Chinese chiller worth it?

[Gungo]

I’m in need of a chiller for a 30g tank. Was looking at the discounts that JBJ has for the 1/15 but I also saw these new chinese ones that cost 50% less with the same tech. Any reviews or comments of these chillers sold on eBay and Amazon?

 

[littlefoxx]

I’m in need of a chiller for a 30g tank. Was looking at the discounts that JBJ has for the 1/15 but I also saw these new chinese ones that cost 50% less with the same tech. Any reviews or comments of these chillers sold on eBay and Amazon?

My boyfriend would say its made of “Chinese crap plastic” and tell me not to buy it due to quality most likely being not good. (I dont mean anything bad about the Chinese people by the way, but they mass produce everything super cheap world wide!) i probably would pass for that price, a little much for a uv made there in my opinion

 

[Gungo]

Its not an UV, its a chiller. I disagree with your opinion as there’s lots of good equipment out there made in china. Jebao return pumps is an example that chinese stuff could work even better than top name brands

 

[sc50964]

What’s the brand name? I don’t think the pictures show it.

 

[Gungo]

It seems not to have a brand, but the most popular brands similar to that picture that sells on Amazon its Baoshishan and poafamx. They are becoming popular according to their sales. Just wanted to see if someone here has one and recommends it.

 

[The_Paradox]

I have some iteration of that chiller plumbed into two of my tanks. It only runs when I lose power but stays in the loop continually. Been there almost two years and nothing has died and water tests fine. As far as longevity I cannot really say as they only have ~72 hours of run time on them.

 

[Gungo]

I'll pull the trigger. I just can't justify spending $500 on a JBJ 1/15 when there's those $300 off.

 

[RJT]

Keep us updated. hope it works well.

 

[CBonito]

Go for it. The Chinese can make anything just as good as anywhere else.
For a real compressor driven chiller at that price with titanium tubing, I'd say SOLD.

Problem here in America is we're used to getting ripped off for EVERYTHING and don't know any better.

You got that link???

 

[sc50964]

Go for it. The Chinese can make anything just as good as anywhere else.
For a real compressor driven chiller at that price with titanium tubing, I'd say SOLD.

Problem here in America is we're used to getting ripped off for EVERYTHING and don't know any better.

You got that link???

Exactly…, don’t they already make a lot of our home fridge and AC compressors?

 

[CBonito]

Exactly…, don’t they already make a lot of our home fridge and AC compressors?

I have a refrigerator in my Jeep Rubicon made with one of their crappy compressors under an australian brand name...it's 7 years old and still kicking butt.

 

[Pyrogens]

I'd be curious on an update when you receive it and put it into service. I will say though, JBJ Arctica chillers are 100% worth the money.

 

[James Bardwell]

I've tried both the 100 and 200watt ones. The 100w has an underpowered . Power supply that dies after a few months two did this, you can replace it with a more powerful one. The 200w one trips gifs after a 2 months, had three do that, heat exchanger tubing looks like copper. Service sucks, no replies to messages. Both freeze up the input water, can put on a time to shut off for 10min 3x a day cures it l, but the gfi tripping his a deal breaker. So not recommended

 

[kyowang]

Most JBj ch

I’m in need of a chiller for a 30g tank. Was looking at the discounts that JBJ has for the 1/15 but I also saw these new chinese ones that cost 50% less with the same tech. Any reviews or comments

most JBj chiller is make in china! What u pay is what u get!

 

[The_Paradox]

I've tried both the 100 and 200watt ones. The 100w has an underpowered . Power supply that dies after a few months two did this, you can replace it with a more powerful one. The 200w one trips gifs after a 2 months, had three do that, heat exchanger tubing looks like copper. Service sucks, no replies to messages. Both freeze up the input water, can put on a time to shut off for 10min 3x a day cures it l, but the gfi tripping his a deal breaker. So not recommended

Most of that sounds like your flow rate is too low. What’s your ΔT?

 

[Naekuh]

It seems not to have a brand, but the most popular brands similar to that picture that sells on Amazon its Baoshishan and poafamx. They are becoming popular according to their sales. Just wanted to see if someone here has one and recommends it.

I have 3 units.
They all seem to be made by the same OEM.
But i have a 1/10HP Baoshishan... 1/3HP Poafamx... and a 1/3HP no name clone.

My thoughts on it...
They are pretty well made for the price.
You can get them a LOT cheaper on Ebay tho.
For example, i paid 400 for the Baoshishan (amazon)... about 450(amazon) for the poafamx and 290 (Ebay) for the no name.
Again, they are all mostly identical... although the 1/10hp versions seem to have a few different revisions.

As for the cooling chamber, its a PVC tub with a titanium coil evaporator inside.
(yes i checked with a endoscope and magnet as you can not completely trust made in china.)

The Boashishan has been going well for 3 years now, the poafamx for about 2 years, and i just picked up the no name because i needed it on a new setup.

Are they as good as a JBJ? Probably not... but they get the job done well and at a lot cheaper cost.
I also have an ActiveAqua on my UNS 120U which is vastly superior to these guys, but that unit also costed 50% more.
Would i get another if needed?
Most definitely... 300 dollars for a 1/3HP chiller with a titanium evaporator, care to show me something simular?
Also a chiller won't take your tank out like a heat will if it malfunctions, unless your grossly overpowered your chiller to the point where it goes way high Delta T and ends up overchilling your tank before your heater can compensate.

I've tried both the 100 and 200watt ones. The 100w has an underpowered . Power supply that dies after a few months two did this, you can replace it with a more powerful one. The 200w one trips gifs after a 2 months, had three do that, heat exchanger tubing looks like copper. Service sucks, no replies to messages. Both freeze up the input water, can put on a time to shut off for 10min 3x a day cures it l, but the gfi tripping his a deal breaker. So not recommended

You got the thermoelectric ones and not the real compressor chiller.
The compressor chillers are are on a whole different ball park, also i would never trust a thermoelectric unit as the heat exchanger is all made of ALU and not Titanium.
I would never trust any metal in any of my tanks unless it was Stainless 316L or Titanium.

And how you know its a thermoelectric is the compressors versions all are listed by HP, while the TEC Peltier is rated by watts.

 

[piranhaman00]

All plastic is made in china, even the high end stuff people pay stupid money for us made in china. I would go for it!

 

[Aquachristik]

@Gungo did you end up getting it? I'm in the market and looking at it as an option.

 

[Naekuh]

@Gungo did you end up getting it? I'm in the market and looking at it as an option.

Just do it! Not sponsoring nike. lol...

 

[Naekuh]

OK so summer is back, and you guys probably want to see what the 1/3HP cheap chinese chillers can do right?

Ambients in that room hit about 92F...
Here is my APEX log, you can see how fast it took my tank down.

System Specs:
150G Innovative Marine Lagoon.
39G Innovative RF39 sump.

I have 2 MP40's + Mighty Jet XL + 40W UV Steralizer + Simplicity 120 Skimmer + Jaebo circulation pump in my return to help mix my dosing drop.

So the 1/3hp i feel is good enough for a 150g if it can pull that.
And as i said if you buy them on ebay and make an offer to some of the vendors, you can get them for under 300 dollars.

Thats cheaper then any single piece of my apex gear.