Quiet One Pumps burn out quick?

[capefeartarheel]

I have a 40 Gallon Sump with a 2 week old Quiet One 6000 pump on it (1506 GPH). Last night, thinking the pump was primed, I ran it for about 15 seconds. The outflow was halfway filled with water and the pump sits beneath the sump, so I was pretty sure it was safe to turn on. Well, evidently, it wasnt. I unplugged it, added some more water to top off the lines, plugged it in and it basically just barely hummed. Messed with it for another hour or so and determined it was burned out.

Is 15 seconds enough time to burn out the pump if the lines werent full of water? If so, WTF? Is there a pump that has some sort of regulator or automatic shut off switch when this happens?

Is Quiet One not that good of a brand? I only have it because the pump that was on there when I bought it was a Quiet One 4000 (1017 GPH) and the guy I bought it from had it running for 4 yrs with no problems, even through ice storm and hurricane caused power outages.

I called Fosters & Smith, told them the pump burned out and they overnighted me a new one this morning with a return shipping tag to ship the one I bought from them. GREAT customer service there...

If its not that good of a pump and you have had problems with them, please let me know. Also, let me know which would be the next step up please (I paid $100 for it and need to stay around that price and GPH. The sump is for a 265 Gal). Im using the pump externally in a 40 gal acrylic sump and not opposed to replumbing it and using it internally.

Thanks!

 

[jcardona1]

i have a model 4000gph that i got with my setup. that guy had it running for a few years and ive had it for about a year. no issues at all. could have just been a dud. every now and then youre bound to get something that doesnt work

 

[cchhcc]

You will always find people who swear by any brand you throw out there. In most cases, those people haven't really tried out many (or any) other brands, and the brands they have tested generally tend to be the inexpensive types (Mag, Rio, etc.). Also, opinions of "acceptable" and "long-life" performance differ greatly.

As a result of learning the hard way, I won't use any brand of submersible pump that isn't an Eheim or Red Dragon. Red Dragon are crazy expensive (even compared to the not too cheap Eheims), but they come in very high flow models that Eheim does not offer. If you have the option to setup externally, Reeflo pumps are terrific. All three of those brands can be counted on for years (or decades) of service.

I'd take a used model of those brands before a new one of most others. To stay around your $100 price, you could look for a nice used Reeflo. Look for a Snapper or a Dart. You can always valve them down if they are too big. An Eheim 1262 would be close to your range, but you'd lose some flow.

 

[jcardona1]

i have a model 4000gph that i got with my setup. that guy had it running for a few years and ive had it for about a year. no issues at all. could have just been a dud. every now and then youre bound to get something that doesnt work

sorry i meant "model 4000" not "4000gph"

 

[capefeartarheel]

i have a model 4000gph that i got with my setup. that guy had it running for a few years and ive had it for about a year. no issues at all. could have just been a dud. every now and then youre bound to get something that doesnt work

Thanks!

If you have the option to setup externally, Reeflo pumps are terrific. All three of those brands can be counted on for years (or decades) of service.

Thanks, Ill definitely be looking into that now.

As far as it burning out, are pumps really so sensitive that running 15 seconds can burn them out? I have to think (after researching and having some knowledge of electronics, cooling etc) that I cant be the first person to do this and that they would be able to run for at least a minute or two without burning out so fast.

Wouldnt you think? or am I just completely wrong?

Also, I notice the connections are 2" & 1.5". If I have 1 inch connections to the suction and discharge, is putting a 2 inch adapter on them going to increase the flow or cause the pump to work harder to get the water through a 1 inch tube?

It looks like the barracuda would be the best option:

BARRACUDA: Reeflo Barracuda Saltwater Pump

The BARRACUDA is our energy efficient pump for applications requiring moderate head pressure and high flow rates. Ideal applications for this pump are tanks systems of 180-350 gallons with sump return systems requiring a minimum head of 10 feet static head. The Barracuda is rated for a maximum flow of 4500 gph, a shut off of 18 feet, and maximum wattage of 325/2amps. Comes with 1/4 HP TEFC motor manufactured in the USA.

Out-of-pond construction - NOT Submersible!

Minimal heat transfer

Less than half the watt draw of comparable submersible pumps!

Ports are 2" FNPT suction and 1.5" FNPT discharge.

3 year warranty

or is that too much power for a 265 with 10 4-8 inch central americans (dovii, festae, fredreichstalli, carpintis, RTMota)?

 

[cchhcc]

You could always valve down any Reeflo if it's too powerful (they aren't harmed by that on the return side of the pump), but you would seem to be wasting money in buying an oversized unit. Calculate your drain maximum (usually maximum of 600 gph through each 1" pipe -- I assume you have at least 2 of those in a 265). Then you'll know how much pump you really "need." Also, unless you're pumping water through pressure (like a pressure filter) you don't need a pressure rated pump. For a basic return from the sump a flow model like the Dart is fine.

Regarding connections, it's always better to be too big on the intake side than too small. Some pumps are harmed by restriction (might want to contact Reeflo), and the adapter you'd use would still be restricted upstream of the fitting (i.e. if your external bulkhead is smaller than 2"). Is your sump acrylic? If so, it can be drilled with a normal hole saw -- just a few bucks from Home Depot.

The return side isn't important to the integrity of the pump. A smaller pipe will just restrict flow, something you may have been trying to do in the first place.

Regarding how much flow is acceptable to your fish, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd prefer to err on the too much side, and your drains will limit your potential anyway. My old 300 -- which is for sale dirt cheap by the way! ; ) -- ran on about 2500 gph through the sump plus two large high flow powerheads in an effort to keep waste suspended. Still there were plenty of "quiet" spots for the fish.

 

[capefeartarheel]

You could always valve down any Reeflo if it's too powerful (they aren't harmed by that on the return side of the pump), but you would seem to be wasting money in buying an oversized unit. Calculate your drain maximum (usually maximum of 600 gph through each 1" pipe -- I assume you have at least 2 of those in a 265). Then you'll know how much pump you really "need." Also, unless you're pumping water through pressure (like a pressure filter) you don't need a pressure rated pump. For a basic return from the sump a flow model like the Dart is fine.

Regarding connections, it's always better to be too big on the intake side than too small. Some pumps are harmed by restriction, and the adapter you'd use would still be restricted upstream of the fitting (i.e. if your external bulkhead is smaller than 2"). Is your sump acrylic? If so, it can be drilled with a normal hole saw -- just a few bucks from Home Depot.

The return side isn't important to the integrity of the pump. A smaller pipe will just restrict flow, something you may have been trying to do in the first place.

Regarding how much flow is acceptable to your fish, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd prefer to err on the too much side, and your drains will limit your potential anyway. My old 300 -- which is for sale dirt cheap by the way! ; ) -- ran on about 2500 gph through the sump plus two large high flow powerheads in an effort to keep waste suspended. Still there were plenty of "quiet" spots for the fish.

Ok, Thanks. That answers all my questions!

 

[Pharaoh]

I have noticed that my quiet one sometimes takes a few seconds to start pumping. They will hum for a little bit then start going. I really doubt that it "burned out" because they are magnetic drive pumps that do not operate like other pumps. I really like them for my smaller tanks, had no complaints about the two I have and they were used as well.

I just bought a used Reeflo Barracuda and it is an awesome pump. It puts out massive amounts of water. They are absolutley dead silent too. The only thing you can hear on them is the huge amount of water being moved.