EcoTech Marine VorTech MP40 Release Information

[mavgi]

wbeavers : try to put the hard gasket instead the gray one .

anyone with the vortec do you check the heat from the speed controller it is little scary . i run the pump for 2 hour on high speed the body was hot (i read about that before) but the speed controller was very hot to . i want to know if someone run the pump all the time on full speed and how much time , realy interesting if the tunze controller hot like that to .

 

[andyjd]

I know the controller lets out enough heat for adhesive velcro to come unstuck. So mine are now fixed with screws

 

[mavgi]

i want to hang it on the air because if this thing will burn out it's can be danger . i believe eco tech test that but i don't know how much time they run the pump on full speed and when you run the pump 24/7 on high speed then what will happen to the controller ?

by the way how you run your pump speed ?

 

[smoknreefrs]

i have been running mine at 75% for about 2 weeks, 24/7 and havent gotten any heatt build-up, noise, or misalignment....

i dont wanna curse myself, but, i havent had any issued thus far...hopefully it will remain that way......

as for the gasket, it does look like you are only using on gasket, there should be a gasket on each side (dry & wet side).

one the dry side, dont confuse the pin spacer as being a gasket, there is a gasket in addition to the pinspacer....

also keep in mind that if you only have one gasket, take a CLOSE look at the gasket you have, b/c the 2 different gaskets have a tendency to stick together (b/c the wet side gasket is SO soft) as stated in a previous post........

also you must support the dry side motor as the instructions state, making sure the cord is facing upward........

hope this helps

 

[mavgi]

smoknreefrs thank for the replay , you don't have any heat on the speed controller?



wbeavers
patric from eco tech told me if the glass more then 1/2 " thick (3/4") so the hard gasket need to take out , and if it's happen like what we saw in the picture to change the inside gasket ( the soft one gray color) to the hard gasket (the black one)

hope it's help

 

[strittmatter]

is there word on when the "Multi" controller will be avliable and the price?

 

[wbeavers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7708371#post7708371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mavgi
wbeavers
patric from eco tech told me if the glass more then 1/2 " thick (3/4") so the hard gasket need to take out , and if it's happen like what we saw in the picture to change the inside gasket ( the soft one gray color) to the hard gasket (the black one)

hope it's help

Uh you are talking to the wrong person. I have two of these and one is a beta test model. I was giving advice to subzero420. Looks like he has an inner and outer gasket to me. I looked at it closely last night, but it is there. Look at the base of the heat sink; you can see the ring.

 

[wbeavers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7708483#post7708483 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by strittmatter
is there word on when the "Multi" controller will be avliable and the price?

The most recent info I have seen is some time after the first of the year, and no price has been released yet.

 

[Mike.B]

Im using both gaskets, if you look closely at the pictures you will see it.

I tried switching the 2 gaskets before and it still did not stop it from spinning.

 

[GSchiemer]

I think you're using the gaskets incorrectly. The latest instructions clearly state: Apply the hard rubber gasket on the OUTSIDE of the aquarium. Place the Vortech motor, with OR without the pin spacer attached, upon the gasket.

Apply the SOFT rubber gasket to the rear of the propeller housing... Connect both halves..

If this doesn't work, I'd contact Ecotech Marine for additional suggestions.

 

[EcoTech Marine]

Subzero420-

I want to clarify a few things before I make a recommendation which should solve this problem for you:

Subzero is using the pump correctly, the soft gasket is on the inside of the aquarium and the hard rubber gasket is on the outside of the aquarium, it's just difficult to see because he has the pin spacer off. I would have figured removing the pin spacer would have added enough clamping force to stop any spinning, but it seems that this is not the case. Also, it was said earlier that the hard rubber gasket should not be used with the pin spacer: not true. The hard rubber gasket should ALWAYS be used outside the aquarium (with AND without the pin spacer), the soft rubber gasket inside the aquarium, as this is where any noise comes from and the soft gasket absorbs noise.

Here's my recommendation, and this goes for anyone experiencing repeated problems. This recommendation goes counter to what I explained above, and should ONLY be used if you are having significant problems with the pump spinning (seems some people do and some don't, we're researching EXACTLY why this is the case). I recommend you put the pin spacer back on the pump, then SWAP the hard and soft gaskets. This would mean you'll have the hard gasket inside the tank, and the soft gasket outside the tank. The reason why I'm suggesting this? Seems that the sound deadening gasket also has a tendency to spin for some customers, switching to the hard gasket will stop that.

Please try that and let me know what you think. One other suggestion would be to leave everything the way it is and super glue the wet half of the pump to the soft gasket. If you would like to speak with us directly please feel free to email us at sales@ecotechmarine.com or call the number on your instruction manual tomorrow, when we will be in the office.

-Tim

 

[Mike.B]

I'll just call ecotech and tell you how I solved this problem.

 

[agent007]

I scanned through this thread pretty quickly. I'm not sure, but do you have the pump cranked up 100%? It seems folks are OK when it's throttled down to 75%. That would suck if you had to do that to stop the spin.

 

[jnarowe]

subzero420: can you tell US how you solved the problem?

 

[Mike.B]

A new gasket that is not as prone to slipping as the one I currently have. Hopefully that works, we'll see when I get it.

 

[jnarowe]

:lol: Got it...I am picking up my 4 Vortechs today.

 

[phishlet]

Cool! Hope your fishies are ready for some real good current.

 

[jnarowe]

Got them and installed one. No apparent problems although it does seem a bit strange to be using zip-ties! :lol:

The scope of the flow is quite wide so I will definitely have to move a couple of corals when I crank these up. When I am on the display side, I can hear a muffled propeller noise. It's not too loud and I am assuming that is normal. I was a bit surprised to see that the manual states the "wear" bearing may last a few months to a year. I should think for that kind of money, maybe they could have popped in a few extras. I mean, they are just plastic right?

I also note, and hope for a change on newer models, that stainless screws could be used on the driver housing. The housing has a very nice form factor, but SS screws would really make it a better quality build.

I do also note that the Vortech really disperses brine shrimp in a nice way. It makes it a much fairer feast for all fishes!

 

[EcoTech Marine]

Jnarowe-

We greatly appreciate your feedback. FWIW, the wetside bearing is not made from a common plastic material. It costs us enough and lasts long enough that we feel purchasing replacements is the best way to handle this situation. We also feared customers would lose such a small part.

As always, we are constantly striving to improve our product: new wet gaskets are in testing to prevent the slipping behavior some customers have experienced, and we have also been testing new driveshaft and bearing materials to get wear characteristics beyond what we have currently achieved.

Regarding SS screws on the driver box. Those screws are coated in a black oxide coating and can handle salt spray and any other typical environment around a reef tank. Note that I didn't say in a reef tank, because the driver should never be submerged! Plus, we preferred the black color versus a silver color.

-Tim

 

[jnarowe]

Tim,

No offense meant regarding the bearing as I am sure it's not any kind of off-the-shelf stuff. And black does look better for the screws but I am not in it for the looks. I try to use SS for any fasteners in my tank room as ordinary steel, even coated, does not hold out for long. The reason is that my tank room is humid most of the time and sealed off from the house. Even my SS tables are prone to rusting. I try to spec. 316 SS whenever I can, but that is just not often practical.

Any clue as to when the Battery Back Up/Controller will be available? Right now I am controlling with a Neptune ACIII Pro, but I cannot get speed changes with that. I would like to take full advantage of the variable speed by pulsing the pumps to create surges, if possible. Will you guys make the controller so it can be adapted to other controllers like Neptune? Maybe you guys can get together with Neptune and create some kind of "bridge" box that allows the Neptune to controll speed? FFT...