dirk_brijs
Member
any opinions on the mentioned pump?
cons and pros please.
Thanks
ps would be used for a 400gl DT system
cons and pros please.
Thanks
ps would be used for a 400gl DT system
Reeflo Barracuda
- Thread starter dirk_brijs
- Start date
acrylic51
Active Member
Excellent pumps!!!! Good flow, very reliable, good support and service. Have you looked at the gold series pumps? A little more energy efficient. I've used and own the Dart, Barracuda, and the HammerHead pumps haven't had any issues. They are relatively pretty quiet for the amount of water they push/move.
scsinet
Active Member
I've got a Wahoo and a Tarpon, and both are easily the best pumps I've ever owned.
These pumps use a shaft seal, unlike a magnetic drive coupling like Mags, Iwaki, Eheim, Pan-World, GenX, etc. This seal does require periodic maintenance.
I've been running my Wahoo for almost exactly 4 years nonstop. Maintenance wise, I tear the pump down about once a year. I remove the impeller and clean out any gunk, bits of shells, rock, etc that tend to reduce flow rate over time, and I remove the deposits from the drive shaft by running the motor without the impeller and holding a junk knife against the shaft to get rid of accumulated calcium, etc. I also scrub the pump housings and lube the o-ring. The whole cleaning job takes less than an hour to complete. Of course, all pumps require maintenance like this, it's not something that's unique to these pumps. These pump housings are heavy duty with nice bolts holding them together. It's not like the cheaper pumps that use crappy plastic parts that tend to break if you over tighten a screw or that get brittle over time. These housings are super-tough nylon. The only way you'll break parts (other than the somewhat fragile shaft seal) is by trying to take them apart with a shotgun.
The shaft seal is something that needs to be replaced periodically, but I just now ordered a new shaft seal for mine, and as I said this is after 4 years of continuous operation. Generally you'll get a warning that it's time because the pump will get noiser than usual. One phone call to Reeflopumps.com and a quick paypal and they'll send you a new seal. IMO it's a good idea to have a spare on hand at all times because they CAN break, but this will almost never happen unless you are working on the pump and aren't careful. I admit I have not kept a spare on hand, but I'll be following my own advice from now on. New seals generally run about $30. Finally, you'll want to take the rear guard off the motor and clean any dust off the cooling fan if your pump is so equipped.
Lastly, these pumps have a known quirk about them but IMO it's a very small price to pay for such outstanding and reliable operation. There is a slinger washer (a large rubber washer) friction fit onto the motor shaft. This prevents any leakage (all shaft seals leak a very tiny amount... a few drops per month is normal) from creeping to the motor bearings. This washer can sometimes walk along the shaft over time and rub against the motor bearings or pump housing causing the pump to make a "groaning" noise that comes and goes. This will not affect the pump's operation and it's not annoyingly loud. You can pretty much eliminate this problem from ever happening by making sure that the washer is centered between the pump housing and motor when you do your yearly maintenance. My washer has dried out over time and does not grip the shaft anymore, so when I ordered a new seal I asked for a new slinger and they sent me one for no extra charge. When I replace the shaft seal I'll probably do a post or wiki argicle outlining the process.
These pumps use a shaft seal, unlike a magnetic drive coupling like Mags, Iwaki, Eheim, Pan-World, GenX, etc. This seal does require periodic maintenance.
I've been running my Wahoo for almost exactly 4 years nonstop. Maintenance wise, I tear the pump down about once a year. I remove the impeller and clean out any gunk, bits of shells, rock, etc that tend to reduce flow rate over time, and I remove the deposits from the drive shaft by running the motor without the impeller and holding a junk knife against the shaft to get rid of accumulated calcium, etc. I also scrub the pump housings and lube the o-ring. The whole cleaning job takes less than an hour to complete. Of course, all pumps require maintenance like this, it's not something that's unique to these pumps. These pump housings are heavy duty with nice bolts holding them together. It's not like the cheaper pumps that use crappy plastic parts that tend to break if you over tighten a screw or that get brittle over time. These housings are super-tough nylon. The only way you'll break parts (other than the somewhat fragile shaft seal) is by trying to take them apart with a shotgun.
The shaft seal is something that needs to be replaced periodically, but I just now ordered a new shaft seal for mine, and as I said this is after 4 years of continuous operation. Generally you'll get a warning that it's time because the pump will get noiser than usual. One phone call to Reeflopumps.com and a quick paypal and they'll send you a new seal. IMO it's a good idea to have a spare on hand at all times because they CAN break, but this will almost never happen unless you are working on the pump and aren't careful. I admit I have not kept a spare on hand, but I'll be following my own advice from now on. New seals generally run about $30. Finally, you'll want to take the rear guard off the motor and clean any dust off the cooling fan if your pump is so equipped.
Lastly, these pumps have a known quirk about them but IMO it's a very small price to pay for such outstanding and reliable operation. There is a slinger washer (a large rubber washer) friction fit onto the motor shaft. This prevents any leakage (all shaft seals leak a very tiny amount... a few drops per month is normal) from creeping to the motor bearings. This washer can sometimes walk along the shaft over time and rub against the motor bearings or pump housing causing the pump to make a "groaning" noise that comes and goes. This will not affect the pump's operation and it's not annoyingly loud. You can pretty much eliminate this problem from ever happening by making sure that the washer is centered between the pump housing and motor when you do your yearly maintenance. My washer has dried out over time and does not grip the shaft anymore, so when I ordered a new seal I asked for a new slinger and they sent me one for no extra charge. When I replace the shaft seal I'll probably do a post or wiki argicle outlining the process.
