Active Aqua Chiller With Power Boost — 1/2 HP

Active Reservoir Cooling With Fast Pull-Down, 1/2 HP

Nutrient solution that runs too warm invites root disease and oxygen loss faster than almost any other reservoir condition, and ambient grow-room heat alone is often enough to push a reservoir past a safe temperature. The Active Aqua Chiller with Power Boost actively cools reservoir water using a titanium evaporator and R134a refrigerant, with a boost function that speeds up the initial pull-down when a reservoir starts out warm rather than making growers wait through a slow standard cooling cycle.

At 1/2 HP, this chiller is sized for reservoirs in the 90-172 gal range, with 1/2", 3/4", and 1" fittings for connecting to your plumbing.

Key Features & Benefits

• Titanium evaporator — resists corrosion from nutrient solution better than standard metal evaporators.
• R134a refrigerant — a common, well-understood refrigerant used across the chiller's cooling circuit.
• Power Boost function — speeds up initial cooling when a reservoir starts out significantly above target temperature.
• Sized fitting options — match the chiller's inlet/outlet to standard hydroponic tubing diameters.

Who Should Use This Chiller

Growers running a reservoir that regularly climbs above a safe root-zone temperature — commonly from grow-room heat load, pump heat, or warm ambient conditions — are the fit for an active chiller rather than passive insulation alone.

About Active Aqua

Active Aqua's catalog, distributed through Hydrofarm, spans pumps, tubing hardware, air stones, and reservoirs built for hydroponic setups of every scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What reservoir size does the 1/2 HP model cool?

This 1/2 HP model is sized for reservoirs in the 90-172 gal range. Going well outside that range in either direction means the chiller either can't keep pace with heat load or is oversized for the job.

How does the Power Boost function work?

Power Boost speeds up the initial cooling cycle when a reservoir starts out well above your target temperature, rather than making you wait through the chiller's standard cooling rate. Once the reservoir reaches target range, the chiller settles into normal cycling to maintain it.

What fittings does it use?

This model uses 1/2", 3/4", and 1" fittings to connect to your reservoir plumbing. Confirm your tubing diameter against that fitting size before ordering, or budget for a fitting kit if it doesn't match.

Why does the evaporator matter?

The evaporator is titanium, which resists the corrosion that nutrient solution causes in less resistant metals over time. A corroding evaporator is a common failure point in cheaper chillers running in direct contact with nutrient solution.

How is this different from just insulating the reservoir?

Insulation slows heat gain but doesn't remove heat that's already built up in the solution, so it works best as a supplement rather than a fix for a reservoir that's already running warm. An active chiller like this one actively pulls heat out of the water, which insulation alone can't do.