Ask your chiller related issues here - Page 15

tdb320reef · 11/14/2015, 12:17 PM

Hello I have a Aqualigic 1/3 horse power that I purchased used. and lately it is not cooling like it did a year ago.

Do these need to be recharged? Any maintenance can be done to get it back to performing condition. I vacuumed the dust out of it with no improvement and added a fan to the back. Thanks.

anthony34 · 12/03/2015, 08:32 AM

Hello,
I have a 1/4 hp artica chillers that's acting weird.
First let me start with background of the problem;

My chiller is working but over the summer it would turn on as it should when the temperature was over the setup point lets say my set point was 77 when the house reached 80 it would turn on and in a matter of seconds would turn off in 20secs and go back to desired temp.

So I figured the Temp probe was faulty so I installed another

While the new temp probe is working great, it's still doing the same thing; so now I replaced the front controller.

This is where it gets weird; With the new controller (testing the unit out) the green light blinks then goes solid so you would think the compressor and fan would kick in, it does not.

So I connect back up the old controller and the compressor and fan works as it should but of course I get the quick temp drop problem again as before.

My question does anyone have any idea what the problem could be; and oyeah JBJ sent me a second controller just in case the first one they sent may had been defective it is still doing the same thing will not kick on the compressor and fan.

Suggestions?

Thanks

Sounds Fishy · 12/03/2015, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthony34

Hello,
I have a 1/4 hp artica chillers that's acting weird.
First let me start with background of the problem;

My chiller is working but over the summer it would turn on as it should when the temperature was over the setup point lets say my set point was 77 when the house reached 80 it would turn on and in a matter of seconds would turn off in 20secs and go back to desired temp.

So I figured the Temp probe was faulty so I installed another

While the new temp probe is working great, it's still doing the same thing; so now I replaced the front controller.

This is where it gets weird; With the new controller (testing the unit out) the green light blinks then goes solid so you would think the compressor and fan would kick in, it does not.

So I connect back up the old controller and the compressor and fan works as it should but of course I get the quick temp drop problem again as before.

My question does anyone have any idea what the problem could be; and oyeah JBJ sent me a second controller just in case the first one they sent may had been defective it is still doing the same thing will not kick on the compressor and fan.

Suggestions?

Thanks

Sounds Fishy · 12/03/2015, 10:56 AM

Your chiller could be experiencing more than one issue.I do not know if it is too old to be under warrantee however,it seems JBJ was helpful to you previously,and I think they can be helpful in trouble shooting your problem.Sounds as if they are being helpful already to you,sending parts(they may be faulty,since they sent you two.).Also,I remember helping someone else out with chiller advice.I looked up the brand and model number and it turned out that there was a method to calibrate the thermostat,accurately.I assume if you contact the manufacturer again there may be a method to adjust yours,manually.There is a PDF on the Internet for your brand of chiller,and you will find it suggests specific diagnostic procedures to help you

Sounds Fishy · 12/03/2015, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdb320reef

Hello I have a Aqualigic 1/3 horse power that I purchased used. and lately it is not cooling like it did a year ago.

Do these need to be recharged? Any maintenance can be done to get it back to performing condition. I vacuumed the dust out of it with no improvement and added a fan to the back. Thanks.

Add a fan to the front blowing into the condenser.Keep the fan in the back as well to clear the warm air from the chiller unit.How old is the unit?Probably if it required a recharge,it would not perform well , at all.Also ensure your pump is running properly.The appropriate pump for your chillers requirements will maximize it's performance.

anthony34 · 12/04/2015, 07:59 AM

Just a follow up: I contacted JBJ again and the problem turn out to be that the company changed both the Power supply type as well as the controller Internally although the controller plugs up the same and looks the same if you inspect closely even though the connect has 4 pin housing there are only truly 3 pins used unlike the previous version.

So this means the power supply ($59.99) must be ordered and changed out as well as the controller something to keep in mind depending on how old your model is.

I had to purchase the new matching power supply version

but the up side is they told me to just keep the controller so now I have two brand new controller they sell for 149.99

.

mayyear · 05/28/2016, 01:48 PM

i don't know if this has been answered or not but i didn't see it while cruising through the billion paged on here :P

I have a JBJ 1/3 hp chiller. well i have two of them. once works perfectly. one....blows the fuse the MOMENT that the compressor kicks on.

