Custom sealife controler problems

N

nurse shark

New member
I just bought a 1/3 hp chiller and Custom Sealife controler used from someone in the community and now that I have it home I am at a loss to figure out how to use the thing. To make matters worse, Custom Sealife is now out of business and so I can't get a manual. So here is my confusion- I have hooked up the chiller and set the controler to 80degrees with a dif of 1 degree. With this setting the chiller is comming on every 30 min. I only have a 90g tank!

Am I setting this thing right or is it trying to maintain a constant temp and I should increase the dif to more that 1 degree?

Secondly, there is a setting on the controller that is HI and CI. The CI is chill, is HI for controlling heat????

Need some real help here, I am totaly stressed out by this thing. Thanks
 
I am new to this site and the hobby.. but I have learned from setting mine up and I have directions...

I am ok with the temp diff at 2 degrees i set it to 76 with 2 degree diff. and it keeps it around 77+/- .. sound like you want yours around 80 so mess with it a bit. You are correct with the hi (heater control) ci (chiller control) setting as well.
The other thing I would payattention to is where you have placed your temp guage wire this may be causing it to come on and off so much .. I have a temp guage in the tank seperate from my chiller guage in teh sump.

Hope this helps you some... Like I said Im still new and learning ..this is just what worked for me ...
 
phxkeller,

What do you mean about your chiller guage in the sump? are you putting the controller temp guage in the sump and not the tank?

Also, how often does your chiller go off in order to keep your tank at 77?
 
I have a electronic corallife (cheapie) temp guage in my tank on the left side with the chiller controller wire guage on the right side away from the powerhead.. and another temp guage in the sump (just because its a combo ph/temp guage. sorry if i was not clear about this
 
I have a CSL 1/4 Hp .. Its on an inside wall of the house with a few windows in the surrounding room .. I dont used the AC in the house for now.. its around 73 degrees inside....

It comes on for about 1 min or less every 3 hours or so... I have uv sterilizer going refugium light powerhead for skimmer and 2 powerheads inside my tank that generate some head... I got the chiller because of the MH lights Im using...
 
That is what I would expect. That is why I am so stressed about my chiller/controller. I don't see why mine is going on so often. I am wondering if the controller that I bought is not working properly...
 
sorry to hear that .. I hope its not bad..

Do you have another temp gauge? (for comparison)

maybe you can compare the two readings in a glass of water to see if its reading temp right for one...
 
I am reading two temps, the controller is about one degree different, but I think that the real problem is that it is trying to turn it on too often for reasons unknown...
 
That is why I was wondering if the gauge was damaged and causing bad readings to kick it on and off...

I have noticed now that we have been talking for an hour ...

Once in awhile my chiller will kick on and off 2 - 3 times fast before staying on for the time it runs.. This dose not happen all the time but I have noticed it once in awhile... geez now Im really going to be paying attention to it...
 
I think that is due to having it set at 1 degree interval ... your room temp, lighting, windows.. may be affecting how fast your tank is warming up... but I set mine to 76 degrees with the 2 degree change allowed. it may get to 78 but not higher for me and it did seem like it ran less for me that when it was at 1 degree..
 
Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out on your unit, I just am about at the end of my rope. At this point I am thinking about buying a new controller, but don't have the cash right now.
 
My 1/5th hp jbj runs for 25 mins every hr or so to bring my 90 down 2 degree's. My 1/4 hp chiller on my 120 runs for 30mins every hr .But other days not as much if I have my closed loop shut off.
 
My 1/4 HP SeaClear chiller runs twice a day for about 40 minutes each time. The controller is set at 79 plus or minus one degree so it comes on at 80 and goes off and 78. With a heat exchanger or Air conditioner longer run times are preffered so as to not wear the comptressor out. My temp probe is in my sump at the farthest point from the chiller return so I get a true reading of tank temperature and not the water returing to the tank from the chiller causing it to short cycle and give false readings.
 
Replacement temp probes are available for the CSL/Ranco controllers, and would be an easy way to see if the controller is the issue. It almost sounds like you have the temp probe near where the chiller output is entering the tank, If that is the case you need to relocate your temp probe. Setting the controller to a 2Ã"šÃ‚° difference will help alot also.

FWIW: CSL just put one of their labels on a standard Ranco controller, they are very much still in production and used on a number of other chillers.
 
You don't have it so that the chiller return (or temp probe) is buy the chiller input do you? If you do the chiller will pull in the water that it already cooled read the temp on that and think the tank is much cooler than it is and shut off. Then the warm tank water will get to it again, causing it to kick back on.

Just a thought,
Whiskey
 
Thanks for all the advice. As a trial I increased the dif to 3 degrees and the chiller does not go on often. I do not like such a huge spread, so I will play with it to see what will work for me. I am just supprised that the chiller needs to come on so often as what you all are saying. The chiller I have is a bit loud and so when it comes on it is a bit anoying....
 
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