Need opinion about chillers

[vinz]

I'm considering getting a chiller for a 6 foot tank and need some opinions/feedback. How do the different brands compare? Teco has a pretty good reputation. What about Hailea? Any other good brands to consider? How do the noise levels compare?

Thanks.

[joe]

I'm also considering one in the near future. What should I be looking for in a chiller for a 6ft? Really lost about chiller specifications. Anyone can advise?

[kingpin]

I am using a Teco 680 for my 5ft. Takes about 3-4 hours to cool tank from 28 to 26 with MH lights switched on. The initial turning of the fan when its starts cranking is audible if you are standing near it, after that you wouldnt notice the noise. I have been using it for a year without any problem. If your budget allows, go for Teco . [:]

[vinz]

Kingpin,

How often does it run?

[squall99e]

Vinz and joe,

If both of you are getting a chiller, get them togetther. The shop will definitely give you a better discount.

I am current using Hailea 260ca for my 4 ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft tank before the hot weather it is running ard 4 hours daily. But now the chiller is running more often.
When the chiller stop at 26 deg c, the temp rise very fast back to 27deg c
and cut in again. [] electrical bills up

I got the chiller from a friend for $700 as he purchase the wrong model for his tank 4ft x 2ft x 2ft (running most of the time).
He brought it for $750 cheap compare to kheong seng sole distribustor $950
because he purchase 2 set with another friend (DISCOUNT after hard bargaining)

[kingpin]

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On 5/22/2003 5:00:12 PM

How often does it run?
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Vinz,

Nowadays, it cranks up twice a day due to the warm weather. Previously only once a day. MH lights switched on for 6 hours. The chiller would crank before and after the light duration.

[pink]

I would suggest getting a chiller one size bigger than what the paper specs says it is suitable for.

My friend bought a Teco RA200 for his 2ft cube. To bring down the temp to 26c the chiller needs to run for 6 hours then about 1 hour later the temp go up and the chiller got to run again.

He changed it for the next model up RA240 and now the chiller don't have to run for so long anymore, only about 2-3 hours.

Between the RA200 and RA240, power consumption is the same even though the RA200 is 1/4hp and the RA240 is 1/2hp.

So in the long run you save on your electricity bill when the chiller don't have to run for so long daily.

[lvanilla]

How to calculate the capacity abt chiller? I tnk is rated by bph??? How izzit link to tank size? Thanks[:0]

[squall99e]

I also agree with the next higher capacity choice with pink.
However if you care for the budget, you do not have to choose the chiller that match exactly to your tank volume.
My 4ft tank have a volume of 243L capacity however that it a bare tank fill with water to the top.
Plus the substrate and driftwood, I have a rough vol of 190L to cool.
There a big difference in price between a HL 260ca and 380ca (next higher)

[pink]

for Teco chillers, their website will have chart on their various chillers - how much the chiller can pull down the temp vs the size of the tank. See this link: http://www.tecosrl.com/products/diagr_e.htm

[lvanilla]

Anyone using the Teco micro chiller? Good? How much izzit?

[joachimsim]

How much electricity bills on the average does a chiller chalk up for a 4 ft tank..and how do u do the calculations based on Wattage??? and duration of usage per day??

Thanks..

Vinz, why do u need a chiller..does it make a difference for planted or marine tanks??

[vinz]

Joachim,

Most plants do better at temperatures below 28 degrees celcius. Better still below 26. Some can adapt to and survive in higher temps around 30... but don't do as well.

With the recent upswing in temps, my tank and plants are doing quite badly. My gut feel it's more the rather quick change that is causing most of the woes.

All the ppl who use chillers that I've spoken to, say that their tanks do better with chillers.

Electrical consumption is based on how often and how long the chiller has to actively cool the water. Those 2 depend on several factors like ambient temperature around the chiller and tank, how fast you tank temp rises up again, the target temp setting, the rating of the chiller (the bigger better).

If you keep the tank and chiller in a closed room, heat produced from the chiller will quickly raise the ambient temperature quite high, in turn heating up the tank faster. If the room has good ventilation, the ambient temperature won't rise so fast nor so high.

Kingpin above has pretty good run times on his chiller. Some ppl's chiller, I hear, run every half hour for a few hours each time. That's actually my main concern right now... my house is completely closed during the day, so a chiller will really hurt the electrical bill and not to mention the heat build up in the living room can't be good for the long term.

[rosha]

hi vinz

i think bioplast have a very good chiller
his chiller has a very low watt, silence and fast cooling
i saw quet a lot of people trade in their TECO Chiller
and other brand too hey you can check it up with them

[] []

[jacian]

Has anyone tried or known of someone who tried the korean brand chiller brought in by Sys. and Control? I need some feedbacks.

[sherchoo]

Buying one size bigger IMO shouldn't be practised. Instead looking at the specifications should give you precisely which model can support your tank.

For example: a 6ft tank is about 540L. From the chart for the Teco chiller, You should use RA680 which can cool your 540L tank to as low as 15 deg. Buying one size up in this case is simply make no sense.

[Goondoo]

*nod*
Agree with Sherchoo, don't make it sounds like buying pants....

[benny]

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On 5/23/2003 1:01:02 PM

Kingpin above has pretty good run times on his chiller. Some ppl's chiller, I hear, run every half hour for a few hours each time. That's actually my main concern right now... my house is completely closed during the day, so a chiller will really hurt the electrical bill and not to mention the heat build up in the living room can't be good for the long term.
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Good point. My set up is in a closed room. The heat in the house is quite unbearable when I come home. Have tried to open the window but not a good solution. It sounds stupid, but I'm going to buy a fan for my chiller.

Cheers,

[benny]

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On 5/23/2003 12:55:07 AM

Anyone using the Teco micro chiller? Good? How much izzit?
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Should be retailing for S$980. You are probably better off with a Hailea instead for that price. However, it's very quiet as it does not use a compressor. Hardly know that it's there and the heat generated acceptable.

Cheers,

[pink]

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On 6/4/2003 4:56:42 PM

Buying one size bigger IMO shouldn't be practised. Instead looking at the specifications should give you precisely which model can support your tank.

For example: a 6ft tank is about 540L. From the chart for the Teco chiller, You should use RA680 which can cool your 540L tank to as low as 15 deg. Buying one size up in this case is simply make no sense.
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Just one thing to add here: if you look at Teco's specs for their RA200 and RA240, the power consumption is the same - 220W. But the RA240 is rated for bigger tanks than the RA200. In this case, I believe it is better to buy the RA240 for a little bit more money than the RA200 and save on the electricity bill in the long run. The chiller will also last longer because it won't have to work so hard, compared to RA200, for a same size tank.