On the chiller that doesn't work, the module comes on just fine. everything seems to work except that the fuse blows the moment that the compressor kicks in.

I took a multi meter and bypassed the fuse and observed that the chiller works GREAT without a fuse XD. the compressor kicks on, sounds good, and water is chilled...nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Now I'm not terribly proficient with a multi meter. By "not terribly proficient" I mean that I'm completely and utterly clueless! :P I's capable of figuring most things out, but electricity tends to confuse me.

I opened up the chiller and checked for any grounds, everything looks good. wires are in good order...the chiller looks dang near brand new! (I bought it off craigslist as a project). Next logical step was to check the capacitor....there isn't one. I am dumbfounded as I cant imagine why it doesn't have a capacitor but I've looked everywhere and I cant find anything that even resembles a capacitor.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be causing this/steps I can take to further diagnose the unit? I'm capable of almost any mechanical repairs, electric diagnosis just gets me sometimes so if anyone is able to walk me through what to look for/ how to use my $60 multi meter, I would be grateful

Thanks!

GlassReef · 05/29/2016, 03:22 PM

The compressor on my Teco-20 (1/3hp) locked up on me. I managed to get a new compressor on ebay for cheap. Thing is I got cold feet about installing it myself. I've called all the AC shops in the area but, all said the job is too small to be worth it to them. So I figure I'll have to go on Craig's list and find someone to do it as a side job.

My question; assuming I provide all required parts - including the new 34a - what would be a fair price for doing the work?

Thanks...

DSMreefer · 05/29/2016, 04:49 PM

You could probably get someone to do it on the side for around $100. It's a pretty involved process and you have to have a couple specialized tools to do it. I know that's what I would charge to do a small compressor changeout.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

GlassReef · 05/29/2016, 05:13 PM

Thanks for the verification. That's the figure I'd come up with.

DSMreefer · 05/29/2016, 05:45 PM

No problem, good luck!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

vektron · 06/09/2016, 09:04 AM

Hopefully someone can help me out....
I have an old model JBJ dbm-250 chiller and recently it started leaking from the plastic cap that hold the temp sensor in the heat exchange chamber.

I have exchanged emails and phone calls with JBJ, but they do not make this model any longer, so no help there. One of their guys suggested marine epoxy, but I'm not there yet.
I am hoping someone in this forum might know where I can get a replacement cap.

ScubaNemo · 06/09/2016, 09:21 AM

I have an Aqua Euro 1/4HP for my Reefer 350 ( about 95 gallons total). I have it set to cool the tank from 81 to 79 degrees. It takes about 40-50 mins to take the water down 2 degrees. The apartment temperature is about 80 degrees. Does that seem normal for it to take that long to cool the water down 2 degrees?

norskfisk · 06/10/2016, 12:54 AM

I did some quick math and found that in an ideal situation where you chiller performed like it should, 1/4 HP (870 Watts of cooling effect) it would take about 30 minutes to cool the water 2 degrees if there was not heat input to the tank. So that's the theoretical minimum time. So 40-50 minutes seems reasonable. You could try wenting the room better, if the chiller doesn't get enough fresh air.

ScubaNemo · 06/10/2016, 03:57 AM

Awesome, thank you!

DSMreefer · 06/10/2016, 11:17 AM

I'm not quite sure how norskfist figured the load on your chiller? Not saying it's wrong by any means as iam not an engineer. When we figure commercial chillers you have to know dt (temperature drop across across the chiller) and flow rate to come up with the btus necessary to cool the load. That compressor should be about 3000btus and according to the aqua euro site should run for 15 to 20 mins an hour if sized properly. Your total gallons to cool is on the low side for that chiller. I would think it wouldnt have much of a problem cooling that load down, maybe almost to fast. If you know your dt and flow rate you can use a formula to see if your close to your input btus. Not sure what the formula is off the top of my head. Have you cleaned the condenser lately? Backflushed the chiller heat exchanger? as they can get calcium build up.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

knap_123 · 07/04/2016, 10:24 AM

My sealine chiller so-300a want work correctly. I can set it to 70° . The display board will say something different. I assume it starts off at the water temp. It's definitely higher at around 79. So it will kick in and start chilling. The water temp will drop to around 50° and the display board will climb to around a 100° . I unplugged it from here. Now I no my pumps undersized. It's 211GPS and the chiller is rated for 264-660gph. I was just testing it. And I've tested it with a bucket, and on my 56 gallon tank. It definitely cools. Just not ideally .

