Ask your chiller related issues here

craps_dealer said:
I purchased a Pacific Coast CL-600 1/4 HP In-Line Chiller with digital thermostat and temperature control from a fellow RCer. When I bought it he said it had only been used 4 months. I hooked it up last summer and used it for about 3 months then it started clicking. It would start up when the Temp got above the set point but it is not chilling at all and just keeps running. The fan is just blowing room temp air, not pulling any heat out of the exchanger. I had a friend that is in the HVAC ad he said he could not see what was wrong with it. I can hear the comp trying to kick on, it clicks and you can see lights flicker so I know it is trying to draw amps but nothing. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

cloud be a few things , 1 low refridgerant charge 2 compressor not pumping 3 or the compressor is not comming on via bad overload , capasitor, relay or the compressor is locked up
 
slickmin said:
question, would i be able to put my chiller in the window as i would with a ac. my chiller blow hot *** air into the room couzin the temp of the tank to go up couzin the chiller to stay on all day..
Click to expand...

sounds like you have the tank in a small room with no air flow or the chiller is too small for the heat load of the tank its self , and yes the chiller can be exausted out of the room as long as you keep the chiller level and secured properly
 
I recently got a good deal on a Via Aqua Polar Bear CC-50 chiller because it's throwing an error code "EL", which apparently means that the temperature sensor probe needs to be replaced.

I have been unsuccessful in locating this part, so I was wondering if there was a way I could plug the probe port and bypass the sensor since I can control the chiller with my Reefkeeper.

Is there a suitable replacement probe or recommended method of completing this repair?
 
the probe is nothing but a thermistor you just need to know what ohm's its rated at, you can contact the manufacture to get a probe or if you have a kele in your area the can most likely match one up for you but it will need to be sealed with shrink wrap tubing,

you can bypass the the controler by removing the compressor from the controler and having the compressor wired directly to the plug , and have the chiller pluged into your hd dc-4 module on your reefkeeper. the only issue is that the chiller will not have any freeze protection , it would only freeze if your pump stopped working and the chiller lost its flow thru it . otherwise it will work just fine
 
ihavtats29 said:
the probe is nothing but a thermistor you just need to know what ohm's its rated at, you can contact the manufacture to get a probe or if you have a kele in your area the can most likely match one up for you but it will need to be sealed with shrink wrap tubing,

you can bypass the the controler by removing the compressor from the controler and having the compressor wired directly to the plug , and have the chiller pluged into your hd dc-4 module on your reefkeeper. the only issue is that the chiller will not have any freeze protection , it would only freeze if your pump stopped working and the chiller lost its flow thru it . otherwise it will work just fine
Click to expand...

Well finally got in touch with the manufacturer and it took them a week to process my order, but my new temp probe supposedly shipped today.

Another issue is, when I took the chiller cover off to see how to replace that part, I noticed a capacitor with connections that seemed iffy. I've been unable to locate that capacitor. Figured you might have more resources than me for finding parts.

The info on it reads
CBB61
180V.AC
50/60 Hz
17uf

It has 2 prongs with leads running to the chiller's control board.


Thanks for the help, BTW. Another question, if I want to plug the chiller into the PC-4 with my controller, can I set the chiller's temp a bit below what I want, then have my controller handle the power running to the unit?
 
I would do it the other way around, and have the controller only turn off power to the chiller when the temperature gets too low. That way the chiller temp sensor is primary and your controller is secondary.
 
Ok, only reason I like the controller is I can set the precision to a tenth of a degree, where the chiller only offers settings in whole degrees. I haven't had it running yet, so I'm not familiar with how it cycles and its range. I'd like it to turn on at 79 and off at 78, but I'll have to see how I can adjust it. And of course I'll have to take into account that the temp sensor on the chiller might not be the same as my controller's.

I'll see if I can set the chiller for 78, and have my controller shut it off at 77.5, does that sound reasonable?
 
I think it really depends on how quickly the chiller is cooling your tank and how quickly it heats back up. If it takes something like 5 minutes to cool your tank from 78->77.5 and then only 10 minutes for it to heat back up, this could cycle the chiller too quickly.

