DC Pumps?

K

Kengar

Active member
I ran a quick search for DC pumps in title only and didn't see anything RECENT, so forgive me if searching body would have turned up more relevant results.

Two questions.

WHY? In other words, what capability/benefits does DC provide vis a vis AC? Anything other than ability to ramp up/down flow output and electrical useage?

Also, is jury still out (as compared to March 2015 posts I saw) on reliability in general? Are the Dragon pumps from Royal Exclusiv pretty rock-solid?

Thanks
 
reduced risk of electrocution. If there's a voltage leak with an AC pump that can hurt... a lot.

extending life of battery backup. If the DC pump is controllable you can have it reduce speeds/wattage used while on battery backup.

There's several good quality options coming out. People also seem to forget Tunze has been producing rock solid DC pumps for a long time.
 
For me the main driver was that they are very quiet vs. AC pumps. No annoying AC hum.

Adding in variable speed and the lower electrical usage was just a bonus.

I don't have any experience with Dragon pumps, one of mine is a SpeedWave, and the one on my skimmer is Reef Octopus.
 
Hmm. A DC pump on a skimmer. Never thought about that. I guess that could be handy if one likes to run the skimmer wet for a while? Just crank up the kmob for a while instead of adjusting things under the cabinet.

I haven't paid a huge amount of attention yet, but Ecotech's newly introduced return pump seems to have been well received. Price aside, it seems like a DC return pump would offer multiple advantages. For aquariums that tend to run hot, DC pumps might make a small difference in some cases. The fact that it works with controllers also promises advantages for some. It would also be nice to turn the return pump down or off during feeding, without having to hunt for a power bar switch or pull a plug. Even from your phone.
 
DC pumps don't last as long because of the electronics and they are more expensive. They are really no more efficient than AC pumps.
 
smatter said:
DC pumps don't last as long because of the electronics and they are more expensive. They are really no more efficient than AC pumps.
Click to expand...
Not true with a quality DC pump. Again, Tunze is a great example that has a long proven track record.
 
Running a Jebao dc9000 super quiet and pushes alot more water then my old ehiem 1262. also just knowing that a full power im eating less wattage im pretty happy with that.
 
jason2459 said:
Not true with a quality DC pump. Again, Tunze is a great example that has a long proven track record.
Click to expand...

Actually 100% true and Tunze will tell you the same thing. Tunze AC pumps last longer than their DC pumps and use the same wattage for the most part. Mind you not all AC pumps are Tunzes.
 
DC pumps typically are more efficient and move more water per watt as compared to a AC pump. Royal exclusiv dragon pumps are very reliable and "rock solid" if you will. Come with a 2 year warranty. Also check out Abyzz, the hand build their pumps and come with a 10 year warranty
 
smatter said:
Actually 100% true and Tunze will tell you the same thing. Tunze AC pumps last longer than their DC pumps and use the same wattage for the most part. Mind you not all AC pumps are Tunzes.
Click to expand...
Would like to see that comment from them. There's a Tunze rep on this forum if you'd like to get him to comment on that.
 
Dmorty217 said:
Also check out Abyzz, the hand build their pumps and come with a 10 year warranty
Click to expand...

What do you mean they hand build their pumps? Are they somehow manufactured or machined by hand?
Virtually all pumps are at least assembled by the hands of an individual. Manufactured by CNC and plastic molds/extrusion.

I still don't see how that's a great selling point. I'd actually rather have a robot build my entire pump. People are clumsy.
 
Lots of people overbuy on their AC return pumps & end up throttling them back. In that case adjustable DC has to be more efficient.

I'm not sure why the electronics on DC pumps are doomed to fail in a quality built unit. But I guess a killer power surge is a possibility. For example my Vortech controllers & powerbrick have worked flawlessly for 5 years, and I've had AC pumps fail in that time period. But who knows, time will tell.
 
Many AC pumps have "smart" chips in them now as well. They would fry in a power surge if unprotected. If you aren't use some kind of line conditioning for your equipment DC or AC will be killed.


As for dialing back an AC return pump the wattage used by that AC pump is also reduced by any head pressure. Get a kill-o-watt to see how much your devices are actually consuming.
 
Red Dragon DC are very expensive, but there is a reason besides the name recognition. The rotor and stator are made from titanium.
 
Wonton Soup said:
What do you mean they hand build their pumps? Are they somehow manufactured or machined by hand?
Virtually all pumps are at least assembled by the hands of an individual. Manufactured by CNC and plastic molds/extrusion.

I still don't see how that's a great selling point. I'd actually rather have a robot build my entire pump. People are clumsy.
Click to expand...

German engeneering is the first thing that makes a difference and the fact that they have a 10 year warranty that blows everyone else out of the water... Not everyone wants to spend 1400$ on a Red Dragon or 2K$ on a Abyzz. People are not perfect and clumsy but clearly they are doing something right
 
smatter said:
DC pumps don't last as long because of the electronics and they are more expensive. They are really no more efficient than AC pumps.
Click to expand...

I'll argue against this as well. Jebao DC pumps have only been around about 2 years now. I bought 4 DC12000 pumps. Two went in sumps and one runs a Closed Loop, the third sits on a shelf waiting for some issue that will call it into use... hasn't happened in 2 years.

The CL pump runs quiet and cool, WAY better than the big Reeflo pump I used before. And being all plastic on the outside and submersible, it doesn't rust like the Reeflo did.

I love mine. And they cost less as well... except for the over priced versions that some companies sell!
 
i just ordered a jebao DCT 6000... i'll let u know my views on it when its set up, but ive read great things about them. only negative, which is a big negative, is that they are hit or miss
 
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