knap_123 · 07/24/2016, 11:06 AM

OK, got my DIY temp control built. And it works perfectly! But when I plug to chiller, the chillers display jumps up and down on temp. And will eventually kick on. And stay till the water drops to set temp on DIY thermostat. Then it will kick off. But it won't come back on when temp rises like it should. I know this sounds complicated.haha should I disconnect board on chiller? And run the compressor to my DIY thermostat?

knap_123 · 07/27/2016, 07:21 AM

https://youtu.be/_IHd4xLtGgc

DSMreefer · 07/27/2016, 11:07 AM

I would not rely on that bad temp probe or display (whichever is going bad) to always read high and turn on the chiller. If one of those parts is going bad, it could fail completely and not turn the chiller on at all. Wouldn't be a big deal if you're there to catch it but if your not, that could be a different story.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

knap_123 · 07/27/2016, 12:55 PM

What would your suggestion be to fix it?

DSMreefer · 07/27/2016, 01:06 PM

I would try figuring out what component is going bad and replace it. If it's not fesible to do that, I would wire out the chiller controller. Run it through a set of contacts on your temp controller and if you can, program in a time delay of 1 to 2 minutes to keep the compressor from short cycling. If you can't program that in, you can wire in a simple adjustable time delay.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

knap_123 · 07/27/2016, 03:22 PM

I'll look into doing this

knap_123 · 07/27/2016, 03:47 PM

Where can I find these compression gaskets? I'm looking all over the web and calling chiller distributors. But no luck.

Wiriza01 · 10/25/2017, 07:20 PM

looking for obj 1/4 info as my compressor and fan won't cycle although the light blinks... This posting was best I found regarding what I suspect to be the relay on the control module... Given one of the two exhibited the behavior.... going to order the module. Having said as for the temps dropping to low I know this is a year later but if no one said to check the in vs out flow it makes a difference as if the lines are reversed the temp sensor will now register the cooled water vs non cooled water... Hope 125 well spent on the module (figured it was time for some posts on this great thread.. Thanks all and creator. I should note searching for the compressor checkout procedures didn't result in a find so if someone may link test procedures again thanks.

12/03/2015, 10:56 AM	#354
Sounds Fishy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 532	Your chiller could be experiencing more than one issue.I do not know if it is too old to be under warrantee however,it seems JBJ was helpful to you previously,and I think they can be helpful in trouble shooting your problem.Sounds as if they are being helpful already to you,sending parts(they may be faulty,since they sent you two.).Also,I remember helping someone else out with chiller advice.I looked up the brand and model number and it turned out that there was a method to calibrate the thermostat,accurately.I assume if you contact the manufacturer again there may be a method to adjust yours,manually.There is a PDF on the Internet for your brand of chiller,and you will find it suggests specific diagnostic procedures to help you __________________ Blue Spotted Ribbontail Stingray.Zebra Moray Eel.Aqueon 210 gallon,Trigger Ruby Elite 36 gallon sump Last edited by Sounds Fishy; 12/03/2015 at 11:08 AM.

05/29/2016, 03:22 PM	#358
GlassReef Got Reef Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida Posts: 2,501	Cost to replace a compressor The compressor on my Teco-20 (1/3hp) locked up on me. I managed to get a new compressor on ebay for cheap. Thing is I got cold feet about installing it myself. I've called all the AC shops in the area but, all said the job is too small to be worth it to them. So I figure I'll have to go on Craig's list and find someone to do it as a side job. My question; assuming I provide all required parts - including the new 34a - what would be a fair price for doing the work? Thanks... __________________ Tom No matter how much you try to push the envelope, it remains stationary.

05/29/2016, 05:13 PM	#360
GlassReef Got Reef Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida Posts: 2,501	Thanks for the verification. That's the figure I'd come up with. __________________ Tom No matter how much you try to push the envelope, it remains stationary.

