<$100 pump for 12-pack chiller (YAPT)

[angra]

Sorry for Yet Another Pump Thread, but I am still having trouble deciding what to buy.

I am building a AC chiller using the rubbermaid 12-pack reservoir. I'm trying to figure out what pump to buy. I'd like to stay under about $100. It seems like maybe submersibles are a little safer and less likely to crack, but there isn't much spare space inside my res with the evaporator in it. I've seen the iwakis mentioned, but they tend to be pretty expensive.

I'll probably not do anything like pinching caps or adjusting the load in the AC, so I guess I won't see any insanely low temps, I guess in the -25ish neighborhood at best - so maybe just about any pump will do?

Any input is appreciated.

[timpanogos]

angra, what ac unit did you start with?

[Lotec25]

i would go with one of the Mag Pumps

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=1120699938585

the mag 3 or mag 5 both would work well. I would use the Mag 5 if you have the money to spend and they will fit in the cooler you are talking about. You could also go with one of the via Aqua

http://www.aquastealth.com/browsepro...Mag-Drive.HTML

but the fail rate on the Via Aqua is quiet high.

Lotec

[angra]

angra, what ac unit did you start with?

It's a Haier, ~5000 BTU - something like http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...sterid=1402855

[timpanogos]

good luck with it angra!!! I'm thinking about getting ready to get ready ... more reading to do ... dang aren't places like this fantastic!!!

[angra]

the mag 3 or mag 5 both would work well. I would use the Mag 5 if you have the money to spend and they will fit in the cooler you are talking about. You could also go with one of the via Aqua

Lotec

I will check those out - they look a little smaller than the eheims. Does it matter what orientation the pump is in in a submerged system? The clearances are really slim, but maybe if I turn the pump on end it'll be a little more likely to fit...

Thanks for the pointer..

[Lotec25]

That is what i was going to tell say. You can put the Mag pump in the res any way you can. It will run upside down, right side up, left side up, ETC ETC ETC. There was a post on here someplace where they put the pump in sideways ill find it and give yea the link.

Lotec

[Lotec25]

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...&postcount=201

that is the mag3

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...achmentid=7239

there it is sideways

[angra]

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...&postcount=201

that is the mag3

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...achmentid=7239

there it is sideways

Thanks! My reservoir is currently arranged a little differently. I may sacrifice another cooler to get a better arrangement. I am trying to do as little tube bending as I can manage though, so I am probably close to as good as I can get without major bendage. The end result is that I dont have quite as much room on either side of the evap as in these pictures. I might be able to work something out though.

Those pumps look nice, and economical. Will investigate more.

I guess I should post pictures of what I have so far.

[Lotec25]

Yea post pictures i want to see

Lotec

[angra]

went with the Danner Mag 5.

got it decently far into the cooler, but had to turn it so that the inlet is facing downward to fit.

I fired it up for the first time today and it was pretty loud. like a low frequency raspy noise. Is that normal for this pump or is noise an indicator of a bad install maybe? Anyone?

[angra]

as an aside...living in Atlanta, GA (southeast USA)...humidity is a way of life around here.

I got significant condensation on the plumbing and waterblock starting at about +15C.

[unixxx]

Try orienting the pump differently and see if it makes the same noise, if so you should be good. I'd think if the pump couldn't be placed in a certain orientation it'd say.