Chiller for a 360 gallon aquarium

[Mt. Dreamer]

Anyone have suggestions as to what size chiller I should buy for my 360 gallon tank 96Lx24Wx36T? Sump is appox. 60 gallons. I'm thinking either a 1/2HP or 1HP. Pacific Coast. My main concern is electric cost to operate. I live in Oregon. Summers get hot here too! Also, about how much of an increase can I expect to see on my monthly electric bill? I have never used a chiller.
I have had mixed answers. Some say bigger is better. While others say too big will cause problems. I want to buy a Pacific Coast chiller, maily because their close to home (only 1 hour away). Unfornatly, Pacific Coast does not make a 3/4HP. I also don't want to use two different sizes.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[invincible569]

Get something with high BTU's and good reputation. I went with an american made chiller, Pacific Coast. Im also planning on going 1/2 for my 300g. But for insurance purposes, I am going to get a second one if I plan to keep prized corals/fish. Your backup doesnt need to be highly reputable as long as you can order a new replacement chiller within the week of failure for the primary. Another idea is to have fans kick in over the surface of your tank before your chiller comes on. Fans help so much. All of this is controller by a controller. I heard Oregon was cheap in electricity, so i cannot comment on that

 

[hawaiianwargod]

Mt. Dreamer
[welcome]

 

[Double-J]

I would say go for the 1HP, I just purchased a 1HP tradwinds for my 380 as back up when my fans can't keep up.

 

[Mt. Dreamer]

Thank for the reply!

How often would you say its in on mode?
What degree is it set at?
Do you have a electric braker just for the chiller?
What pump are you using? Does it have its own H20 pump?
Does it "cool" your tank too fast? "Short cycle" problems?

Sorry for all the questions.
I'm just having difficulty making a decision on size. I don't want too little or too big of a chiller.
Thanks much,
Brian