Tricks for extending VorTech longevity?

P

perverseosmosis

Member
Am I the only one who can't keep a VorTech wet side running smoothly for more than eight months?

In my year and change of owning 2 MP40's, I've had one outright warranty replacement at the start, bought two wetsides and a maintenance kit. I woke up this morning to the noise of my MP10 grinding the base of its ceramic bearing to bits.

All my pumps are spacer-ringed correctly and aligned as best I can manage. I don't think I have any more calcium build up than anyone else does (and none of my other equipment fails like this stuff does). Just to be safe, I vinegar them every 4 months or so.

Short of starting an amazon subscription for bearing maintenance kits, does anyone have a suggestion for ending this madness?
 
The pumps may be wearing out faster as you are running them at 100%, albeit in Reefcrest.

My MP40s have been running for several years with only occasional maintenance, but the highest I run them is 50%. I don't use the foam covers. How often are you cleaning the foam covers, as restricted flow would have to be harder on the pump as well.

How big is the tank?
 
I take the foamies off every other day so I can feed the tank. I clean them then. I've seen how they get when they get caked with goop. I don't let them get that far.

The tank is a 110 gallons. I can believe that running them at 100% is worse for them. You'd hope they'd have done the stress analysis and worked out what the proper max speed was and set 100% south of that.

My sinking feeling is that pump life expectancy is mostly tied to magnet/impeller alignment. Eye-balling (or ear-balling) the alignment on these things isn't good enough over months of use. Without tools to align them perfectly, any off-axis force eats away at the shafts and bearings.

I'm beginning to think of it this way: if Eheim announced that the shaft housings on their pumps are randomly off by a millimeter, we'd freak out and declare their products time bombs. 1mm is well within the margin of error while positioning a VorTech across 5/8" of glass.

It's too bad. I really like the flow they produce, but after dumping well over a $1000 into these pumps, I feel like a sucker dropping any more money on replacement parts.

I think I'll find something else.
 
perverseosmosis said:
Am I the only one who can't keep a VorTech wet side running smoothly for more than eight months?

In my year and change of owning 2 MP40's, I've had one outright warranty replacement at the start, bought two wetsides and a maintenance kit. I woke up this morning to the noise of my MP10 grinding the base of its ceramic bearing to bits.

All my pumps are spacer-ringed correctly and aligned as best I can manage. I don't think I have any more calcium build up than anyone else does (and none of my other equipment fails like this stuff does). Just to be safe, I vinegar them every 4 months or so.

Short of starting an amazon subscription for bearing maintenance kits, does anyone have a suggestion for ending this madness?
Click to expand...


I would recommend calling in today to discuss your warranty status and troubleshoot the issues you're having.
 
I have been having the same issues that you are describing. I have had to replace all 3 of my wet sides due to ceramic bering failure. Rather frustrating having to purchase new parts so soon after such a large initial investment.
 
I've had two gen 2 MP40Ws running on Reef crest for over seven years at 100%. I got them when the Gen 2s wireless were introduced. Other than a couple magnets for the wet-sides, and vinegar cleaning every four months or so, I haven't had any problems.

Joe
 
Joe said:
I've had two gen 2 MP40Ws running on Reef crest for over seven years at 100%. I got them when the Gen 2s wireless were introduced. Other than a couple magnets for the wet-sides, and vinegar cleaning every four months or so, I haven't had any problems.

Joe
Click to expand...

You seem to like them quite a bit. Let me know if you'd like to own two more. ;)
 
What do you count as longevity? I have had mine for quite a few years( mp40w converted to ES) and run them @ about 90% RC. I haven't had any issues except a power supply dying on me a few months ago. One day I might need to buy some rebuild parts but nothing as of yet (knock on wood)
 
Mine have been running since 2011 (I think) and I haven't done anything besides clean them very infrequently. I align them by feel mostly. I move the wet side until I feel the least vibration.
 
I'm with tradewinds on this. In fact, it seems like I have a hard time running anything anywhere near 100%!

That being said.... I AM currently waiting on a wetside replacement for one of my two 40's, from BRS, so what do I know! Should be here Monday! :lolspin:
 
AcroBluz said:
What do you count as longevity? I have had mine for quite a few years( mp40w converted to ES) and run them @ about 90% RC. I haven't had any issues except a power supply dying on me a few months ago. One day I might need to buy some rebuild parts but nothing as of yet (knock on wood)
Click to expand...

Getting an MP40 to last longer than a year without a wet-side replacement or maintenance kit would be an improvement over my experience.

I don't think I align them differently than anyone else. I get them very close by eyeball and then I turn them on slowly. I position them until I feel the least vibration. I then ramp it up faster and repeat.

Eventually, they make noise and no amount of repositioning them fixes things.
 
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this. I have four mp-40's and a spare wet side. In the last 1 1/2 years I have had to repair/replace four of them. Ecotech has been more then gracious in all this, the pumps work great but I think that each month I will start cleaning, and tear down one pump at a time and see if that improves the situation. Not sure if there is anything else to do
 
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