Inexpensive pump - Quiet One?

[iwishtofish]

Has anyone had positive experiences with the Quiet One pumps? I am on a budget now, and the price is really attractive! I would submerse it as a return pump in my sump.

[James77]

I've never had a problem with them- they are known for restart problems though.

[frank2926]

I would look at ocean runner before quiet one. Look at the electricity used.
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=20840&cat=667&page=1

[LockeOak]

I'm using a 2100 model as a return pump now (I got it for next to free with the sump). It's pretty quiet, not a whole lot of current but enough for my needs (I actually had to dial it down a bit). It is against a head of about 4 feet. I've never had a problem with it restarting, I keep it completely submerged in my sump. As for heat, I'm not sure, nothing noticeable. For the price they seem pretty effective.

[mdelcomyn]

I would suggest Ocean Runner as well. Really a great pump, and the lower electricity usage saves you money in the long run.

[iwishtofish]

Thanks, everyone. I will take a closer look at the Ocean Runners, too.

[ct67-72]

I bought a quiet one 4000 because my lfs had it and im impatient. I have yet to have a restart problem or priming problem, it is completely submerged though. it is completely silent which is great.
I looked at power usage and in this size it looked to be pretty comparable to most of the others.
heat seems ok too

[AZDesertRat]

I had a bad experience with a Quiet One 4000 on a closed loop. It burned up and electrified my tank. My chiller was running non stop it got so hot. It had always had restarting problems from day one and required much more cleaning than my other pumps as calcium seemed to build up right at the base of the impeller magnet.
I replaced it with another Ocean Runner 3500 and couldn't be happier. I now have 4 Ocean Runner pumps.

[iwishtofish]

That does sound like a regrettable experience, AZDesertRat! I hope you had survivors!

Despite the positive experiences of James77, LockeOak, and ct67-72, I have renewed interest in the Ocean Runner pumps. Only problem is, they don't make one (that I've seen) that pumps around 450-500 gph - the range I am shooting for. I guess I could valve it and get a little extra circulation in my sump.

[AZDesertRat]

Ocean Runner makes a OR 1200 pump but its not as common. It would probably be too small as its only rated at 300 GPH at 0 feet and has a maximum height of 5.3 feet. At 3 feet its doing about 150 GPH is all.

The OR2500 should be perfect for what you want, its rated at 650 GPH at 0 feet and 500 GPH at 4 feet. And thats at 38 watts at 650 GPH and about 33 watts at 500 GPH. They don't get much more efficient than that.

What size tank are we talking about? Mine is a 100G with a 30G sump and I use the OR3500 for a return, another as the closed loop pump and an OR2700 needlewheel on my skimmer.

[iwishtofish]

AZDesertRat, it's only a 29g tank with a 10g sump:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/bjdoyle64/tank_stand.jpg

My overflow is rated at 600gph, but the way my drain hose is set up, it's questionable if I can go 500 gph without too much noise or air problems. Do you know if the Ocean Runner pumps can be throttled back, or if I should just use a ball valve to experiment with flow? I have about a 3.5 - 4 ft head.

[sjm817]

I wouldn't use a big pump in a setup like that. The 1250 should be just about right.

[iwishtofish]

The 1250 seems to be working fine, with the exception that it suffers greatly from the head loss - especially if some algae grows in the return line and slows things down a little. Most importantly, I am having difficulty keeping bubbles from forming in the U-tube of my LifeReef overflow, even while using the smaller diameter U-tube. I don't seem to have a lot of flow in my sump, either.

[sjm817]

What is the size and setup of the return plumbing? Have you tried increasing it? Yes, a 1250 will just barely have the 200 GPH you need. I would think you should be OK with the smaller U Tube though.

[AZDesertRat]

I agree, the 1250 is probably your best choice. Make the rest of the flow up with a Koralia or something like that. With a 10 gallon sump you are limited on both space and water capacity, a larger pump would be tight and probably cause bad microbubbles due to the velocity through the sump.

[iwishtofish]

sjm817, my return plumbing is simply a 1/2" (ID) hose. Maybe if I try increasing the diameter, I will get better flow.

AZDesertRat, I just rely on my three powerheads for flow in the tank (1800gph combined).

Thanks again, everyone, for the advice! I think first I'll just try to improve things with my current setup.

[sjm817]

Yes, increase the pipe diameter, and use a solid color so algae doesnt grow in it. Be cogniscent of anything that would impede flow such as unions, valves, connectors, etc. Go for a minimum restriction setup.

[raynist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11851534#post11851534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mdelcomyn
I would suggest Ocean Runner as well. Really a great pump, and the lower electricity usage saves you money in the long run.

I am pretty sure the Quiet One pumps are more efficient than the Ocean Runner pumps. My Quiet One 4000 pulls 40 watts according to my killawatt meter. It is rated at 1017gph.

[AZDesertRat]

Quiet Ones have a really bad reputation (they earned it) for failing to restart after a power outage or being shut off. I had this problem myself with a QO4000 before it burned up and electrifed my tank. I was forever taking it apart to see if something was inside it. When it burned up it was still running but I noticed my chiller ran non stop for about two days! Upon inspection I identified the QO. It did not visually appear to have any problems but it got your attention when you stuck you hand in the water! I am amazed it did not trip my GFCI circuit even when I stuck my hand in water? Everything else seems to trip it.

[raynist]

Are Rio pumps still considered bad or have they corrected their issues? I see their 600+ gallon per hour pumps are rated at 20+ watts.

--Ray

[rascole]

I just recently lost my 5th. Quiet One 14000 pump in less than 6 months. They just seem to stop as a result of bad cicuitry per Pentair Aquatics. I will never buy or recomend them.