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Which pump do YOU use?

AggieMEEN

Gawd
Joined
Mar 2, 2003
Messages
756
Just as the subject indicates, I'm curious as to which pumps all you WCers currently use.

Eheim 1250, here.

Also, as an added Q: in which direction is the pump inlet facing, in relation to the front?
 
hydor l30, i've got a johnson pump as well, nice ratings, but i'm not running it yet. Inlet = front, outlet = top
 
Eheim 1048 here. inlet front, outlet top. I've got a Swiftech MCP600 sitting here too, inlet front, outlet top.
 
Iwaki MD20R.

wcbuild2.jpg
 
eheim 1250....mota...how much larger/smaller is the iwaki than the eheim?
also what case was it you had man? and where can I buy one?
 
1250 for me. Quiet and it's been running 24/7 for about 3 months now.
 
Mag 3 is honestly the best pump I have seen: it dominates the P/Q charts (besides the fancy 12v Iwakis of course :) except the lower powered ones), is extremely quiet, extremely cheap, and bullet proof.

My inlet faces somewhat foreward but the entire pump is about 40 degreese off center facing the motherboard tray front corner of the case.
 
Why are Eheim pumps so much more expensive than say a Mag 3. Is the performance that much better, or build quality and durability?

Thx
 
Originally posted by amohedas
Why are Eheim pumps so much more expensive than say a Mag 3. Is the performance that much better, or build quality and durability?

Thx

Good question. I think it's because the Eheims are from Germany. They're kinda like the BMW/Porche of pumps. But the more I've read, the more I'm thinking my next pump may be either a Hydor L30, or a Mag 3/5.
 
Currently an Iwaki MD30-RZ, and a Davies-Craig EBP 12VDC pump in each of my systems.

About to switch both to a pair of Laing D4 12VDC pumps. More pumping power than a Mag3, 11.5' pressure head, 370GPH, 12VDC (able to be run at up to 24V), 50000hr MTBF, 14W (40% of the power consumption of a Mag3), whisper silent, smaller than a Mag3, $95 US each.


Laing%20D4%203.jpg
 
Originally posted by Cathar
... and a Davies-Craig EBP 12VDC pump ...
About to switch both to a pair of Laing D4 12VDC pumps. More pumping power than a Mag3, 11.5' pressure head, 370GPH, 12VDC (able to be run at up to 24V), 50000hr MTBF, 14W (40% of the power consumption of a Mag3), whisper silent, smaller than a Mag3, $95 US each.

Pray tell, where might one snag one of these pumps you've named? I've never heard of Davies-Craig EBP or Laing. Are they Oz specific?
 
Davies-Craig is an Australian company based in my home-city of Melbourne. The EBP's are expensive, being around $130US over-the-counter cash-price. They are very small (4" long x 3" high x 2" wide including the fittings). Up until I discovered the Laing D4 (through a post at OC.com), the EBP pump perhaps the single best choice for a 12VDC pump, especially with the Swiftech MCP600 issues scaring me (which do seem to be fixed now). The EBP has 14W power consumption @ 12V through a cooling loop, 8' peak pressure head, 350gph, 15000hr MTBF.

More information can be found on the EBP here: http://www.daviescraig.com.au/newproduct_ebp.asp. The units on the graph on their website are wrong though. Read it as meters of pressure head and you'll be right. Its primary purpose is as a water-circulation booster pump for car engine cooling systems.

The Laing D4 can be read about here, but the site is in German, and the information is as a .gif image so you can't use an automatic translator. The Laing D4 can be purchased in the USA from Laing, USA for $95 for the D4 model, which is the one I'm talking about. The German based Laing company sells the D4 for around $235US, so don't bother with thinking you'll get it cheaper from outside the USA.

The Laing D4 was originally designed as a solar powered water-circulation pump. It uses a unique and patented hemi-sperical impeller/magnet body which has no shaft to wear out, and is extremely efficient, being even more efficient in terms of pumping power per watt of motor input than the Iwaki's.
 
Nice info on the Laing, but I can't find it on their USA website. What subsection is it?
 
Originally posted by Spidey329
Nice info on the Laing, but I can't find it on their USA website. What subsection is it?

