Ecoplus 1hp commercial water chiller

[CannaBunkerMan]

I just purchased an EcoPlus 1hp commercial water chiller for use with my 100 gallon res. It recommends a 1000 gph pump, I have a 1400 gph sump pump that I'm using right now. The problem is that the flow rate through the unit is slow, just a trickle, even though the feed pump is huge. Is this normal? Does a water chiller restrict flow that much?

Also, the temperature reading is waaay off. It reads 50 degrees, but the res temp is 75f. The water coming out of the chiller is cold, but it doesn't seem to be enough to chill the whole thing. It's been running for a few days...

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Mr Blah]

I got a 1/2 hp and works perfect, very accurate reading.
I use a 1000gph pump and she races out of it.

I would look into exchanging it with a new one if you can.

 

[CannaBunkerMan]

I guess it's time to answer my own question. It turns out that there was some sludge in my reservoir from the high temps that was clogging up the filter on the feed pump to the chiller. I cleaned the res, and it's working great now.

Mr. Blah, What do you run your res temp at? I've been trying to find out if there's an advantage to running temps in the lower 60's, instead of at 68. Seems like all of the pathogens don't like temps under 70f, so to set the temp below that is obvious, but is there any reason to go lower? The Indoor Bible by Jorge Cervantes recommends to keep a res temp of as low as 60f, but most growers online suggest 68-72f.

 

[Ttystikk]

I just purchased an EcoPlus 1hp commercial water chiller for use with my 100 gallon res. It recommends a 1000 gph pump, I have a 1400 gph sump pump that I'm using right now. The problem is that the flow rate through the unit is slow, just a trickle, even though the feed pump is huge. Is this normal? Does a water chiller restrict flow that much?

Also, the temperature reading is waaay off. It reads 50 degrees, but the res temp is 75f. The water coming out of the chiller is cold, but it doesn't seem to be enough to chill the whole thing. It's been running for a few days...

Any ideas? Thanks!

Your unit is used and clogged with minerals, it sounds like. Get an exchange- and do not run nutrient water through a chiller, no matter what you read!

If the unit can't read the water temp and shuts off a lot, you may have the waterlines installed backwards. On an old clogged up unit this won't make any difference.

FWIW, I have the 2 Ton window mounted unit from ChillKing, and I LOVE IT! Properly set up these babies can do magical things, like cool seven bare bulbs, plus dehuey plus keep every RDWC in the house at 63F. ALL AT ONCE.

 

[Ttystikk]

I guess it's time to answer my own question. It turns out that there was some sludge in my reservoir from the high temps that was clogging up the filter on the feed pump to the chiller. I cleaned the res, and it's working great now.

Mr. Blah, What do you run your res temp at? I've been trying to find out if there's an advantage to running temps in the lower 60's, instead of at 68. Seems like all of the pathogens don't like temps under 70f, so to set the temp below that is obvious, but is there any reason to go lower? The Indoor Bible by Jorge Cervantes recommends to keep a res temp of as low as 60f, but most growers online suggest 68-72f.

Glad to hear you got your chiller working properly. I run mine to kick on at 60f- so for example a 'setpoint' of 52 with a 'rise' of 8. A larger rise number means the chiller will run for longer periods, with a longer shutoff. This is more efficient and reduces wear relative to constantly starting and stopping.

Why so cold? For one, this is water in the chiller's separate cooling system, so it needs to be cooler than the systems it's supposed to be chilling. This working temp keeps my RDWC in the low to mid sixties, where things work best for me.

 

[CannaBunkerMan]

Stikk, you run your res at 63f? Have you had time to experiment with different temps during the entire grow cycle?

Lower temps mean the water can hold more dissolved O2, but I'd assume there's diminishing marginal utility at a point. I've also run across some posts where people will force color change during the last 2 weeks of flower by dropping temps as low as 58f to simulate winter. Get too cold, and you'll have stunted growth.

Also, does a higher ambient air temp affect the ideal water temp? I'd assume you'd want to lower reservoir temps with higher air temps in the mid 80's, but I'm not sure. I grow in 6" suspended sewer tube, and the tubes seem to warm the water up faster than my old RDWC setup, so I'm thinking that I should run relatively lower water temps out of the mister heads. I'm going to start off at 65f and possibly lower it to 62f, depending on what I find out.

edit: - sikk, the chiller I purchased has titanium coated plumbing, and is meant for saltwater aquariums, so I thought I'd run the nutes through the chiller. With a 100 gallon res, it wouldn't be practical to cool it indirectly (not enough room for another liquid heat-sink).

 

[Ttystikk]

Stikk, you run your res at 63f? Have you had time to experiment with different temps during the entire grow cycle?

Lower temps mean the water can hold more dissolved O2, but I'd assume there's diminishing marginal utility at a point. I've also run across some posts where people will force color change during the last 2 weeks of flower by dropping temps as low as 58f to simulate winter. Get too cold, and you'll have stunted growth.

