Gen-X pumps...

[Marc]

I noticed that Gen X pumps offer external pumps as of the Mak 4 and Mak 5. I also noticed that they are lower wattage with very high flow rates compared to Pan World. Does anyone here use them. Do they add a lot of heat to the water? How about quality and warranty?

Thanks,
Marc

[DaveMorris]

I am running two Gen-X PCX40's on my 135g. Running continuously since October with no problems. They are quiet and I haven't noticed any heat to speak of.

[hahnmeister]

Do you have a kill-a-watt Dave? I wonder if they have changed over the years or what. From what I remember, they were hot running garbage with a poor power factor (which means wasted power and heat)... but that may have just been what I saw. It wouldnt shock me if they have changed who makes the pumps over the years... all Gen-X stuff is just knock-off stuff anyways.

[sjm817]

I'm running a PCX40 (MAK-4) as a basement return. Nice pump, especially for the price.

[Marc]

Thanks for the responses. The low power cunsumption is what got my attention in the first place not to forget the low noise. For the price they want for the PCX-150 I think its worth it.

Marc

[pgordemer]

I have MAK-4 in my basement as I have to go 14' up to get back to the tank, and it works great. 1190 GPH @ 0 ft

Does not increase water temp at all. Not very quiet, but it is in the basement, so I don't care.

Power draw is good, its says 55W, but its measuers with a Kill-a-watt about 75W

[ellisz]

I used a mak4 and a mak5 with nothing bad to say at all. They have great head height and not a ton of flow. This makes them good for a basement sump and a single overflow. I don't think I would want one in my living room but my mak4 was an old green one. The mak5 was louder.

[hahnmeister]

Yeah, the claimed wattage with many of these pumps is based on the pumps that they are clones of... but then they dont get the windings just the same, or they use a cheaper magnet, so the pumps can sometimes end up using 2x as much wattage as their claimed rating.

gordemer, your pump has 14' of head on it, so its wattage is lower than what it would be at 0' most likely... could easily be a 100watt pump at 0' of head. If you can, could you take a reading of your pump's power factor or VA with the Kill-a-watt?

[justinzimm]

I have a 55 running my 120. Works fine, but a little noisy.

Justin

[franklinbeens]

I have the green mak 4 which is 5 yrs old & it isn't to noisy
& i have a blue 1.5 yr. old mak 5 which is quieter than the old
one , both are dependable & AFFORDABLE !

[sjm817]

This is the MAK4 specs from the Premium Aquatics website. They have an input and output power spec which is odd. The Input wattage of 110W is what mine measures used as a basement return pump with ~ 10' vertical.

PCX40 - Gen-X/MAK4 Pumps
Compare to Iwaki 55 RLT-Magnetic Drive
Magnetic Drive-Fan cooled-Sealess design 3/4 in 3/4 out
Max. Flow: ;75L/Min 19.84GPM 1190GPH
Max Head: 6.8M 22 feet
Voltage: 110V
Output: 55W
Dimensions: 10.75"L x 4"W x 5.25"H
Poles: 2
Frequency: 60hz
Speed: 3000RPM
Input: 110W
Insulation Class E Sheild Form SIngle Phose Induction Motor Capacitor-Run.

[hahnmeister]

Could be RMS vs. Real, which wouldnt exactly shock me... it would mean the pump is equal to at least a 55 watt heater... because if the real power is 110 and the RMS is 55, then the power factor would be .5, and that puts the pump at 50% efficiency right off the bat... and what doesnt go into work ends up as heat, so 55 watts or more as heat.

[sjm817]

It seems like a good pump to me. It doesn't heat the water at all from what I can tell, but I wouldn't expect an air cooled external to have a heat issue. Power consumption seems Lower/similar than other pumps with similar specs. The price is very good and longevity is as well. I was all ready to buy the Panworld below, but Premium Aquatics talked me into the less expensive Gen-X (gotta love P.A.!). No regrets at all.

Panworld 150PS 1100gph 28' 180W.

[hahnmeister]

The rated wattage is just RMS wattage, and thats only important for what you pay at the meter. The REAL power, ir instant power, is what the RMS power is divided by to get the power factor. On a kill-a-watt, its VA. PF is used to calculate pump efficiency. So I can have a pump with a RMS wattage of 40, but if the power factor is .3 (some cheap knock-offs like the AquaEuros and Gen-X are in this realm), that means that the pump is really using 133 watts, and at least 93 watts of that is going straight to heat!

So thats why I ask for the VA as well as RMS. As far as heat that you may or may not feel... its relative, even with external. The only way to know for sure is to track the electricity... besides... aren't these pumps external/water cooled?

[smb]

I had a pcx 30 and it really sucked. I now have a pan world and can't believe the difference in heat, noise, and reliability.
Pan world is much much better. I would never buy another pump from Pacific Coast imports. They don't stand behind their products either. And no they're fan cooled.

[mborn]

I run a mak4 and it's always performed well for me. I don't think it runs too hot. I used to run an Iwaki 55 RLT and it generated more heat IME.

[sjm817]

Originally posted by hahnmeister
besides... aren't these pumps external/water cooled?

No. Air cooled. My water temp is currently 77F. The the Winter, my (2) 300W heaters are on most of the time to keep the temp @ 78F. The pump does not cause me any heat issue, but again, an air cooled external typically does not. Kill-A-Watt says ~ 110W pushing 10' vertical 1" plumbing. I'd guess I'm getting ~ 700 GPH. I dont see that as inefficient. Its typical, if not better than other pumps of similar capacity.