Teco RA 680

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

Hi.. i gonna use a TECo RA 680 chiller for my 4footer tank .. but was wondering what type of flow rate pump and brand is use best for this chiller.. reefer out there using the same chillers or have used give some advice...

[Gouldian]

Hi bro,

I have used the above chiller for my previous 3ft. I used it with a Aquabee 2000. The distance from my pump to chiller is 2 ft (1ft horizontal, 1 ft vertical with 1 x 90 degree elbow)) and the chiller to main tank is 3.5ft (1ft horizontal, 2.5ft vertical with 2 x 90 degree elbows).

It was able to chill my tank effectively.

In fact, I even used it to chill my present tank before i upgraded to the Daeil 1/3hp. It was able to chill until I increase the heat load by adding 2 x 250 MH.

HTH

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

Thanks Gouldian... i am intending to chill my tank to 27-28deg only .. and i be using 8-10tubes T5 lighting sets.. and the distance from my pump to chiller will be like 4 1/2 feet away and chiller back to my sump again will be also the same distance.

[klim]

I am also using Teco RA680, had ask the same question and after all the input, decided to have the water taken from Sump and return back to sump.

but I think my sump are bigger than yours therefore, it still took 3-4hrs to chill from 29 to 27degrees.

I am using 1500l/hrs pump to the chiller, sump and chiller same height.

i would be interested if you can connect better and with better efficiency. Pls share with me.

[Limpc]

Thanks Gouldian... i am intending to chill my tank to 27-28deg only .. and i be using 8-10tubes T5 lighting sets.. and the distance from my pump to chiller will be like 4 1/2 feet away and chiller back to my sump again will be also the same distance.

Please keep us updated on your progress and what kind of pump u intend to use.

I was toying around relocating the same chiller to my balcony, almost the same kind of distance as u mentioned.

tks

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

decide to get a eheim 1250 which is 1200l/h ... going to put the pump in my sump and pump water to my RA680,then back to the main tank..but the distance of the piping is very long .. u guys think an 1250 is strong enough or just nice... dont want to get the pump and cant be used for my tank...

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

pic of piping that link from sump to chiller then to main tank ..distance of piping .. reefers pls comment that an 1250 eheim is strong enough?

Any better recommendation of pump?

[reeftask]

It wont work, will be like less than a baby's pee. A bro reefer even tried direct without chiller and even bigger pump, already failure few weeks ago.

the pump flow rate is too small to lift up that height. and additional chiller, will 100% fail. suggest you do more research on this. There are lots of this questions and answers pop up now and then, try to search around.

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

what type of pump u recommend? at least 5000L/h?

[Gouldian]

Hi Bro,

You may want to used the head loss calculator to decide your pump:

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php

HTH

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

Hi.. today just got my teco running with an aquabee 3000 pump..but the water flow return to the main tank isvery slow.. and not strong.... it like when u open 1/3 of your tap water running out of the tap.... is it ok.. it been 2hrs since the chiller is running ..still at the same temp... how long must i wait for the first kick off to chill my tank.. set to chill down tp 27deg and kick off at 29deg but nw tank is 29.5deg....after 2hrs... it the flow rate too slow for the chiller to perform?

[reeftask]

Hi.. today just got my teco running with an aquabee 3000 pump..but the water flow return to the main tank isvery slow.. and not strong.... it like when u open 1/3 of your tap water running out of the tap.... is it ok.. it been 2hrs since the chiller is running ..still at the same temp... how long must i wait for the first kick off to chill my tank.. set to chill down tp 27deg and kick off at 29deg but nw tank is 29.5deg....after 2hrs... it the flow rate too slow for the chiller to perform?

If the water is 1/3 of your water tap, that means its screwed up. You had sized too small. The calculator at Reef Central is only a guide direct from pump to tank and has no chiller in between. Nobody can advise you if you installed the chiller in between because every maker has different specs. You can only ask from ppl who had already setup with the same design as yours.

The temp different? Depends where is your termostat. In the chiller? If its in the chiller, its not the pump problem. Your equipments heat up faster than your chiller. Your chiller is too small for your setup.

