Inside a CW5000 Chiller

[Walt Langhans]

Had some fun today...

A noise that sounds like a fan going bad started coming from my chiller. So I shut everything down, drained it, took the cover off and started looking for the problem.

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IMPORTANT: The drain does not get all the liquid even when you tip it up, so you should put some tube from the inlet to the outlet to keep coolant from going all over when you turn it on. (1st lesson of my day)

Couldn't see anything wrong or loose so I powered it up, and no noise. Let it run for a bit, still no noise. Ok something got in the fan and jammed it and when I moved it it came loose and the problem is solved. Started putting it back together and realized that the threads on the screws that hold the filter on are different then the ones the hold the cover on (same size and shape so east to over look) so unscrewed a few to screws to get the right ones in the right spot (2nd lesson for the day) got everything back together, replaced the coolant that was now on the floor and powered up the laser.

The noise came back. The chiller sits right next to the laser and this time when I suck my head down there I realized it wasn't the chiller at all but was the small cooling fan on the laser. As I originally suspected it had come loose and was knocking, so a quick tighten of the screws and the noise was gone and all was better. So back to work I went until I the laser said...

Water Error 1 please ESC...

Got out the manuals to start seeing what I had done now... Realized that I had reversed the in and out water tube and I reached down and began to switch them back to the correct configuration. Forgot to turn off the chiller (3rd lesson for the day) and coolant started shooting out the back. In the heat of the moment I opened my mouth to say a few choice about the situation as I tried to get the tube back on (4th lesson of the day) and the force of trying to put the tube back on caused coolant to spray ever where including into my mouth. Just FYI, it tastes really really bad...

But everything is clean up, no serious damage done, and time to get back to work...

It's been a while since I've had a 'Monday' but I think this one qualifies

[Tom Buzz Bernard]

I can relate I have had those days, thanks for sharing...it made me laugh. Glad it was something simple.

[Rodne Gold]

Walt , if you stuck antifreeze in there , ethyl glycol , its pretty poisonous stuff , my advise is if that happens again , spit and don't swallow

[Walt Langhans]

I can relate I have had those days, thanks for sharing...it made me laugh.

I'm usually very methodical and don't usually have stuff like that happen to me, but when I do... lol ... well you see how it is...

I found the best thing to do is:

Stay Calm and Keep Lasering

Walt , if you stuck antifreeze in there , ethyl glycol , its pretty poisonous stuff , my advise is if that happens again , spit and don't swallow

It was and I did, but getting that taste out of your mouth is a different problem all together! :-P

[George M. Perzel]

Whoa!-sounds like what happens whenever I have a plumbing problem-everything seems to escalate and then go to hell ina handbasket. Thankfully, real plumbers still make house calls.
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[George Brown]

There are some days when it is better to not even get out of bed!

[Jonathan Innes]

Hi Walt
You look like someone who knows the inside workings of the CW5000. I am looking at buying a second unit but to use for a cold salt water aquerium here in Pringle Bay South Africa. I need to keep the temp down to around 14degC what I need to know is whether the pipes the water runs through are made of titanium or not. As far as I am aware all other materials react with the salt water & poisen the fish. Another thing what HP is the motor? If anyone else reading this has any advice i would be really greatful.
Jono

[Dan Hintz]

Hi Walt
You look like someone who knows the inside workings of the CW5000. I am looking at buying a second unit but to use for a cold salt water aquerium here in Pringle Bay South Africa. I need to keep the temp down to around 14degC what I need to know is whether the pipes the water runs through are made of titanium or not. As far as I am aware all other materials react with the salt water & poisen the fish. Another thing what HP is the motor? If anyone else reading this has any advice i would be really greatful.
Jono

Steel, aluminum, and copper... no titanium I'm aware of.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Dan's right, a CW5000 pumping salt water won't live 3 months (if that) corrosion is a problem in the 5000 with water let alone salt water.

cheers

Dave

[Mike Troncalli]

I am going to hijack the thread for a moment...

Had a coworker who got into his truck to go to work one morning and it wouldn't start. Borrowed his wife's car and drove to the auto parts store and purchased a new battery. After replacing the battery it still wouldn't start. So he got under the truck and removed the starter and once again drove to the auto parts store and purchased a new starter. Put it in and it still wouldn't start. Made his 3rd trip and bought a starter solinoid. Was just about to crawl under the truck to replaced the old one. He was sitting in the drivers seat (can't remember why) when he looked down and realized he never put the truck all the way in park... 1/2 day and almost $200.00 later he learned a very valuable lesson. He at least was able to laugh about it..
Funny enough about 10 years later I jumped in my truck to leave work and it wouldn't start... I had not thought about his story for years and it "popped" right into my head. Sure enough.... I put the truck in park that morning but the shifter just didn't engage the switch enough... A little wiggle and a grin on my face got me home....

[paul jeran]

For chilling a liquid other than water, take a look at what the hydroponics people use. I have one of these running instead of the standard CM5000 and it works great with an 80W RECI. I have heard that it has a Ti heat exchanger. The hydro guys use all sorts of salts in their goo to feed the plants.

Do a search for Active Aqua Chiller refrigeration unit 1/4 HP AACH25

Cheaper than a CM5000, you just need to add a pump and with a fish tank you already have the reservoir.

Paul

[Jonathan Innes]

For chilling a liquid other than water, take a look at what the hydroponics people use. I have one of these running instead of the standard CM5000 and it works great with an 80W RECI. I have heard that it has a Ti heat exchanger. The hydro guys use all sorts of salts in their goo to feed the plants.

Do a search for Active Aqua Chiller refrigeration unit 1/4 HP AACH25

Cheaper than a CM5000, you just need to add a pump and with a fish tank you already have the reservoir.

Paul

Thanks Paul
will see what the hydroponics guys have on offer.
Cheers
Jonathan

[Michael Gonzales]

I am going to hijack the thread for a moment...

Had a coworker who got into his truck to go to work one morning and it wouldn't start.
Funny enough about 10 years later I jumped in my truck to leave work and it wouldn't start... I had not thought about his story for years and it "popped" right into my head. Sure enough.... I put the truck in park that morning but the shifter just didn't engage the switch enough... A little wiggle and a grin on my face got me home....

Thanks for sharing. I used to work on motorcycles in my youth. about 30 years ago when they were very simple,very loud and very fast. We used a term here in Texas were such a machine was snake bit when you tried everything and yet it did not seem to fix. The at the end of the trouble shooting there was the time where you finally figured it out and thought you were such a rookie for something so simple. There was the time I learned that when you start looking for the BMFH... take a break and get back to it. Thanks for memory lane.

Mike g

[Jed Lawrie]

What are you guys using to keep the water from freezing in these winter months?

[Jerome Stanek]

I am just using a heated horse bucket and keep the pump running. It keeps my water at about 40 degrees F