EcoTech Marine
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VorTech Propeller Pump FAQ
Version 3.0
Why is my pump hot?
The VorTech Propeller Pump will operate at temperatures as high as 130° F when at its maximum speed. The pump features a thermal cutoff switch which will shut down power to the pump and allow the pump to cool should the temperature get too high. At its highest temperature it is not dangerous: there is no chance of fire and it will not burn you. The pump is designed to operate at this temperature and will protect itself should the temperature rise above what it is designed for. Remember, with an external pump motor, your tank’s water is no longer your pump’s heat sink.
One thing to check for should your pump operate at a higher temperature than normal is to see if the magnet on the motor side of the pump is rubbing against the rubber pin spacer. If this is the case, a quick cure is to peel off the pin spacer sticker and cut away a circle from the pin spacer itself where the magnet is rubbing. Removing the plastic where the rubbing is occurring can have a large effect on heat.
Why is my driver hot?
The driver should be mounted FLUSH to any metal surface in order to ensure that small amounts of residual heat are dissipated effectively. If the driver is insulated from its mounting surface, the heat that it generates will remain within the sheet metal enclosure and you can expect it to feel hot to the touch. This will not damage the driver, however mounting it to any surface will quickly eliminate this residual heat and the driver will be barely warm to the touch. It is perfectly normal for the driver to be hot; however, flush installation to any heat conducting surface not otherwise heated will reduce or eliminate this heat.
Why is my pump vibrating/noisy?
The VorTech pump spins at very high RPM’s (revolutions per minute). As a result, the alignment of the pump on your aquarium is very important to the pump’s operation. Small misalignments can cause vibrations which can even lead to the pump operating warmer then it is designed to. In order to ensure that the pump is as aligned as well as possible, follow these instructions:
With the pump on low speed, slightly nudge the wet side of the pump up, down, left and right, taking note of where the pump appears to be the quietest. Turn the speed up to max and perform the same slight nudging of the wet side of the pump. The pump will be the quietest in its proper position. It will not be silent although it should be very quiet.
Note: Sound is the BEST means of aligning the pump. Visual alignment alone will not be enough to achieve proper operation. After proper alignment it will still take one to several days for the pump to quiet down to its quietest point. It will never be completely silent, especially at high speeds.
Why is the wet side of my pump spinning?
Sometimes the wet side of the pump will spin slowly in place. This is frequently a sign that the glass needs to be cleaned more effectively on the inside of the aquarium where the pump is mounted. In the event that cleaning the glass does not solve this problem, the problem goes away by itself if left alone for a day or so. In the most extreme cases where this problem does not go away after several days, change the pin spacer setting to one size thicker aquarium. For example, if you have a 3/8†thick aquarium and are experiencing this problem, change the pin spacer setting to that for a 1/2†thick aquarium.
Cycling, attached to a VorTech Backup Battery
There's a five (5) minute minimum for cycling the pump on and off and if the Backup Battery is connected to the driver, cutting off power will put the pump on DC power and it will run at half the normal speed setting. Doing so will not harm the pump or battery. When the ETM controller is released, you will be able to turn a pump, connected to a backup battery, on and completely off.
We have experienced some problems running the VorTech on wave controllers. This only afflicts a small portion of owners. In these situations the microprocessor within the driver is experiencing code corruption. Fortunately, this is very easy for EcoTech Marine to repair, by simply re-programming the driver. However, it does require that the driver be sent back to EcoTech Marine. In these situations we will ask for a credit card number and then send the driver directly to you. You will have 10 days to return the defective driver to us. If we do not receive the defective driver we will have to bill the credit card. Again, this only occurs in a small number of situations and thus, WE DO WARRANT the use of our product on wave makers, so long as the interval of the pump is no slower than five (5) minute on and off, ten minutes will provide even safer operation.
Version 3.0
Why is my pump hot?
The VorTech Propeller Pump will operate at temperatures as high as 130° F when at its maximum speed. The pump features a thermal cutoff switch which will shut down power to the pump and allow the pump to cool should the temperature get too high. At its highest temperature it is not dangerous: there is no chance of fire and it will not burn you. The pump is designed to operate at this temperature and will protect itself should the temperature rise above what it is designed for. Remember, with an external pump motor, your tank’s water is no longer your pump’s heat sink.
One thing to check for should your pump operate at a higher temperature than normal is to see if the magnet on the motor side of the pump is rubbing against the rubber pin spacer. If this is the case, a quick cure is to peel off the pin spacer sticker and cut away a circle from the pin spacer itself where the magnet is rubbing. Removing the plastic where the rubbing is occurring can have a large effect on heat.
Why is my driver hot?
The driver should be mounted FLUSH to any metal surface in order to ensure that small amounts of residual heat are dissipated effectively. If the driver is insulated from its mounting surface, the heat that it generates will remain within the sheet metal enclosure and you can expect it to feel hot to the touch. This will not damage the driver, however mounting it to any surface will quickly eliminate this residual heat and the driver will be barely warm to the touch. It is perfectly normal for the driver to be hot; however, flush installation to any heat conducting surface not otherwise heated will reduce or eliminate this heat.
Why is my pump vibrating/noisy?
The VorTech pump spins at very high RPM’s (revolutions per minute). As a result, the alignment of the pump on your aquarium is very important to the pump’s operation. Small misalignments can cause vibrations which can even lead to the pump operating warmer then it is designed to. In order to ensure that the pump is as aligned as well as possible, follow these instructions:
With the pump on low speed, slightly nudge the wet side of the pump up, down, left and right, taking note of where the pump appears to be the quietest. Turn the speed up to max and perform the same slight nudging of the wet side of the pump. The pump will be the quietest in its proper position. It will not be silent although it should be very quiet.
Note: Sound is the BEST means of aligning the pump. Visual alignment alone will not be enough to achieve proper operation. After proper alignment it will still take one to several days for the pump to quiet down to its quietest point. It will never be completely silent, especially at high speeds.
Why is the wet side of my pump spinning?
Sometimes the wet side of the pump will spin slowly in place. This is frequently a sign that the glass needs to be cleaned more effectively on the inside of the aquarium where the pump is mounted. In the event that cleaning the glass does not solve this problem, the problem goes away by itself if left alone for a day or so. In the most extreme cases where this problem does not go away after several days, change the pin spacer setting to one size thicker aquarium. For example, if you have a 3/8†thick aquarium and are experiencing this problem, change the pin spacer setting to that for a 1/2†thick aquarium.
Cycling, attached to a VorTech Backup Battery
There's a five (5) minute minimum for cycling the pump on and off and if the Backup Battery is connected to the driver, cutting off power will put the pump on DC power and it will run at half the normal speed setting. Doing so will not harm the pump or battery. When the ETM controller is released, you will be able to turn a pump, connected to a backup battery, on and completely off.
We have experienced some problems running the VorTech on wave controllers. This only afflicts a small portion of owners. In these situations the microprocessor within the driver is experiencing code corruption. Fortunately, this is very easy for EcoTech Marine to repair, by simply re-programming the driver. However, it does require that the driver be sent back to EcoTech Marine. In these situations we will ask for a credit card number and then send the driver directly to you. You will have 10 days to return the defective driver to us. If we do not receive the defective driver we will have to bill the credit card. Again, this only occurs in a small number of situations and thus, WE DO WARRANT the use of our product on wave makers, so long as the interval of the pump is no slower than five (5) minute on and off, ten minutes will provide even safer operation.
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