teco chiller ??quality and noise?
- Thread starter larryfl1
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jeffreylesser
New member
I have the TECO TR20 1/3HP. It runs quiet, I have it in a vented cabinet and cannot hear it when it kicks on. I had to go with this model because of size restrictions I had originally purchased a JBJ 1/3 that is now sitting in my garage.
As far as cooling goes it does not seem too terribly efficient. I have only had it running 3-4 days now, but it seems to pull down 2 degrees an hour on a 120. I do have a slightly higher flow than they reccommend going through it(~700 GPH) and tech support said they perform best at the low end of the water volume range they give for their chillers.
With that said the heater and UV sterilizer inside of a small package is hard to beat if you are tight on space. I would recommend buying up a size based on my limited experience so far, because I did buy up one size and I am not blown away by the performance.
One other thing, the first chiller they sent me did not chill at all and I had to have them send out a replacement. I think there was no freon(sp?) in it.
As far as cooling goes it does not seem too terribly efficient. I have only had it running 3-4 days now, but it seems to pull down 2 degrees an hour on a 120. I do have a slightly higher flow than they reccommend going through it(~700 GPH) and tech support said they perform best at the low end of the water volume range they give for their chillers.
With that said the heater and UV sterilizer inside of a small package is hard to beat if you are tight on space. I would recommend buying up a size based on my limited experience so far, because I did buy up one size and I am not blown away by the performance.
One other thing, the first chiller they sent me did not chill at all and I had to have them send out a replacement. I think there was no freon(sp?) in it.
jeffreylesser
New member
You would definately hear it outside the cabinet. The fan, and then you would hear the compressor when it turns on. If I have the door open I hear these for sure. There is no way around it, it is an AC for water.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Do you have the link to who was running this sale?
Jerrylesser's comments dont surprise me regarding the question of efficiency ... or ratings to be more accurate. The Teco chillers, specs wise, seem to be overrated. The BTU ratings appear to be overstated (as in lower than what they should be) for the HP rating. The 1/3 HP model for example specs between most 1/5 and 1/4 HP units from most other manufacturers in terms of BTU rating and expected power consumption. The lower BTU rating could be explained if they were rated at a higher ambient temp. than other manufacturers use (there is NO standard) but the power consumption is in line with that of a smaller capacity chiller as well. And the TECO's are pretty expensive as well.
I havent owned one but it isnt surprising to me that you are noticing a longer run time than expected. I would imagine that they run quieter than most 1/3 hp units, probably about as quietly as a 1/5 - 1/4 HP chiller would be expected to.
Thats not to say that they arent well built or wont last long. I dont know. By the price, they should be. But I would do some more research before purchasing one. Personally, the specs in relation to the stated capacity and the price would put me off of purchasing one. But that is just my opinion.
I think that Tradewind, Aqualogic and Universal Marine make the best chillers. The Tradewind chillers arent fancy and the external housing is not a strong point but in terms of performance and build quality of the unit itself, I couldnt recommend a chiller more highly. But they are not quiet ... they arent louder than one would expect from a typical chiller that was rated accurately in terms of capacity, but they arent quiet.
I havent owned one but it isnt surprising to me that you are noticing a longer run time than expected. I would imagine that they run quieter than most 1/3 hp units, probably about as quietly as a 1/5 - 1/4 HP chiller would be expected to.
Thats not to say that they arent well built or wont last long. I dont know. By the price, they should be. But I would do some more research before purchasing one. Personally, the specs in relation to the stated capacity and the price would put me off of purchasing one. But that is just my opinion.
I think that Tradewind, Aqualogic and Universal Marine make the best chillers. The Tradewind chillers arent fancy and the external housing is not a strong point but in terms of performance and build quality of the unit itself, I couldnt recommend a chiller more highly. But they are not quiet ... they arent louder than one would expect from a typical chiller that was rated accurately in terms of capacity, but they arent quiet.
jeffreylesser
New member
BTW... The TECO also pulls the air in from underneath. So if outside of your cabinet is carpet it won't work unless you put it up on spacers.
i just noticed ....
the jbj is 4000 btu.... at 1/3
the teco is only 2400... at 1/3
does this mean that the teco 1/3 only has the cooling power of a jbj 1/4 or even 1/5
does anyone have the db rating on the jbj 1/3 or 1/4 ???
looks like the jbj if it is as quiet is a better choice?????
the jbj is 4000 btu.... at 1/3
the teco is only 2400... at 1/3
does this mean that the teco 1/3 only has the cooling power of a jbj 1/4 or even 1/5
does anyone have the db rating on the jbj 1/3 or 1/4 ???
