Recharging Chiller?

[nacra99]

Does anyone recharge their chillers?
I bought a used 1/10 HP chiller but it seems to not be as efficient as i would like.
It's trying to depress 83 deg to 78 deg in a 55gal. It's doing it, but it seems to be "on" all the time.

I'm wondering if i need to get it recharged and if so, how would i go about doing so?

Marc

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

Depedning on which type of Freon is used in the machine, you got to get a person with a liscense to recalim/charge it up.

Do you happen to know what kind?

[nacra99]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

It's a Current USA 1/10 HP.
According to the product info, it uses R-134A.

Isn't that just Air Conditioning Refrigerant?

[jughead]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

r134 is what they use in cars.look and see if it has  ports like on your car.if it has at least 1 car style port,and its portable,i can probably do it.it would help if you can get the spec for the charge from the maker(in oz.-lbs.)do not add any type of leak sealer to the system.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

What is the ambient temp.?

[nacra99]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

What is the ambient temp.?

Ambient is 76 deg (at the office). But i'm running 2x 250W HQI MH in the main tank and a 35W PC in the fuge.
I think that's heating up the water real bad.

[nacra99]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

r134 is what they use in cars.look and see if it has  ports like on your car.if it has at least 1 car style port,and its portable,i can probably do it.it would help if you can get the spec for the charge from the maker(in oz.-lbs.)do not add any type of leak sealer to the system.

wow... i don't know if i have the brains enough to do that... i'm the most technologically challenged person around.... Even if i were to see a port i wouldn't know what it looks like.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

Is there a canopy on the tank?

I know without a canopy and running a single 250w over my 30g plus 2x18w over the fuge and two massive in sump pumps there was a tremendous amount of heat.... if you have a canopy on as well you might not be cutting it with that 1/10 chiller. I keep my house at 76f as well.

If you have a canopy try adding a few fans to it to vent inside and blow across the water surface also another over the fuge/sump would help too! Keep it timed to the lights or on a controller. This was the only means of "chilling" I used over my tank and it brought it down from 98f(pre final equipment test so it would probably have been higher, this was lights alone) to a constant 79f.

Also to keep things on the real, make sure there is proper ventilation for the chiller.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

r134 is what they use in cars.look and see if it has  ports like on your car.if it has at least 1 car style port,and its portable,i can probably do it.it would help if you can get the spec for the charge from the maker(in oz.-lbs.)do not add any type of leak sealer to the system.

wow... i don't know if i have the brains enough to do that... i'm the most technologically challenged person around.... Even if i were to see a port i wouldn't know what it looks like.

Well, it should have a port and does use the size as automobiles unless it's an old design then you would have to get an adapter.

[nacra99]

Re: Recharging Chiller?

hmm... you have a point about the hood.
I have a glass versa-top covering the tank.. ironically to reduce evaporation.
I'll try removing it and putting a fan to it and see what happens.

thanks.