apex .... controlling 220v pumps.. DP contactors

camaroboy8691

New member
i am going to run a apex for my new setup , but to help conserve electric im re wiring my pumps for 220v , i dont think neptune offers a 220v break out box . so im curious if there is anything on the market .

or should i just do a 2 pole deffenite purpose contactor for the high voltage with a 120v coil and let the apex control the pumps that way ?

i use alot of deffenite purpose contactors in my line of work and know they are very reliable , but im always looking for newer ideas so im listening to opinions before i start wiring .

any thoughts on this or do i already have the answer to my question ?

thanks
 
You are billed for for kWH... Rewiring to a higher voltage does NOT make your electrical bill cheaper.
Problem solved ;)
 
You are billed for for kWH... Rewiring to a higher voltage does NOT make your electrical bill cheaper.
Problem solved ;)

True, but appliances operate more efficiently at 208V compared to 120v, thus consuming fewer kWH.
 
True, but appliances operate more efficiently at 208V compared to 120v, thus consuming fewer kWH.

Big appliance, pumps, motors run on 220v because they require half the amps they would require if run at 110v. Some of the amperage would be more than your normal household 110v wiring/breaks can handle. Most household outlets are connected to a 15amp break (some are 20). A 220v pump that pulls 15 amps, would pull 30 amps on 110. Not really doable. It is not because they "operate more efficiently"

You will NOT save on your electric bill by switcing to 220v instead of 110v.
 
right on the electric its more of an efficiency thing .. , i have 5 pumps , 2 darts , 1 hammerhead , 1 tiger shark high pressure , and 1 blue line 1700 ..... the reeflo pumps can all be switched over to 220v ..... i dont have the numbers handy but its like half the amp draw going to 220v , id rather run a 40amp breaker to my pump area instead double ....
 
Then yes.. using a properly rated contactor (120V coil and contacts rated for your loads) is how you could control them..
 
right on the electric its more of an efficiency thing .. , i have 5 pumps , 2 darts , 1 hammerhead , 1 tiger shark high pressure , and 1 blue line 1700 ..... the reeflo pumps can all be switched over to 220v ..... i dont have the numbers handy but its like half the amp draw going to 220v , id rather run a 40amp breaker to my pump area instead double ....

Its half the amp draw because it's twice the voltage. That doesn't mean your power bill will be much if any different.

I was in your shoes once and had about as many pumps. I cut my bill way down by reducing the number of pumps and in particular my external recirculation pumps and replaced those with Tunze's and Koralias. I also swapped out pumps like Iwaki's and little giants for the Reeflo's. I now run a hammerhead gold for the return and a dart for a circulation pump along with 3 Tunze's and one Koralia. In the end I had better flow and my power bill went from over $1000 per month down to $300. By eliminating all those external pumps, my chiller which used to run 12 hours a day drawing 11 amps now has not turned on in over 2 years!

If I were you, I would rethink your pump setup as that is the best way to reduce your power consumption while also reducing heat in your tank.

That said, I thought I read that Neptune was releasing a 220V EB4 for the Apex.
 
Its half the amp draw because it's twice the voltage. That doesn't mean your power bill will be much if any different.

I was in your shoes once and had about as many pumps. I cut my bill way down by reducing the number of pumps and in particular my external recirculation pumps and replaced those with Tunze's and Koralias. I also swapped out pumps like Iwaki's and little giants for the Reeflo's. I now run a hammerhead gold for the return and a dart for a circulation pump along with 3 Tunze's and one Koralia. In the end I had better flow and my power bill went from over $1000 per month down to $300. By eliminating all those external pumps, my chiller which used to run 12 hours a day drawing 11 amps now has not turned on in over 2 years!

If I were you, I would rethink your pump setup as that is the best way to reduce your power consumption while also reducing heat in your tank.

That said, I thought I read that Neptune was releasing a 220V EB4 for the Apex.

the tank im putting together is a 4'x8'x30"tall . the equipment and sump is directly below the tank the sump is going to sit on the floor , im going to use the 2 darts for returns . the 1700 blueline is powering a bullet xl2 skimmer , and then the hammer head and tigers are for the closed loop . half of the loop is going to be for more gentle water flow which is where the hammer head would go . and the tiger would be for more water flow down the road , its going to start out as fowlr and maybe progress into corals . but if i see the need to switch to other flow devices i will look at them , this has been a project 2 yrs in the making that is sooo close to being wet and alot of the stuff has been bought over this time frame .
 
You'll also save on wiring... A 220v 15amp line can easily be fed by 12/3... For a 30amp 120 you'll need at least 10/2, but I'd run 8/2 for a long run... Be sure to enclose your contractors well.
 
im going to run 2 legs to the tank both with 8g wire , contactors will be in a water tight enclosure since they dont put off any real heat like an SSR im not to worried other than moisture ruining them .

im a few weeks away from the wiring part , trying to get the stand and tank into place ,an plumbing , i have a ton of stuff to jamb into the small area where this is going so finding a place for the electrical stuff will come alittle later
 
the tank im putting together is a 4'x8'x30"tall . the equipment and sump is directly below the tank the sump is going to sit on the floor , im going to use the 2 darts for returns . the 1700 blueline is powering a bullet xl2 skimmer , and then the hammer head and tigers are for the closed loop . half of the loop is going to be for more gentle water flow which is where the hammer head would go . and the tiger would be for more water flow down the road , its going to start out as fowlr and maybe progress into corals . but if i see the need to switch to other flow devices i will look at them , this has been a project 2 yrs in the making that is sooo close to being wet and alot of the stuff has been bought over this time frame .

My tank is damn near the same dims. Mine is 4'x8'x2' tall. I think you've gone way overboard on the pumps. I hope you have a good chiller because I think your going to need it! Like I said above, I would rethink your pumps. After having my tank for nearly 20 years now, I've made many plumbing changes over the years and finally have it setup where my flow is better than ever, my temps are stable enough to not need a chiller and my efficiency is such that it doesn't drive my power bill through the roof. Once upon a time, my tank was costing me over $700 per month in power alone. Now it costs me less than $100 to power it. My bills went from over $1100 per month down to $300 a month and my tank is doing better than it ever has and is infinitely quieter too. That is over $8000 a year in power savings. Multiply that by the time I've owned my tank and the savings is mind boggling!

If I were you, I'd use the hammerhead for the return and maybe a dart for recirc if you really think you need it. That hammerhead has enough power to handle the return and your bullet skimmer as it's pressure rated. . You would just need a T in the return line with a gate valve between the Tank and the T and another gate valve between the T and the skimmer to balance the flow. If you want better flow on the return, add a couple 1" seaswirls. That's what I did

While I understand your thinking, I personally feel very strongly that there are better ways of accomplishing the same if not better flow while eliminating critical points of failure and saving a bundle on power. You may want to read through my build thread. I am sure you could get a lot of ideas and save yourself some headaches down the line. My thread covers my plethora of pumps that I once had as well as my changes to eliminate them and also the unique way I mounted my power heads to my old bulk heads to eliminate wires in my tank. It's a good read and at this critical juncture in your build, it my provide some good ideas for you and save you a bundle in both time and money in the long run.

Here is a link to my thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
 
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I had a similar issue. I wanted to use a 240 volt ballast to drive my lighting. I built this box with relays and controlled them via my apex outlets. The 110 outlets on the apex bar simply act as the switch to the 240 volt pump.

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