Also, does a higher ambient air temp affect the ideal water temp? I'd assume you'd want to lower reservoir temps with higher air temps in the mid 80's, but I'm not sure. I grow in 6" suspended sewer tube, and the tubes seem to warm the water up faster than my old RDWC setup, so I'm thinking that I should run relatively lower water temps out of the mister heads. I'm going to start off at 65f and possibly lower it to 62f, depending on what I find out.

edit: - sikk, the chiller I purchased has titanium coated plumbing, and is meant for saltwater aquariums, so I thought I'd run the nutes through the chiller. With a 100 gallon res, it wouldn't be practical to cool it indirectly (not enough room for another liquid heat-sink).

I run my RDWC at 63-66. I do this because RDWC spend all day warming up, so they need to cool at night.

I do not run nutrient solution through my chiller; I run a dedicated cooling solution in a separate system. This solution never mixes with any nutrient. I use this system for cooling water in my RDWC, to cool my sealed room and for dehuey in same. I also run another room on the flip and do the same in there, WITH THE SAME CHILLER. This means that my chiller can cool twice the growrooms over time.

No minisplit will cool, dehuey and chill your RDWC. It won't come close to matching my overall system efficiency, either.

Finally, just like a car, liquid cooling is not only far more effective, but more compact. As grow room designs get more crowded, the chilling power of water will be more and more appreciated.

 

[flyer81]

Water cooled dehumidifiers? Where do I get?


I too am using my a 1hp eco plus and I have it removing heat from 2 water pumps sitting in my reservoir and to cool a about 300 sq feet of air. Its working right now. I go back and forth on whether a minisplit would be better but... I have what I have and its working well for my room so sitcking with it.

 

[flyer81]

Electrical Relay?

Electrical Relay?

.

 

[Epod]

I run my RDWC at 63-66. I do this because RDWC spend all day warming up, so they need to cool at night.

I do not run nutrient solution through my chiller; I run a dedicated cooling solution in a separate system. This solution never mixes with any nutrient. I use this system for cooling water in my RDWC, to cool my sealed room and for dehuey in same. I also run another room on the flip and do the same in there, WITH THE SAME CHILLER. This means that my chiller can cool twice the growrooms over time.

No minisplit will cool, dehuey and chill your RDWC. It won't come close to matching my overall system efficiency, either.

Finally, just like a car, liquid cooling is not only far more effective, but more compact. As grow room designs get more crowded, the chilling power of water will be more and more appreciated.

well this is just what I am looking for Ttystikk a sealed system I have 3 rez totalling about 100 gal in all and was looking for a way to not mix the rez's together and not having to buy 3 chillier's
And was wondering how u made your own sealed system and what r u running in it as a coolant as this will work for me well I didn't think of that way of doing it

I was thinking of this using this chillier

Hailea Waterchiller Ultra Titan 200 (HC150-165Watt cooling capacity)
Technical specifications:
Power: 1/10 PS
Cooling capacity: 165W
Recommended coolant flow: 250-1200 l/h
Weight: 15kg
Cooling agent: R134A
Dimensions: 420x248x365mm (LxWxH)
Heat exchanger material: Titanium
max. compressive load: 0,8bar
Temperature adjustments: Digital read-out (precision 0,1°C), temperature setting in 1°C steps
current demand: 1.1 A (50 Hz)
current drain: 253 W

so y do u need such a big pump to send coolant though it ie:1000 gph or do u mean 1000 lph I am at a loss on that one y so big
And were have u fitted the pump ?

any pic's of your chillier setup m8

My rez's

 

[CannaBunkerMan]

Yes, 1000 gph is recommended for the ecoplus 1hp. Most sump pumps at the HD are rated for over 1000 gph, and you can buy one for $70 or so.

edit: sorry, I just saw you have the 1/10 hp. Your pump should be in your reservoir. From the ecoplus site for their 1/10 hp chiller:

Pump Size: Minimum 132 GPH/Maximum 264 GPH.

Stikk: What do you use for a heat exchanger in your cooling solution? What do use for a cooling solution? Water? Oil?

 

[Epod]

Ttystikk

just a question on how u got around the gph that is needed to make the chiller work ok in a sealed system

 

[Ttystikk]

well this is just what I am looking for Ttystikk a sealed system I have 3 rez totalling about 100 gal in all and was looking for a way to not mix the rez's together and not having to buy 3 chillier's
And was wondering how u made your own sealed system and what r u running in it as a coolant as this will work for me well I didn't think of that way of doing it

I was thinking of this using this chillier

Hailea Waterchiller Ultra Titan 200 (HC150-165Watt cooling capacity)
Technical specifications:
Power: 1/10 PS
Cooling capacity: 165W
Recommended coolant flow: 250-1200 l/h
Weight: 15kg
Cooling agent: R134A
Dimensions: 420x248x365mm (LxWxH)
Heat exchanger material: Titanium
max. compressive load: 0,8bar
Temperature adjustments: Digital read-out (precision 0,1°C), temperature setting in 1°C steps
current demand: 1.1 A (50 Hz)
current drain: 253 W

so y do u need such a big pump to send coolant though it ie:1000 gph or do u mean 1000 lph I am at a loss on that one y so big
And were have u fitted the pump ?

any pic's of your chillier setup m8

My rez's

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=40526&pictureid=959499&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]

Ttystikk

just a question on how u got around the gph that is needed to make the chiller work ok in a sealed system

I'm sorry, I didn't see this until just now. ChillKing recommended 3-4 gallons of cooling solution per minute flow rate (that's 240gph, for those who hate math) for their 2 Ton unit, so 1000 gph is silly overkill for such a tiny device.

