EB832 Went bust... AGAIN! What else are people using?

[pledosophy]

My EB832 is doing the clicking thing on three outlets now. I have a minimal load plugged into it. This unit is 13 months old.

I am not sure if I want to replace it or not at this point. $300 every year for a surge protector is getting ridiculous.

 

[tzabor10]

Sorry for your troubles. What else is on that breaker? Is it all GCFI?

 

[dwest]

I replaced my eb832 with an EB8 a few years ago. The EB8 has been reliable.

 

[ThaBeast]

GHL. Steep learning curve but product seems much more robust

 

[Devisissy]

Amazon, smart plugs, box of 5, $26. Seriously. My planted tank is automated on these Kasa plugs, my old reef, now my new reef will be. I know they don't monitor, but they are great for turning off and on things for maintenance, general cleaning, setting up scenes, like feeding times, I dunno they just work. My low tech high tech option. However GHL is super sexy.

 

[laxer23]

Hydros.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I use the Kasa WiFi smart power strips. You can set up groups in the app for feed modes, water change, etc. They also have a physical button for each switch on the power strip. I’ve been running these for a couple years now and so far no issues.

 

[bblumberg]

@_AV may be able to help.

 

[pledosophy]

Amazon, smart plugs, box of 5, $26. Seriously. My planted tank is automated on these Kasa plugs, my old reef, now my new reef will be. I know they don't monitor, but they are great for turning off and on things for maintenance, general cleaning, setting up scenes, like feeding times, I dunno they just work. My low tech high tech option. However GHL is super sexy.

Unfortunately with my dosing schedule I need something that monitors the pH to control the kalk dosing pump.

Maybe I could run just the doser and control off the Apex and get the little 4 plug one....

 

[pledosophy]

Sorry for your troubles. What else is on that breaker? Is it all GCFI?

Just my fish tank on the breaker. Nothing else. We had it put in special so I could have a grounded outlet. It's an older home.

 

[Dburr1014]

Oh shoot op, sorry for the troubles.
I read all these bad neptune parts and wonder why my two eb832's are still good after 3 years.

Or my wav pumps are still good after 2.5 years.

I better knock on wood, gotta go!

 

[rtparty]

Oh shoot op, sorry for the troubles.
I read all these bad neptune parts and wonder why my two eb832's are still good after 3 years.

Or my wav pumps are still good after 2.5 years.

I better knock on wood, gotta go!

Like a week ago I mentioned I’ve never had a heater die. I’ve had one shock me before but never actually fail to heat. Sure enough, dead element that I found while cleaning my sump. I have two heaters and one was running the tank just fine so nothing threw an alert.

The reefing gods like to play jokes

 

[braaap]

Like a week ago I mentioned I’ve never had a heater die. I’ve had one shock me before but never actually fail to heat. Sure enough, dead element that I found while cleaning my sump. I have two heaters and one was running the tank just fine so nothing threw an alert.

The reefing gods like to play jokes

It’s always best to have a second heater that on its own will heat the tank but helps carry the load across heaters. That way when one fails you have a backup.

I’m going on vacation soon. I’ll stick one in my display as a backup. I have an AIO so no room normally for a second. But I’m home every day so I don’t worry much.

That said Neptune stuff sucks lately. In the last 2-3 years. Overpriced pcbs. Using twenty to thirty cent parts for their trident that are known to fail. Yet they then charge $500+ for one.

 

[rtparty]

It’s always best to have a second heater that on its own will heat the tank but helps carry the load across heaters. That way when one fails you have a backup.

I’m going on vacation soon. I’ll stick one in my display as a backup. I have an AIO so no room normally for a second. But I’m home every day so I don’t worry much.

That said Neptune stuff sucks lately. In the last 2-3 years. Overpriced pcbs. Using twenty to thirty cent parts for their trident that are known to fail. Yet they then charge $500+ for one.

The only Neptune failure I’ve had to date (8+ years and dozens of pieces) is a DOS pump finally died after 3 years of heavy use

 

[braaap]

The only Neptune failure I’ve had to date (8+ years and dozens of pieces) is a DOS pump finally died after 3 years of heavy use

You are one of the very lucky ones. Because Tridents fail like crazy. As do many of their newer modules.

I typically lean towards their older items. Which are better.

Their stuff burned down one of the employees tanks. They then dismissed him to cover it up. Yikes.

 

[pledosophy]

The only Neptune failure I’ve had to date (8+ years and dozens of pieces) is a DOS pump finally died after 3 years of heavy use

I have had two EB832's fail, an EB4 fail, two tridents fail, and a liquid level sensor fail. Not bad for 13 years I guess.

I do run multiple tanks.

I don't want to jinx myself, but my original EB8, the old black style is still running 13 years strong. Never an issue or bad outlet. The newer gear from Neptune has been hit or miss for me, mostly miss. I think their quality has gone down hill in the last 2 years.

 

[dwest]

I have had two EB832's fail, an EB4 fail, two tridents fail, and a liquid level sensor fail. Not bad for 13 years I guess.

I do run multiple tanks.

I don't want to jinx myself, but my original EB8, the old black style is still running 13 years strong. Never an issue or bad outlet. The newer gear from Neptune has been hit or miss for me, mostly miss. I think their quality has gone down hill in the last 2 years.

I thought the EB4’s were reliable. What happened to yours?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I thought the EB4’s were reliable. What happened to yours?

They usually are reliable, but stuff happens, lol. Most EB4's & EB8's in service have more trips around the sun than any eb832 thats in service.

I have one EB8 in service that hasnt reported amperage in prolly a year now, but its 10+ years old and still switches perfectly (had to replace a few TRIAC's about 4-5 years ago).

The second EB8 is prolly 8 years old (orange model) and one EB4 is about 5 years old now.

I'm quietly hoarding eb8's and eb4's as they seem to outlive the 832's by a large margin and they have become (EB8) or will become (EB4) unobtainium now.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Amazon, smart plugs, box of 5, $26. Seriously. My planted tank is automated on these Kasa plugs, my old reef, now my new reef will be. I know they don't monitor, but they are great for turning off and on things for maintenance, general cleaning, setting up scenes, like feeding times, I dunno they just work. My low tech high tech option. However GHL is super sexy.

I had a tank crash due to a relay on one of those smart outlets jamming off and not restarting a return pump. Never again.

 

[cdnco2004]

I use the Kasa WiFi smart power strips. You can set up groups in the app for feed modes, water change, etc. They also have a physical button for each switch on the power strip. I’ve been running these for a couple years now and so far no issues.

My only issue is a lot of those strips have a "default to off" when power is cut and comes back online with no settings to change to default to be ON when powered up. So, your gone at work have a power outage and it comes back on but your tank equipment stays off until you turn it back on. I still use them but not for my pumps.