pumps to the aquarium so I could make one slightly bigger and hook the chiller up to it if it will reduce flow significantly.

OR if you rig up a seperate pump for the chiller can you use a controller so that the pump is only on when the chiller is on.

My main concern here is that most chillers need a powerful pump and I would like to save as much on electricity here as possible as it could cost as much as $10-20 a month to run a pump 24/7 depending on it's power consumption (I don't even want to think what the chiller will cost to run)

BTW I am thinking of going with a CustomSeaLife PowerCooler 1/3HP if anyone has comments about those.

Wes

[theringnebula]

Sorry I also forgot... I am planning on having the chiller in the stand... will it generate too much heat under there.. or should I try to vent it somehow.. I have no experience with chillers.

[ATLANTIS]

Having the chiller in the stand if very inefficient. You will be cooling the water in an enclosed area that you will be overheating with the chiller. It will work tice as hard.

A chiller works most efficiently when the elements are in another room or outside.

I would run a separate pump to the chiller like you suggest.

[tubs]

theringnebula,

I would highly recommend that you place the chiller outside of the room and if possible outside altogether or in the crawlspace. Whatever heat is taken out of the tank is place into the surrounding air and in your case underneath your tank and the whole room the tank is in. The heat release can be quite significant depending on how much heat your various equipment (especially 400w halides) generate. This can be quite uncomfortable and is counterproductive in a sense. You're cooling the tank but at the same time making itself work harder by also heating up the room the tank is in.

What kind of pump do you have? I believe a chiller that size would require somewhere around 700gph going through the chiller and the only back pressure created should be the plumbing itself and the head pressure associated with it. Check the chiller requirements for flow rates. What you can do is check various curves of different pumps and try to match the 2 that way. FWIW I'm using a Dolphin Ampmaster on my new tank and it is driving 4 outlets sufficiently. One does go through a chiller plumbed outside on the other side of the wall. The other 3 outlets pass through a skimmer, UV sterilizer and one directly back into the tank.

[theringnebula]

I am building this system from scratch so I have nothing right now. I am building a stand and since this is going to go up against an outside wall I could vent the stand with some sort of fan to the outside that could kick on at a certain temperature and/or when the chiller is on. I would love to put the chiller outside but the ground is like 4 feet or so below the floor. I suppose I might be able to rig up something in the basement to hang from the ceiling thus only adding another foot or so of head pressure.

[endymion]

I have a 1/4 hp chiller and it kicks out a lot of heat. If at all possible put it outside with a protective housing and build a 4ft stand for it to rest on. If the stand needs to rest directly on ground and/or is exposed to the weather, use some pressure treated wood for the chiller stand and enclosure.

If you put a vent you are asking for critters to come into you house. This might not be an issue where you live. If you just run some tubing through you can seal around the tubing.

About the pump, I would just use one pump for chiller and return. I think the cost for 2 pumps with a head pressure of X at height H will cost more to buy and run then 1 pump with head pressure of X with height H plus a few extra feet for the chiller plumbing.


I use a older and still kicking Ehiem pump that goes from my sump to the chiller then back to the tank with no problems.