looks like the jbj if it is as quiet is a better choice?????
speedingredline
New member
I have a TECO TR20 I just started up yesterday at around 3PM, when I stopped home from work at 11:30PM temps were down to 76 from 84. Noise isn't bad at all, the fans aren't that noisy IMO.
bergzy
New member
i'll let y'all know when i get my tr 20 set up on my 90g cube. i fired it up and it is quieter than a jbj 1/3.
the build quality appears immaculate. it has a built in 400 watt heater and uv. i will not be running the uv but it is nice to have an integrated heater which means one less plug.
the build quality appears immaculate. it has a built in 400 watt heater and uv. i will not be running the uv but it is nice to have an integrated heater which means one less plug.
speedingredline
New member
I didnt order the UV or heater with mine, but I might add it later.
addicted2reefin
New member
around me they have osi and current chillers on sale at around 70% off. i seen a 1/3 hp chiller for around 300 bucks and a 1/2 hp chiller for around 200. also a 1/10 for around 100. its a local pickup only and i would be will to buy and ship to u for an extra 100...
They are chip china Chillers in IMO, I use to have one , I regrests till the last minute, it start to make noises at the start before a year of use and I email his tech department, they told me "pull it the fan is geting in contct with the panel" but that did not stop the noise, it was a bering gaskest was wore, but before the year.
They do make their job but I would not buy another IMO, TECO is excellent Quality. I had more than a yaer with mine and I bought it used. I love it.
The BTU is hugely important but there is no standard in the chiller industry for measuring it. It is dependant on the ambient temperature of the area in which the chiller is located. So if a chiller was set up in a 70 degree room and pulled the temp of a volume of water down a specificed number of degrees (I believe it is 2 degrees F), it would get a higher BTU rating than the same exact chiller pulling down the same volume of water by the same amount , but running in a 80 or 90 degree room.
The JBJ chiller could very well have a BTU rating stated at 70 degrees ambient as opposed to another brands 1/3 hp chiller having a lower BTU rating because it was tested at 80 degree ambient temperature. And the lower BTU rated chiller could actually cool your tank quicker despite the lower BTU rating.
The lower the ambient temp. where the chiller is located the more efficienctly it will cool the water and the higher its actual BTU rating would be. The same exact chiller would be rated with a higher BTU rating if it were tested at 70 degrees instead of 80 degrees, or 80 degrees instead of 90 degrees.
I used a 1/3 hp chiller that had a higher BTU rating than another 1/3 hp rated chiller by almost 500 BTU's and the lower BTU rated chiller pulled my same system down by 2 degrees in less time than the higher BTU rated chiller pulled it down by 1 degree ... (same Ranco controller). BTU rating is important but again, there is no standard ambient temp. in which the manufacturers are required to use to state it.
The situation with the TECO chiller from what I see ... look at the BTU rating AND the power it draws (wattage / current) compared to other 1/3 HP rated chiller. The lower BTU rating could possibly be explained if it were tested at a signifigantly higher ambient temperature but you cannot explain the fact that it uses nearly 1/2 the wattage of other 1/3 hp units AND also has a lower BTU rating.
The lower wattage is not because it has some type of magical efficiency. Personally, this would "tell" me that they are overstating the HP rating of their chillers.
And ... a 1/3 hp rated chiller that is in reality a 1/5 hp or 1/4 hp chiller will be produce less noise than a true 1/3 hp chiller. Some compressors and fans do run quieter than others but very often a "quieter" chiller is a chiller who's ratings are overstated.
Look at BTU AND power consumption when comparing different brands of chiller with the same HP rating ... and even then, the BTU rating doesnt tell you everything because they dont tell you a what ambient temperature they state the BTU rating.
For the record, I personally wouldnt buy a Teco or a JBJ chiller.
Just my observations and IMO, IME etc. Draw your own conclusions ...
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another question...
how much heat does the teco 1/3 generate when running...??
my room is ok temp..ac.... but hoping the chiller doesnt heat it up...
on my old tank i had a 1 ton ac outside... with heat exchange under the tank... 1 ton is way to big for my 150...or at least i think it is?
thoughts,,,
how much heat does the teco 1/3 generate when running...??
my room is ok temp..ac.... but hoping the chiller doesnt heat it up...
on my old tank i had a 1 ton ac outside... with heat exchange under the tank... 1 ton is way to big for my 150...or at least i think it is?
thoughts,,,