I wasn't able to find it on the USA site either. It's a new product for the USA group, but you can order it from them. I imagine that the USA site will be updated soon enough. That's why I gave links to the German site.
 
Originally posted by Cathar
Given the on-paper specs, yes.

Need to do testing myself.

I'd be extremely interested in your opinion. :D

I really must know what kind of vibration these things put out. I imagine that having less mass that rotates (no shaft) it would be somewhat better than my mag3.
 
Eheim 1260 (600gph) here

Inlet: left(looking at front of case)
Outlet: top/vertical
 
Originally posted by kleptophobiac
I'd be extremely interested in your opinion. :D

I really must know what kind of vibration these things put out. I imagine that having less mass that rotates (no shaft) it would be somewhat better than my mag3.

I also would like to know.

Mainly because the 1260 I have is HUGE. I want the smallest most powerfull pump I can find. Can be 12vdc or 120vac, doesn't matter.

Let us know what your opinion is cathar.
 
Originally posted by mtl_hed
I also would like to know.

Let us know what your opinion is cathar.

Ditto.


On a side note. Did you ever play the game Delta Force? I used to play someone with that exact name. :)
 
LOL...I also used to play Delta Force, and I remember the name Cathar as well.

Anyway I was wondering, in order to run a DC pump one would either have to run it of the comps power supply or off of an external one. Now how powerful of a power supply would you need to run a DC pump, or would it just be more convenient to use an external AC power source. I think I would prefer the AC power source so as not to strain my power supply.

Thx.

BTW AggieMEEN I go to Texas A&M as well (in Biomedical Engineering however) Whoop! ( I am also a freshman, so pardon the pullout)
 
Sure, as soon as I get some hard test data I'll post. Be about 2 week's time though.

Originally posted by Spidey329
On a side note. Did you ever play the game Delta Force? I used to play someone with that exact name. :)

Not I.

The handle Cathar came from when I used to play the original Homeworld game on-line. If you've ever played Homeworld against Cathar, Cathar[SLS], or DarkAbsolution, then it was me. My favored team player was Apollo[SLS]. No joking, we lost just a single game together in well over 400 games.

Heh, those were the heady days of my on-line gaming glory. My company fire-wall now prevents pretty much 99% of all on-line games working for me now. :mad:
 
Sys1> Eheim 1250
Sys2> Eheim 1048
Sys3> Via Aqua 1300
Sys4> ??

I do have an mcp600 I was planning on using until I read Bill's post about a possible problem; guess I should stop procrastinating & email Gabe about the fix. :)
 
Originally posted by Jima13
Sys1> Eheim 1250
Sys2> Eheim 1048
Sys3> Via Aqua 1300
Sys4> ??

I do have an mcp600 I was planning on using until I read Bill's post about a possible problem; guess I should stop procrastinating & email Gabe about the fix. :)

Impressive, how does that Via aqua perform? I'm considering getting one... is it quiet? Does it vibrate a lot? Built solidly? I know they're dirt cheap, but do they have any redeeming qualities besides the price? If they're really small i'll have to look into getting one, as i'll be needing a small(er) pump sometime in the near future. Thanks :D
 
Danner mag 5 here.

If you're concerned about build quality etc, in terms of "why is a mag5 so much less expensive when compared to a comparable eheim model?", well, you should know that danner mag drive pumps come with a 3 year unlimited warranty on everything but the impeller, and the impeller has a 1 year warranty. Impellers are cheap to replace even if it did break on you, but the last mag drive pump I had(not made by danner, I'm sure the quality was *much* less) lasted nearly 3 years of non stop running before the impeller failed.
 
rainbow lifeguard quiet one.

1140 max flow
It will move 724gph thru 1" tube at 4 feet.
shut off head is 15 feet
 
This will answer all your questions:

pqcurves.jpg


Thanks Phaestus for all your help in compiling your PQ graphs, it will help out all these guys who continue to preach nonsense about pumps.

This settles it: danner mag 3 dominates the PQ charts with the exception of the MCP600, which benefits from a high restriction setup. Then, the via aqua manages to get the top end over the mag 3, but this can only be found in a restriction free setup.

