Has anyone else seen this on ecotech pumps

[madweazl]

You jinxed yourself.

Most do not realise the magnet is rusting until it starts to bulge out.
I do not own a quiet drive but can you even open it up to inspect the magnet?

Yea, easy to open up and clean.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Yea, easy to open up and clean.

You can't open the magnet casing to inspect the actual magnet. That's where one of the problems lie. You won't see it until it's too late.

 

[madweazl]

You can't open the magnet casing to inspect the actual magnet. That's where one of the problems lie. You won't see it until it's too late.

When you pull the impeller, you'll notice swelling of the magnet if it's corroding. Additionally, there is very little tolerance in there so they will bog way down with any swelling (or tiny snails, or just about anything around .5mm). With regular maintenance, you'll catch the issue before it harms the inhabitants.

 

[MTBake]

My mp40 started swelling and had a small crack in the magnet housing. Didn't seem to affect performance or tank inhabitants. I clean my pumps once a month unless they get exceptionally dirty before that time. I noticed it during one of the cleanings. This wet side was in use for about 3.5 years.

Fwiw, I am going to order a new wet side for the mp40. I do like the controllability on them.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

When you pull the impeller, you'll notice swelling of the magnet if it's corroding. Additionally, there is very little tolerance in there so they will bog way down with any swelling (or tiny snails, or just about anything around .5mm). With regular maintenance, you'll catch the issue before it harms the inhabitants.

That's true, however for one of the most expensive powerheads out there, this shouldn't be a concern. You should not have to worry about this happening, and Ecotech is well aware of it, yet has done nothing about it.

 

[theatrus]

When you pull the impeller, you'll notice swelling of the magnet if it's corroding. Additionally, there is very little tolerance in there so they will bog way down with any swelling (or tiny snails, or just about anything around .5mm). With regular maintenance, you'll catch the issue before it harms the inhabitants.

Hmm, no swelling or grating to speak of. Plenty of play in the magnet assembly on the impeller end. /shrug

I do have old non-QD wetsides as backups.

 

[theatrus]

That's true, however for one of the most expensive powerheads out there, this shouldn't be a concern. You should not have to worry about this happening, and Ecotech is well aware of it, yet has done nothing about it.

This I agree with - a material change or process change would be in order. Its likely easy to do and wouldn't even require building any new tooling (says the guy armchair speculating)

 

[chris3del]

I have told them numerous times in the last year there is a big problem and they just (yes) me to death. If my wife’s company had even 1 customer say that the same thing broke 5 times in less than a year. It would be fixed right away or the problem would be worked out. They even tried blaming me for breaking them because I use citric acid to clean them. That really ticked me off so I sent them the video the bulk reefsupply made using citric acid to clean there pumps and they didn’t say one word about that after!!!

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I've only been running Mp10s but for over a year now with no issues.

I clean and inspect monthly as well. I don't clean the magnet assembly with anything other than hot water and a toothbrush. Everything else soaks in vinegar.

 

[ksanfranfan]

I've only been running Mp10s but for over a year now with no issues.

I clean and inspect monthly as well. I don't clean the magnet assembly with anything other than hot water and a toothbrush. Everything else soaks in vinegar.

I use to soak the wetside parts in a vinegar and water mix but stopped doing it also. No I just use warm water and a brush as well.

 

[Jonreefer]

Hey guys I’ve been looking at the 1k ice cap gyre how’s the noise lvl with them

I have a 1k and even at 100% you cant really hear it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

LOL, I'm no conspiracy theorist, but it just seems strange that they stopped selling that part... Anyway, the real frustrating thing about both issues (the ceramic sleeves, and the rusting magnets) is that these issues are well known, and have been going on for years, yet Ecotech has not resolved them. You pay a premium price for what should be a very reliable and long lasting product, and you end up with these problems. I also had a Vortech M1 fail from them so the only product I'll use are their lights. I've found other companies products to be much more reliable and durable...

And knowing this, Ecotech rather than making changes or furnishing a replacement as a courtesy until issue is resolved will sell you a replacement rather than rectify the known issue

 

[vetteguy53081]

You pay a hefty price for something that should last awhile longer then what they are. I’ll never buy EcoTech after this crap. Totally inexcusable I know every product has some issues but for what they charge this should have been fixed a long time ago.

This us at least a decade old issue

 

[vetteguy53081]

Unfortunately, this is common on Ecotech powerheads. I had a wet side on an MP40 rust and break open. I've seen many reports of this, and have a friend who's had 2 MP60s that are less than a year old do this recently. If under warranty, Ecotech will replace the wet side at no charge, but unless they've made some changes to their manufacturing, I won't use them anymore because of this.

That’s interesting because I have a 40QD UNDER WARRANTY and they as usual tried to sell me a replacement dry side rather than replace it and pose blame on me rather than admit to a design flaw. Then just returned the old unit to me in its non- working condition and closed the case leaving me with a dead 8 month old unit. CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ITS BEST

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

That’s interesting because I have a 40QD UNDER WARRANTY and they as usual tried to sell me a replacement dry side rather than replace it and pose blame on me rather than admit to a design flaw. Then just returned the old unit to me in its non- working condition and closed the case leaving me with a dead 8 month old unit. CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ITS BEST

Wow! That's ridiculous!

 

[Larry L]

@redfishbluefish posted some comments recently that he thinks it's possible vinegar soaking contributes to magnet failure:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-2#post-5326460

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-3#post-5332528

 

[theatrus]

@redfishbluefish posted some comments recently that he thinks it's possible vinegar soaking contributes to magnet failure:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-2#post-5326460

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-3#post-5332528

Possible. I have only cleaned with muriatic acid fwiw.

 

[Lonely reefer's]

MP wet side are early to clean with toothbrush
No need acid

 

[ksanfranfan]

@redfishbluefish posted some comments recently that he thinks it's possible vinegar soaking contributes to magnet failure:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-2#post-5326460

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mp40qd-rusted.495387/page-3#post-5332528

I agree with vinegar or other acids more than likely contributing to the plastic encasing the magnets to break down. That's another reason why I stopped using it.
It's not just the magnets. The guard on one of my mp40 wetsides began breaking apart as well. The front grill that protects the propeller started losing piece by piece. In about six months it started coming apart. At that time I had only used vinegar once to break down the coralline that had encrusted on it.
I never had this problem with my mp es guards. The plastic that is being used on the new parts is different from what was being used before. My mp es magnets are still fine as well as the guards and other parts. The mp es wetsides are all much older than the new ones.
As long as they've been manufacturing vortech powerheads now they shouldn't be having some of the issues that they are still having.
I'm normally not one to critisize or knit pick at a company or manufacturer on the forums but I can relate to the many others that have had issues with Ecotech power heads.

 

[ksanfranfan]

I'll also say that I have some old Korallia power head magnets that eventually broke down as well. I never used vinegar on them and the plastic casings allowed water to get inside and the magnets began to corrode. They lasted for years without any signs of deteriorating.