Teco 500 chiller - temperature settings

[niels123]

Several shops have assured me you can set the desired temperature of the Teco 500 chiller to 0.1C lowest. Every webshop has the same temperature limit mentioned in the description for this chiller. Yesterday my Teco 500 arrived and I'm trying to set it to this temp. Strangely, it stops at 5C. How is this possible?

There is a workaround, but I consider it "cheating": you can set the temperature difference between your water thermometer and the chiller's temp setting. Normally, the actual water temp is equal to the chiller's setting. When you then set this value to +4, the water will be 4C colder than the chiller's setting. However, I find it hard to imagine that this is the way to get your water below 5C.

Who knows the Teco chillers and can help me out here?

 

[GoVols]

Got the original TK-1000 with the built in 400 watt heater.

Can set the differential to 1 degree F. from heating to chilling.

So if the temp is set to 80 F. it heats, if it hits 81, then it will chill until it’s back to 80.

In the below video looks like it has a .5 C setting. Start watching at about 4:40 and on

 

[niels123]

Got the original TK-1000 with the built in 400 watt heater.

Can set the differential to 1 degree F. from heating to chilling.

So if the temp is set to 80 F. it heats, if it hits 81, then it will chill until it’s back to 80.

In the below video looks like it has a .5 C setting. Start watching at about 4:40 and on

Yes, that's the differential. What I want is a temperature setting of 0.1C, not a differential. So the water must be very close to freezing.

Translated quote from basically every online description I could find: "The temperature is controllable from 0° to 35° C"

But it stops at 5° C...

 

[GoVols]

Yes, that's the differential. What I want is a temperature setting of 0.1C, not a differential. So the water must be very close to freezing.

Translated quote from basically every online description I could find: "The temperature is controllable from 0° to 35° C"

But it stops at 5° C...

Yeah,
The manual states not to run in an environment below 5 C

I guess you could change the Ot settings for the probe to read an higher temp, but the water my slush real thick and freeze up your 500.

If you can find an .1 or 0 setting in the manual, let me know.

https://www.tecous.com/manuals/TK50010002000ManualCurrentModels.pdf

 

[niels123]

Yeah,
The manual states not to run in an environment below 5 C

I guess you could change the Ot settings for the probe to read an higher temp, but the water my slush real thick and freeze up your 500.

Would you remove that risk by pumping a really large volume of water? Like 2000-ish L/h? Can these coolers withstand antifreeze / water mixtures? In that case you can theoretically go to negative 7 Celcius? (max is +12 Ot)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Got the original TK-1000 with the built in 400 watt heater.

Can set the differential to 1 degree F. from heating to chilling.

So if the temp is set to 80 F. it heats, if it hits 81, then it will chill until it’s back to 80.

In the below video looks like it has a .5 C setting. Start watching at about 4:40 and on

I run the 1000 model and have the panel set to 78 high and 75 low, so it will kick in at 75 and shut off at 78. Assure the probe is noy in a high flow area

 

[niels123]

I run the 1000 model and have the panel set to 78 high and 75 low, so it will kick in at 75 and shut off at 78. Assure the probe is noy in a high flow area

What do you mean with the probe not in a high flow area?
What I'd like is to have the water at 33.8F / 1C. Nice and chilly

 

[GoVols]

What do you mean with the probe not in a high flow area?
What I'd like is to have the water at 33.8F / 1C. Nice and chilly

The manual clearly states the settings are 5 to 35 C

Read the entire page 11 on the English version.

 

[niels123]

The manual clearly states the settings are 5 to 35 C

Read the entire page 11 on the English version.

It makes me wonder 2 things:

1) Why does every online shop mentions that you can set it to 0C and up?
2) Can these coolers handle antifreeze / ethylene glycol / the stuff you put in your car to spray on your windows?

 

[GoVols]

Would you remove that risk by pumping a really large volume of water? Like 2000-ish L/h? Can these coolers withstand antifreeze / water mixtures? In that case you can theoretically go to negative 7 Celcius? (max is +12 Ot)

They have a max flow / head pressure / rate before you break the warrant.

no you can’t use antifreeze, they use freon.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What do you mean with the probe not in a high flow area?
What I'd like is to have the water at 33.8F / 1C. Nice and chilly

if the probe for chiller is in path of flow in sump (unless you have yours in Tank) - the unit will sense false water temp

 

[niels123]

They have a max flow rate before you break the warrant.

no you can’t use antifreeze, they use freon.

I want to use a Eheim Universal 2400 with this cooler. It can do up to 2400 liters per hour. Is that too much?

Pentane is used for its internal cooling cycle. The antifreeze is what I propose to use instead of water in the tank. It's not for fish ;-) So what I mean is cooling antifreeze and using an Eheim pump to pump it through the cooler. As far as I know everything in these coolers that come into contact with the stuff you want to cool is made out of pvc, which is totally fine with ethylene glycol.

 

[niels123]

if the probe for chiller is in path of flow in sump (unless you have yours in Tank) - the unit will sense false water temp

There is no external probe...

 

[GoVols]

I want to use a Eheim Universal 2400 with this cooler. It can do up to 2400 liters per hour. Is that too much?

Pentane is used for its internal cooling cycle. The antifreeze is what I propose to use instead of water in the tank. It's not for fish ;-) So what I mean is cooling antifreeze and using an Eheim pump to pump it through the cooler. As far as I know everything in these coolers that come into contact with the stuff you want to cool is made out of pvc, which is totally fine with ethylene glycol.

You would need to contact Teco, in Italy.

contact info at the bottom of this page.

Home en - tecoonline

eu.tecoonline.eu

 

[vetteguy53081]

There is no external probe...

Mine does but larer unit. Apparently with yours, the probe is in the inflow pipe to make sure that the temperature measured is the actual one from the tank

 

[niels123]

You would need to contact Teco, in Italy.

contact info at the bottom of this page.

Home en - tecoonline

eu.tecoonline.eu

Thanks! Yeah I can do that but I bet they haven't tested it / don't want to make any claims / are not interested in it since they are "only designed for water" / etc. That's usually how it goes when you want to use something slightly different than the exact intended purpose...

I sent an email, let's see their reply.

 

[niels123]

Side question: today I heard some brands protect their coolers from freezing or overheating. So when the pump breaks or a hose comes off, the cooler survives. Is this the case for Teco coolers as well?