[Limpc]

Hello,

I gather from somewhere that there is a restrictor within RA680 to control the flow at 1200LPH. Regardless on how high the flowrate at the input to chiller, the output remains.

Looking at your drawing, from output of chiller to tank is around 11feet. Hence, with 1200LPH at output, it's not surprising the flow becomes like pee at the maintank.

Do not overlook the heat loss (or rather loss of coolness) for that 11feet pipe.

My 2 cents.

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

k.. just came back from work.. my tank still didnt chill down ..stay same at 29deg.. sainzzz..

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

k... so what should be the flow rate of the water flowing out of the pipe into my main tank..so that my chiller will be able to chill my tank better?

[Limpc]

Well, I'm still figuring it out. Hence, my chiller is sitting next to my tank and my CEO is very eye sore about the position, sigh .....

[reeftask]

Hello,

I gather from somewhere that there is a restrictor within RA680 to control the flow at 1200LPH. Regardless on how high the flowrate at the input to chiller, the output remains.

Looking at your drawing, from output of chiller to tank is around 11feet. Hence, with 1200LPH at output, it's not surprising the flow becomes like pee at the maintank.

Do not overlook the heat loss (or rather loss of coolness) for that 11feet pipe.

My 2 cents.

Lim is correct, will certainly a bit of cool loss.

If there is a restrictor to prevent damage to the chiller, then you can do nothing. Increase flow rate to 10000 lph also no use. Best you change the design. In and out also in sump.

Seems Teco is clever to put the restrictor there. Same as my theory that many ppl refused to believe that the high backflow will damage the chiller in long run. Pls refer to a reefer who screwed up several weeks ago on return pump. Another reefer had damaged his chiller after 1 year weeks ago.

[reeftask]

Well, I'm still figuring it out. Hence, my chiller is sitting next to my tank and my CEO is very eye sore about the position, sigh .....

Are you the CFO? You control the ceo finance tighter loh, Then everything OK.

My CEO said better decom. LOL. Luckily Im the CFO.

[thc]

Hi,

I had a teco-680, there is a restrictor in the heat exchange unit and it was purposefully built.

The flow rate of the chiller will be reduced to around 600ltrs/hr (if i remember correctly), therefore using a stronger pump is advisible if the return flow will be directly to the tank.

Cheers

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

just check again... the water flowing out from the chiller back to the main tank is not chilling guess that the probelm... but a mth ago test run is was still ok .... sainzzz... dont know what wrong...this time..

anyone advise?

[reeftask]

just check again... the water flowing out from the chiller back to the main tank is not chilling guess that the probelm... but a mth ago test run is was still ok .... sainzzz... dont know what wrong...this time..

anyone advise?

not chilling means the chiller problem. Is the compressor on? If not on, maybe the controller broke down or compressor coil had damaged. If the compressor is on, this means the compressor either internally damaged or gas had leaked out so no gas. Usually no gas so fast is due to leaking and need to find the source to mend up before topping up the gas again.

[Limpc]

My CEO said better decom. LOL. Luckily Im the CFO.

You are one lucky man, Mr CFO ...

[mousecat11]

I am using the same chiller as well now on my 4x2,5x2,5 ...

able to chill down to 27.00 without any problem.. i think it will work better on a slower rate as i test it out after lowering my ehim pump (1500/l) with the control valve to a slower rate..

before that the chiller keep runing and it even hit 29 degree something..

[reeftask]

bro, his chiller is the problem. He had settled it.

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

I am using the same chiller as well now on my 4x2,5x2,5 ...

able to chill down to 27.00 without any problem.. i think it will work better on a slower rate as i test it out after lowering my ehim pump (1500/l) with the control valve to a slower rate..

before that the chiller keep runing and it even hit 29 degree something..

Anyway which model are u using the old RA680 or the lastest model?

i got two, one is the lastest model of RA680 .. and another one which is not chilling is the old version one.... maybe the old version one need slower flow rate...

nw running my tank with the lastest version one.. will take the old RA860 from my store room and test run agin with a slower rate pump and control valve... but what the distance from ur chiller feed pump to the chiller and then to the tank?

mine is far away lol.. if i jsut a 1500 pump it will not work..it will be like baby peeping..

anyway thanks.