What to do if my chiller breaks down?

You walk into your classroom and find that the chiller has stopped functioning.  What do you do? 

First, check the attached fuse.  Most models such as the Aqua Chill chiller have a fuse located on the side of the chiller which should be checked initially.  After determining that the fuse is not blown, make certain that the main circuits are not tripped in the school.  If it is determined that the chiller itself has malfunctioned, it is time to contact the state coordinator, Brian Cowden.  From time to time, chillers break down.  This is a function of working our chillers as hard as we do to keep our water in the low 50 degree (Farenheit) range.  Precautions have been taken, and Brian will keep one extra chiller on hand in case of emergency.  While you wait to receive your loaner chiller and have yours repaired, simply add some ice to keep the water temperature cool enough for the fish or eggs.  The best bet is to place the ice into several zip lock style bags and place them in the water.  This way the water for the ice will not throw off the chemical balance of the tank water.  Add ice as needed until the loaner arrives, typically overnight.    As importantly as icing down the water, and perhaps more so is the need to add dissolved oxygen (DO).  You can accomplish this by adding additional DO via an additional bubbler, if available.  As  water temps increase, the water’s ability to hold DO decreases.    It is a good idea to keep an extra air bubbler handy for chiller break downs.   Remember, in a tank situation it is difficult to have too much dissolved oxygen present in the water.