Well after being called in to work today I came home to the main tank temp. at 86.6. I could tell that the corals didn't look right and the lights were functioning ok and when I stuck my hand in the tank - wow - hot. That is all I needed, I don't suppose there is ever a good time to have a failure though. I took the chiller off line and went about taking it apart, knowing full well that there is not much that I know about the chiller or how I could possibly fix it. I figured that it is basically a refrigerator and if I couldn't fix it maybe a local refrigerator repair guy might. Well, I started at the plug connection and switch with my multi meter and luckily there was no power after the switch, witch told me that it had to be that. I found a fuse in the switch, rather hidden after looking all through the chiller for one. Amazingly, there was a spare fuse in a compartment right next to the main fuse - what are the chances of that. Hats off to JBJ Artica chillers for a great product and the for sight to put an extra fuse built into there product. I replace the fuse and put the chiller back together and presto it was working. The fuse could have blown as many as 3 days ago, because I know that it takes about that long for the tank to gain ambiant heat throughout it when the chiller is not running. Hopefully I got the pressure fittings all back on good. The tank is already down 2.5 degrees after 15 minutes and I am sure that the corals are as elated. I may have lost a Royal Gramma but the lights were off when I finished putting everything back on line so he may have been hidding out somewhere. I guess I should just be thankful that this little ordeal only cost me an hour. If I ever have to get my chiller repaired does anyone know of anyone that might be able to work on them or change the freon?
Glad you sucessfully troubleshooted the problem! And even better solved it! The fuse is the only thing that I would know to change on a chiller. The only other problem I could think of outside of a chiller would be the chiller pump. After those two solutions I would be up the creek. We have a frigeration department here at the plant, I can ask them how much trouble it would be to change out freon.