06/09/2016, 09:21 AM	#363
ScubaNemo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Astoria, New York Posts: 383	I have an Aqua Euro 1/4HP for my Reefer 350 ( about 95 gallons total). I have it set to cool the tank from 81 to 79 degrees. It takes about 40-50 mins to take the water down 2 degrees. The apartment temperature is about 80 degrees. Does that seem normal for it to take that long to cool the water down 2 degrees? __________________ Reefer 350, Nyos 160 Skimmer, ARID reactor, Neptune WAV, Kessil AP700, Ecotech Vectra L1 pump, Neptune DOS, Avast Marine carbon reactor, Aqua Euro 1/4 Chiller, Apex gold

06/10/2016, 12:54 AM	#364
norskfisk Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Norway Posts: 206	I did some quick math and found that in an ideal situation where you chiller performed like it should, 1/4 HP (870 Watts of cooling effect) it would take about 30 minutes to cool the water 2 degrees if there was not heat input to the tank. So that's the theoretical minimum time. So 40-50 minutes seems reasonable. You could try wenting the room better, if the chiller doesn't get enough fresh air. __________________ Jon Olav

11/14/2015, 12:17 PM	#351
tdb320reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Chesterfield, MI Posts: 1,209	Hello I have a Aqualigic 1/3 horse power that I purchased used. and lately it is not cooling like it did a year ago. Do these need to be recharged? Any maintenance can be done to get it back to performing condition. I vacuumed the dust out of it with no improvement and added a fan to the back. Thanks.

12/03/2015, 08:32 AM	#352
anthony34 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 504	Hello, I have a 1/4 hp artica chillers that's acting weird. First let me start with background of the problem; My chiller is working but over the summer it would turn on as it should when the temperature was over the setup point lets say my set point was 77 when the house reached 80 it would turn on and in a matter of seconds would turn off in 20secs and go back to desired temp. So I figured the Temp probe was faulty so I installed another While the new temp probe is working great, it's still doing the same thing; so now I replaced the front controller. This is where it gets weird; With the new controller (testing the unit out) the green light blinks then goes solid so you would think the compressor and fan would kick in, it does not. So I connect back up the old controller and the compressor and fan works as it should but of course I get the quick temp drop problem again as before. My question does anyone have any idea what the problem could be; and oyeah JBJ sent me a second controller just in case the first one they sent may had been defective it is still doing the same thing will not kick on the compressor and fan. Suggestions? Thanks

12/04/2015, 07:59 AM	#356
anthony34 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 504	Just a follow up: I contacted JBJ again and the problem turn out to be that the company changed both the Power supply type as well as the controller Internally although the controller plugs up the same and looks the same if you inspect closely even though the connect has 4 pin housing there are only truly 3 pins used unlike the previous version. So this means the power supply ($59.99) must be ordered and changed out as well as the controller something to keep in mind depending on how old your model is. I had to purchase the new matching power supply version but the up side is they told me to just keep the controller so now I have two brand new controller they sell for 149.99 .

05/28/2016, 01:48 PM	#357
mayyear Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 3	i don't know if this has been answered or not but i didn't see it while cruising through the billion paged on here :P I have a JBJ 1/3 hp chiller. well i have two of them. once works perfectly. one....blows the fuse the MOMENT that the compressor kicks on. On the chiller that doesn't work, the module comes on just fine. everything seems to work except that the fuse blows the moment that the compressor kicks in. I took a multi meter and bypassed the fuse and observed that the chiller works GREAT without a fuse XD. the compressor kicks on, sounds good, and water is chilled...nothing seems out of the ordinary. Now I'm not terribly proficient with a multi meter. By "not terribly proficient" I mean that I'm completely and utterly clueless! :P I's capable of figuring most things out, but electricity tends to confuse me. I opened up the chiller and checked for any grounds, everything looks good. wires are in good order...the chiller looks dang near brand new! (I bought it off craigslist as a project). Next logical step was to check the capacitor....there isn't one. I am dumbfounded as I cant imagine why it doesn't have a capacitor but I've looked everywhere and I cant find anything that even resembles a capacitor. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be causing this/steps I can take to further diagnose the unit? I'm capable of almost any mechanical repairs, electric diagnosis just gets me sometimes so if anyone is able to walk me through what to look for/ how to use my $60 multi meter, I would be grateful Thanks!

