Pump for chiller/closed loop okay??

[Mr James]

I want to do a closed loop and hook up my 1/4hp chiller that has been sitting out in the garage for a few months. It's funny, but the temps never got too high during the summer here in Florida, but winter comes along and temps are getting way up there.

I thought about using the good ole Sequence Dart. Would the Dart have enough umpf to travel through the wall, down 4 feet to the chiller, back up (4'+5') 9' to the tank and still be able to feed the closed well enough?? I would obviously put a ball valve/gate valve before the chiller for control.

Or should I consider a bigger pump like the Hammerhead or Barracuda??

 

[Henry Bowman]

Check your chiller for flow rate. They work best at a specific range. I think your Dart will probably do fine. Again, check the flow of the chiller and use the "head loss calculator" on the front page of the RC forum page. Youlll get a pretty good idea of where you stand.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The only "head loss" you have will be in the form of friction. Because the water is being pulled from the same body it is being returned to, there is no "head loss" between the suction and pressure sides of the pump. As mentioned, you will more than likely greatly exceede the recomended flow to the chiller.

 

[Mr James]

My chiller is kind of old and information on it is not readily available. I have been using other manufacturer's information as a guide. Funny, but JBJ says 48 - 1920 gph while Aqua Logic says 480 - 900 gph. Ahh, Prime says 540 - 960 gph. 450 - 950gph looks to be about good.

I haven't plumbed it yet, but plan to run Spa Flex most of the way, excluding a few bends. Hopefully that will cut down on head loss.

Late breaking news: I just ordered a Sequence Barracuda to do the job. From 2 x 1100 Seio's to a Barracuda. My corals are going to love me......or hate me.

 

[Mr James]

by BeanAnimal
As mentioned, you will more than likely greatly exceede the recomended flow to the chiller.

Poop!! That's not my intention. Even if I put a gate valve on it to control the flow to the chiller?? Looks like I need to think about a flow meter.

 

[joshuasamuels]

Are you planning on adding the chiller to the closed loop in paralell or in series? If series then wouldn't adding a gate valve will slow the entire loop down... If in paralell, the dart (with a ball valve) should be enough, but the more flow to the chiller, the less you'll have to the other circuit in the loop, right?

 

[ekovalsky]

What is the inlet/outlet size of your chiller ? With a 1/4HP unit I doubt it is over 3/4". To use plumb this in a CL with a Dart, which has a 1-1/2" outlet, you will need a parallel circult with a valve to direct flow.

I'm thinking about doing something similar, but with a 1/2HP Tradewinds chiller which has 1-1/2" inlet and outlet and up to 2100 gph flow rate. So 2" tank drain > Snapper (or Dart) > Chiller > 1-1/2" tank return.

CL seems to be a good way to plumb a chiller although few seem to do it. Only drawback is potentially higher rate of debris build up but this would just require a slight decrease in the flushing/cleaning interval.

Plumbing in line with the sump return would also be a reasonable way to go. Gravity feeding the chiller from an overflow with return to the sump may be worth considering too. Many seem to plumb the chiller in a circuit from and to the sump, which always seemed inefficient to me.

 

[joshuasamuels]

Why not just add a chiller inline from the sump and return directly to the main tank? Thus, overflow to sump to chiller to main tank. For a more controlled setup, you could use a T- connector (one to main tank with a ball valve and one to chiller. By adjusting the ball, you could run the chiller at whatever flow you wanted up to the entire return pump speed.

 

[ekovalsky]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9005141#post9005141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joshuasamuels
Why not just add a chiller inline from the sump and return directly to the main tank? Thus, overflow to sump to chiller to main tank. For a more controlled setup, you could use a T- connector (one to main tank with a ball valve and one to chiller. By adjusting the ball, you could run the chiller at whatever flow you wanted up to the entire return pump speed.

Yes, for most setups that makes the most sense. But there are some advantages to a CL plumb:

1. High flow can be maintained through chiller, without high flow through sump
2. Warmest tank water near top, chiller will run less if feed water is drained from the bottom of the tank
3. Chiller will add more head to the existing vertical rise on most sump returns, thus decreasing volume of flow. There is no vertical rise on a CL so only head the pump must contend with is the extra PVC pipe/fittings and the chiller itself.
   [/list=1]
   
   Of course running the chiller on a CL requires an additional pump, i.e. more electricity and some added heat (minimal to a lot depending on brand and model of pump). But if a CL system is already in use, adding the chiller to it is almost "free" other than slightly decreasing GPH through the CL.

 

[Mr James]

by joshuasamuels
Are you planning on adding the chiller to the closed loop in paralell or in series?

If I understand you correctly, I plan to run it in parallel. 1.5" feed into the Barracuda, 1.5" out to a tee ( but the tee will be turned 90 degrees, i.e., the water will flow through the tee to the CL and the chiller outlet will be the right turn out of the tee....pictures would be best in this instance - I will try and make a CAD drawing or take a picture of what I am trying to accomplish).

I thought about placing the chiller on the return, but the pump is only an Iwaki 40 and may not have enough guts to push it through the wall, down 4', through the chiller, back up 4', through the wall and then up again another 4' - 5' into the tank.

The CL will also have something similar to the Calfo Style Manifold on top of the tank. Or at least, that is the plan as of now.

 

[Mr James]

by ekovalsky
Many seem to plumb the chiller in a circuit from and to the sump, which always seemed inefficient to me.

Why does that seem inefficient to you. I don't understand. Should it be from and to the tank, not the sump??