Speaking of your tiny device; the smaller a chilling device is, the less efficient it is- and chillers are no exception. I fear your 1/10hp chiller is too small to be much good at chilling more than one reservoir.

The way to do it is to plumb a separate res of tapwater into your chiller, through a three way manifold so that each one goes to a copper cooling coil in each res. They should return to the cold water reservoir separately to reduce backpressure. That's the circuit that will cool all your reservoirs. Whether 1/10hp will keep up with the load is another matter.

 

[Ttystikk]

Water cooled dehumidifiers? Where do I get?


I too am using my a 1hp eco plus and I have it removing heat from 2 water pumps sitting in my reservoir and to cool a about 300 sq feet of air. Its working right now. I go back and forth on whether a minisplit would be better but... I have what I have and its working well for my room so sitcking with it.

LMFAO!!!! YOU OWN IT ALREADY! YOUR CHILLER IS THE DEHUEY!!!!

First, look up 'dewpoint' and get am idea for what it is. Then, play with a dewpoint calculator to figure out the difference between dewpoint and actual temperature in your room. Not the observed temp and RH; use your chiller temp setting as the dewpoint.

This will be a bit optimistic since no heat transfer is perfect, but if your chiller water runs through your system at around 58f, using Icebox heat exchangers will keep your room RH in the low 70s until your lighting wattage overwhelms its ability to keep things dehumidified. That's going to be somewhere around 2kW of lighting per 8" Icebox, or even less wattage than that if you're running a vertical setup.

 

[Ttystikk]

Yes, 1000 gph is recommended for the ecoplus 1hp. Most sump pumps at the HD are rated for over 1000 gph, and you can buy one for $70 or so.

edit: sorry, I just saw you have the 1/10 hp. Your pump should be in your reservoir. From the ecoplus site for their 1/10 hp chiller:

Pump Size: Minimum 132 GPH/Maximum 264 GPH.

Stikk: What do you use for a heat exchanger in your cooling solution? What do use for a cooling solution? Water? Oil?

Good advice you gave him above.

I use 3/8" od copper hvac tubing, comes in a coil. You'll need only 5-10', I use 15' for big tub RDWC and it's fine.

Since I don't run any of my lines outside- YET- I don't put anything in the cooling system but tapwater.

The ONLY valid reason to run antifreeze is if you think your lines will be exposed to freezing temperatures, otherwise there is no need. Run up to 30% POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, NOT ETHYLENE GLYCOL, not just straight fifty percent they sell at Wal-Mart, dilute that about 2:1 with tapwater. You'll still be good to minus ten or more- and that's only if the pump quits and only applies to lines outside. Your chiller should have an antifreeze safety switch.

Whether it does or not, the way to keep a chiller alive is by keeping it constantly supplied with water. That means keep plenty of water in your chiller reservoir and maybe your pump should be in or under it, to guarantee that it won't run dry unless the whole thing does.

 

[jayjayfrank]

ttystikk - thanks for sharing all the info

 

[flyer81]

LMFAO!!!! YOU OWN IT ALREADY! YOUR CHILLER IS THE DEHUEY!!!!

First, look up 'dewpoint' and get am idea for what it is. Then, play with a dewpoint calculator to figure out the difference between dewpoint and actual temperature in your room. Not the observed temp and RH; use your chiller temp setting as the dewpoint.

This will be a bit optimistic since no heat transfer is perfect, but if your chiller water runs through your system at around 58f, using Icebox heat exchangers will keep your room RH in the low 70s until your lighting wattage overwhelms its ability to keep things dehumidified. That's going to be somewhere around 2kW of lighting per 8" Icebox, or even less wattage than that if you're running a vertical setup.

My chiller is not in my room. Neither is my coolant reservoir. I ran 3/4" PVC through the wall. PVC is wrapped in foam insulation. It then goes to an icebox that together with a 10" fan and a carbon filter scrubs and cools the air in the room 24 hours a day. The coolant then goes over to a stainless steel heat exchanger sitting in my flowering system reservoir. It then goes back through the wall and back into the coolant reservoir. My lights are on a separate closed air cooling system. The output from that closed air system blows straight into the front of my chiller to keep that piece cooled down.

What I have noticed is that at certain times the icebox will start sweating as, yes, it is colder than the dewpoint thus causing the water to condense onto the icebox. If I look at my environment controller it tells me that humidity is usually around 55% but particularly if it gets warmer in the room, as it will now that summer is coming, the room itself feels humid even though the controller says only 55%. I feel like it should NOT be feeling humid in my grow room.