Chiller

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I am thinking about buying a Aqua Eura USA Nano Chiller CL-85. Does anyone have any info on them? I have never had a chiller at all. I do not know the dos and donts of any chiller. They say this one is made for a 12 gallon nano which is what I have. I do not know what kind of pump I need or anything about them. PLEASE help? Thank you!!!
 
The only advice I can give you is: oversize the chiller by 20% or more. It will keep the chiller for cycling too much and make it last longer.

HTH
 
How about you do a Google search on the model, which should bring up some hits from Owners and Sellers? Owner's real world experience is good. Marine Depot and other major online sellers often have reviews posted about the products they sell, positive and negative, which is nice.

I have 1/2 horse chiller on the way, and I did a lot of research before I bought. General rule I heard repeated again and again: if your total system (tank/sump etc) volume is close to the upper limit of the chiller's rating, then step up to the next size.

You also need to consider the location and ambient temperature of the room the tank is in. If you keep your room temp at 70, a chiller will work a lot less than if you keep your room temp at 78, for example.

I am also in the market for a chiller for a new system I just set up. It is 60 net gallons (tank/sump). I really wanted to buy a 1/12 or 1/15 HP chiller, but I cannot get away with it because the largest volume they can handle is about 40-50 gallons tops, so I am going to have to buy a 1/10 HP unit, as most of them are rated for 80 gallons, which gives me a 25% oversize. Net result is that the chiller should cycle on and off a bit less.

A nice feature many chillers offer is a dual stage thermostat, which means chillers with dual stage thermostats have an electrical outlet on them you can plug a heater into, and the chiller thermostat controls the heater as well so your heater and chiller are not fighting each other. Single stage chillers only control the cooling of the water, so you need to be watchful of your heater settings so the heater/chiller are not fighting each other. dual stage thermostats are the way to go in a chiller, IMO.

If you have a sump, most folks plumb their chiller thru their return line to the tank, but if you have a nano you will need an in-tank submersible pump of some type. Whichever brand you choose, just make sure the actual net flow rate thru the chiller is within the manufacturer's recomendations. These ratings are to be sure their is enough water flow to keep the chiller from freezing up. Be aware that the turns and bends inside a chiller slow down the flow of a water pump (aka increased head pressure), so after you decide which pump to get, you should test it by turning it on in your tank, and measuring the output thru the chiller for 30 seconds or a minute into a bucket (hold bucket at same height as the top of tank), then getting an hourly equivalent so you are in that flow range recommended by the manufacturer.
Dave
 
Last edited:
How about you do a Google search on the model, which should bring up some hits from Owners and Sellers? Owner's real world experience is good. Marine Depot and other major online sellers often have reviews posted about the products they sell, positive and negative, which is nice.

I have 1/2 horse chiller on the way, and I did a lot of research before I bought. General rule I heard repeated again and again: if your tank volume is close to the upper limit of the chiller's rating, then step up to the next size.

You also need to consider the location and ambient temperature of the room the tank is in. If you keep your room temp at 70, a chiller will work a lot less than if you keep your room temp at 78, for example.

I am also in the market for a chiller for a new system I just set up. It is 60 net gallons (tank/sump). I really wanted to buy a 1/12 or 1/15 HP chiller, but I cannot get away with it because the largest volume they can handle is about 40-50 gallons tops, so I am going to have to buy a 1/10 HP unit, as most of them are rated for 80 gallons, which gives me a 25% oversize. Net result is that the chiller should cycle on and off a bit less.

A nice feature many chillers offer is a dual stage thermostat, which means chillers with dual stage thermostats have an electrical outlet on them you can plug a heater into, and the chiller thermostat controls the heater as well so your heater and chiller are not fighting each other. Single stage chillers only control the cooling of the water, so you need to be watchful of your heater settings so the heater/chiller are not fighting each other. dual stage thermostats are the way to go in a chiller, IMO.

If you have a sump, most folks plumb their chiller thru their return line to the tank, but if you have a nano you will need an in-tank submersible pump of some type. Whichever brand you choose, just make sure the actual net flow rate thru the chiller is within the manufacturer's recomendations. These ratings are to be sure their is enough water flow to keep the chiller from freezing up. Be aware that the turns and bends inside a chiller slow down the flow of a water pump (aka increased head pressure), so after you decide which pump to get, you should test it by turning it on in your tank, and measuring the output thru the chiller for 30 seconds or a minute into a bucket (hold bucket at same height as the top of tank), then getting an hourly equivalent so you are in that flow range recommended by the manufacturer.
Dave


If you are electrical handy, you could use a relay to get the dual stage capability. Let me know and I can guide you.
 
If you are electrical handy, you could use a relay to get the dual stage capability. Let me know and I can guide you.

Yea, I know you can use a relay, but costwise I haven't found much difference between a single and dual stage setup on chiller prices. Buying a chiller with a dual stage is just easier.

Your kind offer is very generous, however.:wink: Thanks!
Dave
 

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