05/29/2016, 04:49 PM	#359
DSMreefer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 116	You could probably get someone to do it on the side for around $100. It's a pretty involved process and you have to have a couple specialized tools to do it. I know that's what I would charge to do a small compressor changeout. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

05/29/2016, 05:45 PM	#361
DSMreefer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 116	No problem, good luck! Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

06/09/2016, 09:04 AM	#362
vektron Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 11	Hopefully someone can help me out.... I have an old model JBJ dbm-250 chiller and recently it started leaking from the plastic cap that hold the temp sensor in the heat exchange chamber. I have exchanged emails and phone calls with JBJ, but they do not make this model any longer, so no help there. One of their guys suggested marine epoxy, but I'm not there yet. I am hoping someone in this forum might know where I can get a replacement cap.

06/10/2016, 03:57 AM	#365
ScubaNemo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Astoria, New York Posts: 383	Awesome, thank you! __________________ Reefer 350, Nyos 160 Skimmer, ARID reactor, Neptune WAV, Kessil AP700, Ecotech Vectra L1 pump, Neptune DOS, Avast Marine carbon reactor, Aqua Euro 1/4 Chiller, Apex gold

06/10/2016, 11:17 AM	#366
DSMreefer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 116	I'm not quite sure how norskfist figured the load on your chiller? Not saying it's wrong by any means as iam not an engineer. When we figure commercial chillers you have to know dt (temperature drop across across the chiller) and flow rate to come up with the btus necessary to cool the load. That compressor should be about 3000btus and according to the aqua euro site should run for 15 to 20 mins an hour if sized properly. Your total gallons to cool is on the low side for that chiller. I would think it wouldnt have much of a problem cooling that load down, maybe almost to fast. If you know your dt and flow rate you can use a formula to see if your close to your input btus. Not sure what the formula is off the top of my head. Have you cleaned the condenser lately? Backflushed the chiller heat exchanger? as they can get calcium build up. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

07/04/2016, 10:24 AM	#367
knap_123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: alex city, alabama Posts: 756	My sealine chiller so-300a want work correctly. I can set it to 70° . The display board will say something different. I assume it starts off at the water temp. It's definitely higher at around 79. So it will kick in and start chilling. The water temp will drop to around 50° and the display board will climb to around a 100° . I unplugged it from here. Now I no my pumps undersized. It's 211GPS and the chiller is rated for 264-660gph. I was just testing it. And I've tested it with a bucket, and on my 56 gallon tank. It definitely cools. Just not ideally .

07/24/2016, 11:06 AM	#368
knap_123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: alex city, alabama Posts: 756	OK, got my DIY temp control built. And it works perfectly! But when I plug to chiller, the chillers display jumps up and down on temp. And will eventually kick on. And stay till the water drops to set temp on DIY thermostat. Then it will kick off. But it won't come back on when temp rises like it should. I know this sounds complicated.haha should I disconnect board on chiller? And run the compressor to my DIY thermostat?

07/27/2016, 07:21 AM	#369
knap_123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: alex city, alabama Posts: 756	https://youtu.be/_IHd4xLtGgc

07/27/2016, 11:07 AM	#370
DSMreefer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 116	I would not rely on that bad temp probe or display (whichever is going bad) to always read high and turn on the chiller. If one of those parts is going bad, it could fail completely and not turn the chiller on at all. Wouldn't be a big deal if you're there to catch it but if your not, that could be a different story. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

07/27/2016, 12:55 PM	#371
knap_123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: alex city, alabama Posts: 756	What would your suggestion be to fix it?

07/27/2016, 01:06 PM	#372
DSMreefer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 116	I would try figuring out what component is going bad and replace it. If it's not fesible to do that, I would wire out the chiller controller. Run it through a set of contacts on your temp controller and if you can, program in a time delay of 1 to 2 minutes to keep the compressor from short cycling. If you can't program that in, you can wire in a simple adjustable time delay. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

07/27/2016, 03:22 PM	#373
knap_123 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: alex city, alabama Posts: 756	I'll look into doing this

10/25/2017, 07:20 PM	#375
Wiriza01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 8	looking for obj 1/4 info as my compressor and fan won't cycle although the light blinks... This posting was best I found regarding what I suspect to be the relay on the control module... Given one of the two exhibited the behavior.... going to order the module. Having said as for the temps dropping to low I know this is a year later but if no one said to check the in vs out flow it makes a difference as if the lines are reversed the temp sensor will now register the cooled water vs non cooled water... Hope 125 well spent on the module (figured it was time for some posts on this great thread.. Thanks all and creator. I should note searching for the compressor checkout procedures didn't result in a find so if someone may link test procedures again thanks.