I woke up this AM and my return pump wasn't working!

[Anonymous]

I don't get it. I have a QuiteOne return pump that is about 3 months old. When I got up this morning it wasn't running. It was still warm to the touch, so it hadn't been off for too long. I unplugged it for a couple of minutes and plugged it back in and it restarted normally.

What do you think caused this? Do you think the pump is defective? Should I be concerned or just forget it?

This obviously could have been disaterous had it happened in the middle of the day, while I'm at work.

hmmm!

 

[danmhippo]

Even though mine wasn't setup this way, but if you have the extra space, you may want to redo your setup to accomodate redundant return pump to prevent for "what if" disasters.

 

[SPC]

Louey, it sounds like the pump may need cleaning.
Steve

 

[wasabi]

my pumps always ran fine untill i started dripng kalk, now they need cleaned on a regular basis as they build up calcium, and shut themselves down.

 

[Anonymous]

ahh! I did just start dripping kalk a few months ago.

How often do you guys clean your return pumps? Do you soak them in vinegar?

I wish I had installed a combo ball valve/union instead of just a union! That would make disconnection the pump real easy. I think I'll order one today!

 

[Big R]

Quiet One pumps are junk. I have heard of several instances of them failing after only a few months. Get a Iwaki.

R

 

[Anonymous]

Hey R - I am considering Iwaki and relegating my current (rattle-prone) Sedra to being the backup. I notice Iwaki has two lines, expensive with Japanese motor and cheaper with American motor. What's up with that, is it worth the extra $ for the Japanese motor? Also, how quiet are they compared to the competition?

 

[Big R]

I would only get the Japanese motor version. They are very quiet and cool running. The cost difference is nothing compared to how much you spent on the Quiet One for 3 months.

R

 

[AJT]

I would get the model with the internal cooling fan, the first one I bought did not have a fan & it HEATED up the water fast. I swapped it for one with a fan.

Andy

 

[Reefguide]

If dirty the blades might be jamming... They are crappy pumps though..

 

[plankton123]

Louey,

Before you install your new (and probably more expensive pump) I'd consider finding another place to dose the kalkwasser so it is not so concentrated by the time it reaches the intake of the pump. What often happens is that the heat fron the pump eventually makes it to the impeller which helps precipitate out calcium/magnesium carbonate on the impeller. Once that happens the pump may get noisy as the impeller might be off balance or worse case the impeller jams or overheats.

With regard to pumps I'm currently using a CSL T4 and love it. The flow drops off very hast with head BUT they are virtually noisless and tiny for the volume they delivery. Ohh yea, they run a tad bit hot, but most pumps that put out 1250GPH tend to run hot. Go figure.

scott

 

[Anonymous]

Well great. When I started a thread called "who makes the quitiest exteranal pump" no one had anything bad to say about the QuiteOne. Now it's junk! I bought the QuiteOne because the MagDrive 9.5 that I bought was WAY to noisey.

I'm going to try cleaning it for now and I think I'll start dripping the tank directly into the tank, instead of into the sump.

Well, at least this crap started this week and not next week while I'm on vacation in Key West. If I clean the pump tonight, and it runs continuously until Saturday, I'll leave for vacation without too much concern. Or should I just go ahead and order another pump? (that would be my 3rd pump) Or maybe I'll hook up the noisy MagDrive. Who cares how noisy it is when your not home!

Boy these are the reasons why this hobby can be very expensive!

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Big R]

Throw the Q1 out! Lesson learned. Hook up the Mag until you get a new pump.

Also, I have heard about reliability issues w/ the CSL pumps.

R