Burned-out On Junk

[ratrod]

I gotta say the one thing that will finally get my goat and run me away from this hobbie is product failures! Ive had salt-water for about 15yrs and reef tanks for about 12yrs and totally love the art of it all. My curresnt reef is 252gal with a dual sump system that adds another110gal or so. A couple of weeks ago I lost a 500watt Pro heater, This week I lost a digital timer. Then last night I hooked up a float switch auto top off for the RO, what a joke it wont even hold back the pressure

 

[maxalmon]

Sorry to hear about the product failures. I pretty much design all my systems to have backup or somekinda failesafe, if that is possible.. As for heaters, I'll never use a single heater, I'll use maybe 2 or 3. With my new 210 I'll use 3x300w heaters. As for timers, I don't trust digitals and have never had a problem with old fashioned push/pull pin mechanical ones. I think it's almost impossible for them to fail, unless the power goes out, I have a Honda backup generator in case that happens. I won't ever use a single sump pump, I use dual pumps, that way if one goes out, I can limp thur till I get another.
I guess I just assume that something is going to fail or go wrong and I try and plan ahead

 

[ratrod]

Well Maxalmon, I'd say you've got the right idea. I know better than to not expect failures. It just gets a little frustrating when you pay 200$ for premium product like a heater and it goes bad I dont live in an area where things are close by so back-up is really important for me. As far as the fancy timers go I'd have to agree with you there as well in the past I never had a cheap charlie pin timer fail, but I've lost a couple of the digitals. The float valve isnt worth even talking about there just junk from the getgo and should never be trusted

 

[hawk fish]

i have a 90 reef with the sump its around 150..i have 2 heaters + my chiller has a heater built into it. i have had some electrical timers melt and start smoking because of all the electicity that was going through them. my dad and i went to home de pot and got a giant timer that most people use as timers for there light posts in front of there house...my dad knows the feeling of not have a back up with his work so we bought 2...i also have 2 computer back up batteries attached to my tank..1 is for a power head will keep it on for 48-52 hrs if no one is home... the other one is to keep me 80 ish gallons of water below my dt moving. when we are home and power goes out, like it usally does in the suberbs of chicago, we got a honda back up generator. i have only been in this hobby for 3 years but what ever i have i make sure i get an extra or spend a few extra bucks to buy the best product i can buy, i always thought when i got into this hobby that i would/will up grade after college, so i bought things that can go up to 180- 250 gallon systems.
i learned that if you spend a little more on a product then hopefully it will last longer then the crappy one that may be 10 maby even 50 bucks cheaper
i too also hate the fact of buying things that break with in 2 years or so...i had to go out last week because my pump on my 55(frag tank) burned out(costed me 119.98)

hope you have better luck with your equipment
sry kinda long :happyfish

 

[ratrod]

Thats why I was whining, the products that I bought were top of the line

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by ratrod
Thats why I was whining, the products that I bought were top of the line
.......LOL.......Yeap, welcome to the wonderful world of Reef Keeping

 

[bigskyreef]

Seems to me its not just reef equipment that fails like this, but darn near everything these days. Everything is produced with the more more more out the door philosophy, and a lot of companies just don't care if it's quality or not, importing from whatever factory will produce it the cheapest. As an employer, I struggle with employees who don't give a rip about quality, leaving their shortcuts behind for me to warantee.
Ok,

rant over!!!!!!

 

[ratrod]

I cant believe I didnt think of this before, but I'm sure I'm not the first. As far as top off devices go. Instead of losing money on a for sure fail water top off at thye lfs. Go to any hardware store and get a float valve for a toilet, they will rarely fail and can easily handle the water pressure of any RO and whats even cooler is they are already set-up for 1/4 inch line