Chiller noob question

[Slimymadness]

HI all,

just a quick qn. I know that the chiller will consume max power when it kicks in, thus i am correct in assuming if we buy a more powerful chiller, say 1hp or 1/2hp for a 2footer, it will kick in less, thus saving energy?

In contrast to buying a 1/8hp for a 5footer and it kicks in every 5 min.

Any advise?

I am thinking of getting chiller, but i am hoping for a tank size upgrade later in the future so I dont want to get a just nice one and end up have to sell to get another one next time!

Thanks all,

peace out

[Digiman]

Using a 1/8hp for a 5-footer does not cause the chiller to kick in every 5 mins!

I once use a 1/10 hp for a 5-footer and contrary to wat most pple thinks, it is actually quite electricity saving.

The chiller runs very long for 2 hours to reduce the temp by 1 degree, den it rests for about 2 hours before it kicks in again. So for the whole day it only kicks in 6 times and runs for 10 to 12 hours. So the power consumption is the same in the end and the less frequent kicks in also help to reduce electricity loss.

However my experience is only accurate if u are keeping a FOWLR (dim lightings) and have low powered equipments (smaller turnover rate) so that the heat introduction is low.

So for a normal reef tank with heavy lightings, high return, powerful skimmer etc, u should strive for overpowered chiller if u can afford it so that the chiller does not kick in too frequently.