This is what I meant about using your chiller's internal controller first though, they will probably have a minimum offset (maybe 2F) and that is what they think is a reasonable minimum for the chiller.
 
au01st said:
Well finally got in touch with the manufacturer and it took them a week to process my order, but my new temp probe supposedly shipped today.

Another issue is, when I took the chiller cover off to see how to replace that part, I noticed a capacitor with connections that seemed iffy. I've been unable to locate that capacitor. Figured you might have more resources than me for finding parts.

The info on it reads
CBB61
180V.AC
50/60 Hz
17uf

It has 2 prongs with leads running to the chiller's control board.


Thanks for the help, BTW. Another question, if I want to plug the chiller into the PC-4 with my controller, can I set the chiller's temp a bit below what I want, then have my controller handle the power running to the unit?
Click to expand...

its just a 17 mfd capasitor with a 180v rating a 220 or 370 v rated cap will work fine it just needs to be 17 mfd
 
Alright, got the probe in, and the chiller turns on like it's supposed to. Problem: it doesn't cool water and the compressor gets really hot. I'm suspecting that it needs to be recharged, is this something an a/c repair guy can do and what should I expect to pay?
 
any a/c tech can fix it . blow out the condencer coil and make sure the condencer fan motor it running, you should feel warm air come out of the back of the chiller . if you dont and the fan is running and the coil is clean then you definatly have a refridgerant leak
 
The fan is running, but the air coming out the back is cool.

Unfortunately, there is no port for me to add R134a like an automobile. Do I need to have them put a valve on the high and low side, or just the high?

Chiller.jpg
 
they will need to put a port on both sides. make sure they do not use piercing valves, they will leak. tell them to use a sweat in type of valve, and to leak check the system and repair the leak, the refridgerant charge will be listed on the data plate. also have them replace the dryer/ strainer located in your pic on the left side of the condencer coil
 
hello,

I just bought an old-looking Current Prime 1/10hp model on here. The owner said it was working but it does not appear to be. After being plugged in its designed to sit for a few minutes and then begin chilling. Well I can tell when its supposed to start chilling because the "cool" light goes from flashing to solid and the fan turns on, but the compressor does not turn on. Occasionally i feel/hear what seems like the compressor trying to start itself (a brief rumble/rattle). Once it ran for a few minutes but then stopped again. havent got in going since.

do you have any ideas what this could be about? The item was not packaged with very much cushioning when shipped to me.
 
so after a lot of searching i finally found the probable answer in this very thread:

"if the compressor is hummin for a few seconds and then stops you may have a bad capasitor or locked up compressor replace the capasitor and start relay the start relay is on the compressor terminals a plastic piece with a coil in it , if that does not get the compressor to run it is locked up and you mite as well get a new chiller it will cost less than replacing the compressor"

i guess i will work on that.
 
what if there is no capacitor? this is only a 1/10HP model.

Can I install a "hard start kit"?

thanks.
 
there is a capasitor it is made of black plastic and is more likely screwed down to the base near the compressor with 2 wires comming out of it, all 1 ph compressors use a run cap at all times to run , the only reason touse a hard start is if the compressor is on its last legs and is either about to lock up , or the windings are weak , a hard start kit consists of a momentary relay and a start cap , on start up the relay enguages for a very short time from a few seconds to 30 seconds depends on the relay , at that time both capasitors are giving thier stored power to start the compressor after thee relay heats up it disenguages and the compressor runs of the run cap, what you need to do is locate the run cap , and replace it. if your not sure if your looking at the right part in your chiller post a pic of every thing on the base of the chiller and i will point it out for you
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Coralife Chiller Error E1
Replies
1
Views
57
Reefing102
Reefing102
H
High ammonia in 24 year old tank
Replies
15
Views
213
brandon429
brandon429
NancyT3
Display tank - algae bloom - (19 wk old 140 gal)
Replies
12
Views
457
CharleyDavis
C
J
Back into the Hobby
Replies
15
Views
509
griss
griss
lindaronstadt
Need Advice on Quarantine Duration for Sick Fish:
Replies
5
Views
288
T Diddy
T Diddy
Back
Top