reasonable reliable chiller

[Scribe]

I'm thinking I might finally break down and buy a chiller. I'm looking for something reasonable, but more important I'd like it to be reliable. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

The tank is a 90 gallon, and there is a 30 gallon sump/ref, total water in the system would be under 120.

Thanks for you suggestions.

 

[flyyyguy]

PCI 1/10 will handle that tank no problem, and for the money is a great deal. Ive had a couple of them and never a problem

 

[OliverM3]

I don't know 1/10 you'd probably be better off going here and sizing it yourself:

http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod_chiller_size.asp

I run a 1/5 on my 76 but it's all relative on how hot you're planning on keeping the room that it's in.

Oh and JBJ is a terrific chiller if you're concerned about noise.
I couldn't tell you how many times my chiller kicks on during the day because I can't hear it.

 

[flyyyguy]

Ive use the PCI 1/10 on my 90 for a couple of years with over 600 watts of pumps and 750 watts of lights. My pumps actually add more heat 24/7 than the lights when they are on. Handles it in its sleep and is quiet as well.

I have a JBJ I use on my 225 and like it as well, but if the original poster wants to save a few hundred bucks.....the PCI 1/10 will do what he needs it to

 

[Tennsquire]

I have a PCI 1/4 hp on my 75. I went a bit bigger than necessary because: 1) I'm upsizing tanks before long, and 2) I didn't want a smaller chiller to be running all the time. They're nice chillers for the money, and I was surprised at how much quieter it is than I anticipated.

 

[OliverM3]

I was just giving him a link to a sizing chart.
Since we don't know how hot his house is. What temp it's at now and what he's trying to pull it down to.

1/10 is too small for my taste because I like to run my tank with no fans due to noise and I like to let the temp climb a little in the house when I'm not home.

He may not even have ac in the home so to say 1/10 will be perfect doesn't account for his situation.
I'm not even saying get the 1/5 just size it based on his needs.

Also you could check e-bay there's some great deals to be had.
A lot of people fail at the hobby and just want to get rid of their year old chillers.

 

[Scribe]

Thanks for the info guys. The tank is actually running warm, about 87. We keep the house at about 70 degrees year round. The tank is in the lower level of the house, which remains a bit cooler then the rest of the house.

This may be a stupid question, but do I need another pump to run the chiller?

 

[Tennsquire]

You need to move water through it somehow. My chiller is plumbed into the return from the sump. I've seen them plumbed into the line coming into the sump. You just have to make sure that the recommended amount of flow is going through the chiller. That figure (range) will be provided by the chiller manufacturer.