Gunk in chiller reservoir

[MartinX441]

Hey, I'm trying to start a hydro setup and my neighbor is selling me a used chiller. It looks like there's some gunk caked inside the reservoir and I'm thinking how stubborn or complicated is it to flush it out?? I'm considering to take the reservoir off to give it a proper clean but there's a line connected to the reservoir, and I'm a bit hesitant about disconnecting it. Is that line part of the refrigerant loop? I'm not sure if it's safe to mess with myself, and I definitely don't want to accidentally damage the unit or release anything harmful. Any advice would be great! Thanks!!

 

[Leafylab22]

Make sure you don't unplug that line, it's probably part of the refrigerant system and needs the right tools to handle it safely. For cleaning, you can rinse the reservoir with a mixture of bleach or hydrogen peroxide while it's still connected. Let the cleaning solution flow through the system, and then make sure to flush it out really well with clean water. If there's a lot of buildup, it's best to call an HVAC technician to disconnect and clean it the right way.

 

[frothic|approach]

@Leafylab22 was right to caution you about the line since that's part of the sealed refrigerant loop and not something to disconnect on your own. For the gunk itself, a safer approach than bleach is running a food‑grade citric acid or vinegar solution through the water side. That will break down mineral and biofilm buildup without risking residue; just make sure to flush it several times with clean water afterward.

 

[Alan]

Make sure you don't unplug that line, it's probably part of the refrigerant system and needs the right tools to handle it safely. For cleaning, you can rinse the reservoir with a mixture of bleach or hydrogen peroxide while it's still connected. Let the cleaning solution flow through the system, and then make sure to flush it out really well with clean water. If there's a lot of buildup, it's best to call an HVAC technician to disconnect and clean it the right way.

Thanks for the tip! This will be helpful to the beginners! When you flush with clean water after using bleach or peroxide, do you run it through the whole system or just the reservoir? Also, how often do you do a deep clean like this?