Can you connect a Chiller to the X10?

[wfgworks]

Can you connect a Chiller to an X10?

Is their a certain amp or wattage a single X10 can hold?

Also, my 1/3 JBJ chiller as a built in digital Thermostat. The chiller already turns off/on at a certain temp.

How do I get around this to allow the AQI to control when the chiller turns off/on.

 

[simon.007]

Want to know too!

 

[jdieck]

Yes you can as far as the Amperage taken by the Chiller is one third of the Amperage capacity of the appliance module. The 15 Amp Module will handle a maximum of 1/3 HP. Try to get 20 Amps Modules for this service so the serviceable switching capacity will be about 6 Amps which will be enough to run a chiller of about up to 1/2 HP. If you require a larger chiller than this You have two alternatives: Get a chiller in 220 Volts using the 220 volt 20 Amp modules which will allow to run up to 1 HP or use an standard appliance module to activate a relay which in turn will activate the chiller.
If you already have a Thermostat integrated in the chiller set up the thermostat Temperature one or two degrees lower than the controller's shut off temperature, this way if the X-10 fails the temperature will not continue to drop as the thermostat will kick in and shut it down.

 

[wfgworks]

If I set the temperature lower wont the chiller always be trying to turn on before the AQI?

Example: I have my chiller set at 80 right now. It will turn on at 81 and shut off at 79. I cant set a high and low on the chiller. It has 1 +/- degree from the center point.

 

[Aquaduck]

The chiller can't turn on if the X-10 power module is not turned on and it won't be until the Aquacontroller tells it to. So turn your chiller down a few degrees lower and let the Aquacontroller switch the chillers power on and off as required using the appliance module or a heavy duty x-10 wall receptacle.

 

[wfgworks]

Do you mean change the temp reading or the temp that the chiller turns on/off?

 

[Aquaduck]

Change your chillers thermostat lower. I.E. you have it set to come on at 80 right now. So set the thermostat on the chiller to 78 or even 76 and program the Aquacontroller accordingly to maintain the temperature you want.

 

[bowfront]

Thats right just set the thermostat on the chiller to come on a couple of degress lower than what you have the AC set to turn it on and it will work fine. I have my JBJ chiller hooked up this way. You might also set the water temp reading on the chiller to match what's on the AC.

 

[jdieck]

Do you mean change the temp reading or the temp that the chiller turns on/off?

If in your case you want the actual control to shut off at 79 and on at 81. Set the Aquacontroller to do so.
Set the Thermostat (not the reading but the ON/OFF) of the chiller at 77 this way the chiller thermostat will be ON at any temperature above 78 (The controller need it to be ON at 79 or higher) and will safety shut off at 76.

Note that the temperature reading of the controller probe and the Thermostate probe may have differences and may measure different temperature as they are not absolutely precise. Check both and adjust for the difference.

Say if the actual reading in the controller is 79 but the chiller measures 80 there is 1 degree of innacuracy. For this case increase the Thermostat settings by 1 degree so set it up at 78 instead of 77. Similarly if the controller reads 79 and the thermostat measures 78, then set the thermostat at 76 instead of 77.

 

[wfgworks]

Ok, set everything up like everyone suggested. This may sound dumb, but what I didnt realize was that the Digital Display will go blank because the power is turned off than too the chiller.

Will this harm the chiller turning the power on/off?

Normally the chiller will still have power but the compressor will just turn on/off.

 

[jdieck]

Ok, set everything up like everyone suggested. This may sound dumb, but what I didnt realize was that the Digital Display will go blank because the power is turned off than too the chiller.

Will this harm the chiller turning the power on/off?

Normally the chiller will still have power but the compressor will just turn on/off.

I do not think it will damage the chiller as the heavy load turning on and off is the compressor anyhow. You can reduce the number of times the chiller turns on and off by increasing the span between low (stop) and high (start) temperatures.

 

[Aquaduck]

Or use the MAX change fuction to ensure the compressor has been off for 30-60 minutes before cycling on again. This will increase the life of the chiller.

 

[jdieck]

Or use the MAX change fuction to ensure the compressor has been off for 30-60 minutes before cycling on again. This will increase the life of the chiller.

This will do but aren't you afraid it might exceed the temp limits?

 

[Aquaduck]

Perhaps, but if he's pulling his temp down 2 degrees it should take at least 30 minutes before the chiller is called into action again.

 

[jdieck]

Perhaps, but if he's pulling his temp down 2 degrees it should take at least 30 minutes before the chiller is called into action again.

Yes but he must know in advance how the chiller ON/OFF behave vs temperature change. Say at night it might take one or two hours to rise two degrees, during the day it might take 30 minutes. so if you set it to start one hour after during the day it might exceed the max temperature although at night it might not start until the temp is reached.
If he knows that it takes 30 minutes then he must set it to 30 minutes rather than one hour. To know that is easy, just set it up, ovserve the temp changes and adjust accordingly.
It can be done and it will work unless something else changes the normal pattern.
A heater stuck on the ON position might increase the speed of change thus the chiller needs to trigger and will compensate for a while until you solve the issue of the heater.

 

[bowfront]

Hey wfgworks I tried my Artica controlled by the AC but swithced back to letting the chiller do it's own control and using the AC as a backup. I didn't like having the display go out when the AC turned off the the chiller. I have mine out in the open and it's nice to be able to glance over at the tank and see the temp all the time. Now I still have the chiller plugged into a DC4HD but I have the AC programed to turn it off only if it the tank temp drops a couple of degree below the low set point on the chiller. This is just for emergency backup in case the chiller were to keep running beyond it's set point.

IMO the 2 degree range of the JBJ chillers is fine. When I cut it to 1 degree with the AC the chiller cycled on/off more than I wanted.