JCOLE
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Thinking of converting a stand up freezer into a chiller. Will these coils work with saltwater? If not, does anyone have a good recommendation on where to buy the coils?
Could I use these coils for a DIY Chiller?
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That will be a tough one. I am assuming that you would like to place the coils in a chest freezer and have the coils sit in the freezer. The problem lies in the fact that you will have warm water always running through your freezer and the freezer compressor will be continually running to try and reach pull down temp within the freezer itself, never making it. It is a good way to wear out the freezer compressor and never really have effective cooling. This will also be dependant on the size pump that you are using for water flow, the volume of water to be cooled, the size of the freezer, and the pull-down temperature needed in the tank. Theoretically, it is possible if you figure all things out but I found it ineffective and more costly than purchasing a dedicated chiller for the job. After all the costs to set it up, not working effectively enough, and then spending the money for a dedicated chilller, I would have been far better off just purchasing the dedicated chiller from the get-go.
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I did a thread, on converting a window ac unit to a chiller. I use the 316SS coils(similar to your picture) , titanium best, but that much coil, expensive.Thinking of converting a stand up freezer into a chiller. Will these coils work with saltwater? If not, does anyone have a good recommendation on where to buy the coils?
Dr. Dendrostein
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My thread, I used 316SS coil, it's Marine application
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Try if possible to put coils in a refugium like setup. Efficient and effective.Thinking of converting a stand up freezer into a chiller. Will these coils work with saltwater? If not, does anyone have a good recommendation on where to buy the coils?
In my thread, my tank long, so coils went on one end of tank.
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As to using a freezer for compressor, should work, try using flare fittings for refrigeration connections,where freon flows through.
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U
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JCOLE
Grower of the Small Polyps
Could you send me a link to this thread?
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JCOLE
Grower of the Small Polyps
I was looking at a chiller but I am a little sticker shocked as I have a 150 and would need at least a 1/2HP or larger per specs. I already have the freezer so purchasing this coil at around $60 doesnt seem that bad. I was going to hook the freezer up to my Apex and turn it on when it went above temp and off at a desired temperature. I was going to come off one of my manifolds for flow.
Sounds like a good idea if these coils will not corrode. IDK. What do you think?
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If you get 316SS could rust out in time(guess) and chiller also moves oil with refrigerant.
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DIY CHILLER, FROM WINDOW A/C
I looked in the lab (aka garage), found a window a/c. So light bulb came on. Build a chiller 1/2hp. I'm setting up a dendronephthya dedicated test tank and need one more chiller. So why not. Being in the HVACR industry, should be a piece of cake. We'll see. Here's some pictures, just...
www.reef2reef.com
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Again, a lot will depend on the pull-down temperature needed. The issue setting it up as you plan is the time it will take to cool the freezer to lower the temp. I tried to do it on a 55 gallon in the tropics years ago and it failed miserably. I would hook up a dedicated pump and have that be controlled by the Apex and keep the freezer on all the time instead. I would also load up the freezer with jugs of water and keep those frozen. This way the freezer is at temperature and will likely not run all the time due to the vast amount of frozen water in the freezer already. The water in the coil & lines should not freeze when the pump is off due to it being saltwater. That is the way I would set it up if I were you.
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JCOLE
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I like that approach better. I only need around 1 degree or a little more. What if I went the route of some tubing like this one? Then added a small gph pump?
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If you can set that coil of vinyl tubing in ice within freezer, then you have a good chanceI like that approach better. I only need around 1 degree or a little more. What if I went the route of some tubing like this one? Then added a small gph pump?
Normal, cheap fridge or freezer cannot keep up. They are not made to. Maybe a commercial one could, but you can get a chiller way cheaper.
Just look for a used chiller... should not be much more than a few hundred bucks, but this is the wrong time of year to buy one... look this winter. With a 150g tank in the northeast, you only need one for a few months, so even a 1/4hp would work fine. Smaller is better than larger since longer cycles are better than shorter ones.
Just look for a used chiller... should not be much more than a few hundred bucks, but this is the wrong time of year to buy one... look this winter. With a 150g tank in the northeast, you only need one for a few months, so even a 1/4hp would work fine. Smaller is better than larger since longer cycles are better than shorter ones.
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Check my threads, there's one on how to buy a used chiller
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P-Dub
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You certainly could try that tubing. That is what I used which failed for me. I think the steel tubing would have better transfer.I like that approach better. I only need around 1 degree or a little more. What if I went the route of some tubing like this one? Then added a small gph pump?
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JCOLE
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I was thinking I could put the whole coil in a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water. Put that in the freezer to turn into a block of ice around the coils. Do you think that would work to help insulate and keep temperature or would the ice just melt or crack the tubing?