Mag 3 definitely wins performance/price battle by a long shot.

EDIT: I will copy this pic and post it to my webserver tomorrow so procooling.com doesnt get hammered.

I suggest you check out some of Phaestus's other tests and technical stuff at those forums. He dun good werk!
 
Originally posted by diredesire
Impressive, how does that Via aqua perform? I'm considering getting one... is it quiet? Does it vibrate a lot? Built solidly? I know they're dirt cheap, but do they have any redeeming qualities besides the price? If they're really small i'll have to look into getting one, as i'll be needing a small(er) pump sometime in the near future. Thanks :D

I had it as a spare & installed it a few months ago when my 2nd mcp300 went TU :(
I don't notice it being very loud, but I did isolate it pretty good....seems to be about the size of the Hydor L20 & sturdier than the Maxijet 1200..:)
 
Originally posted by killernoodle
This settles it: danner mag 3 dominates the PQ charts with the exception of the MCP600, which benefits from a high restriction setup. Then, the via aqua manages to get the top end over the mag 3, but this can only be found in a restriction free setup.

no RLQO on the chart?

hmmmm....

-----mag3--------vs.--------RLQO-----
1ft=350gph-----------------943gph---593gph over mag3
2ft=325gph-----------------830gph---505gph " "
3ft=300gph-----------------752gph---452
4ft=270gph-----------------724gph---454
5ft=210gph-----------------656gph---446
6ft=180gph-----------------640gph---460
7ft=120gph-----------------613gph---493
max--10.5'--------------------15’

I got my last RLQO on sale for $60. :D
 
Originally posted by weapon--
no RLQO on the chart?

hmmmm....

-----mag3--------vs.--------RLQO-----
1ft=350gph-----------------943gph---593gph over mag3
2ft=325gph-----------------830gph---505gph " "
3ft=300gph-----------------752gph---452
4ft=270gph-----------------724gph---454
5ft=210gph-----------------656gph---446
6ft=180gph-----------------640gph---460
7ft=120gph-----------------613gph---493
max--10.5'--------------------15’

I got my last RLQO on sale for $60. :D


what is this RLQO you speak of?
and where can one be had?
 
RLQO=Rainbow Lifeguard Quiet One.

the "where it can be had?" part is getting a little bit tricky as pentair corp (manufacturer of the RLQO) has changed the model design. I haven't had a chance to try the new ones but they look very zexy.

according to the info I have read on the new ones, the factory considers the QUIET ONE 4000HH (High Head) to be the direct replacement for the RLQO like mine. They run about $125 retail but you can find them for around $77. they have slightly different flow rates -- still very impressive though.

Looking at the specs of all the new ones, I don't really see one that I would consider to be a 'direct replacement' - they all have different flow rates or different wattage ratings. Mine is rated at 87w (don't worry, the design is such that little heat gets dumped into the water -- the wet rotor chamber is isolated from the circulating coolant by the addition of a lip seal and a double ball check valve). if you look at the wattage rating and the flow rate, the RLQO model that I have would be somewhere between the new Quiet One 4000 and the Quiet One 4000HH.

the 4000 (non-HH) is 50 Watts, 1017gph, 10.2 ft max ht.
the 4000HH is 120 Watts, 980gph, 13 ft max ht.

just for the fun of it:
Quiet One 6000 is 140 Watts, 1506gph, 12.2 ft max ht -- at 7ft it is still pushing about 800gph...

full charts on performance for all new Quiet Ones can be found here:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_pu_rainbow_info.asp?CartId=#qone4000

link (this one has the pic and the retail price tag):
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_pu_rainbow.asp?CartId=

link for the best prices I have found on the new ones:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog...id=2181;ppp=16;page=5;sort=;pcid1=2181;pcid2=

4000(non-HH)= $55
4000HH=$77

still, the new ones have a different rotor design so I can't say how they will be as far as dumping heat into the coolant...

ones like my older design:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=27313;category_id=2181;pcid1=2181;pcid2=
other than the one I just got for the bargain basement price listed in my last post, all the ones I am seeing now are $90 and up...they will go on sale again sooner or later as they are now prolly listed as closeout items.

bad@$$ pumps.
 
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