All the chillers have a stated minimum/ maximum flow/ pressure that they can handle usually stated by the MAXIMUM HEAD PRESSURE or MAXIMUM HEAD HIEGHT. I didnt read the the type of system you are using, but if its bio-buckets, and Big Toke can correct me on this if im wrong since he was here
, ( his bio- system fucking rocks by the way as mine is built to his specs KUDOS to him) I believe my 1/4 hp chiller has a maximum pump flow of 700 plus gallons per minute, and that may work for a 6 bucket system. Keep in mind that one of the reasons for the head/ flow maximum is the pressure the chiller tank can handle, and after that water passes through the heat exchanger it will be flowing no where near the stated pump capacity. You are much better off, if running a bio system, to just go ahead and buy the extra pump, one to circulate to the buckets and one to the chiller. I know, it can get expensive, but water flowing through the chiller heat exchanger is very restricted / tubulent as it crosses the tubes in the heat exchanger causing heavy GPH flow loss, and if you try to compensate by buying an oversize pump to increase the flow, you run the risk of blowing out the tank on the chiller. Thats the reason the manufacturer recommends a seperate pump for the chiller. I am speaking from experience, though I never blew out a chiller tank, when I first built my system I tried to cut corners to save a few bucks and ended up spending even more re-building it because the system would not perform. On a side note speaking of Big Tokes system, if you want NO reservoir change-outs, no wasted nutes, the lowest fucking maintenance possible short of dirt, explosive growth, and just one initial PH adjustment on first start-up, the Bio-bucket system is the shit.
