Anyone have any experience with Gen-X external pumps?

Corndork2 · #1 12/29/2007, 04:05 PM

Im looking at buying a Gen-x PCX-40 external pump. Has anyone had any experience with this perticular pump, or other pumps in the product line? Are they quiet? loud? just curious about overall ownership of one. I am especially curious about their performance over time

BWilfong · #2 12/29/2007, 04:22 PM

My PCX-30 is loud and it stalls all the time. Had to take it off my main system because of the stalling.

sjm817 · #3 12/29/2007, 04:34 PM

I've been using a PCX-40 as a basement pump pushing ~ 10' vertical for ~ 1 year now. It has worked out great so far. I've never touched it once in a year. Not even a cleaning. Its is not a quiet pump, but for my application, it doesn't matter.

RWillieK · #4 12/29/2007, 04:42 PM

My PCX-30 was so loud, I could hear it on the main floor, and it was in the basement, in its own room.....

I switched over to the Velocity T2.....I can't hear it standing in the sump room.

Robbie

jknecht · #5 12/29/2007, 05:21 PM

I've been running two PCX-40's for almost two years with no problems. Mine is also in the basement so the noise isn't a issue. It's really not that loud, however loud is relative...

dsanfilippo · #6 12/29/2007, 06:52 PM

I had two running on my system and they were pretty load when in a relatively quiet room...

stace11 · #7 12/29/2007, 06:58 PM

Yup, pretty noisy

dgunn · #8 12/29/2007, 07:13 PM

I've had a pcx 55 HD running on my skimmer for about 10 months I also run an Iwaki md 55 as a return, the genX makes more noise than the Iwaki but seems to be as reliable.
I, like the others, have mine in the basement in a fish room so the noise is really not an issue.

drfdisk · #9 12/29/2007, 07:55 PM

I had a PCX-40 and like everyone else's it was very loud. You could hear it running all over the house. Replaced it with a Velocity T3 and you can barely hear it running sitting next to it.

Corndork2 · #10 12/30/2007, 02:17 AM

Would you all conisider these pumps to be too loud to place in a living room? My main tank is in my living room, and this pump would have to go in that tanks stand

lionspride · #11 12/30/2007, 03:32 AM

I have a pcx-55 with my in wall tank a little loud when your in the fish room but outside is ok. Your most likely going to hear it if it's under the stand. they are a little loud but good

lionspride · #12 12/30/2007, 03:33 AM

What are you going to be using it for? I hear sequence pumps are really quiet.

ltelus · #13 12/30/2007, 06:44 AM

i will echo everyone else's comments on noise.
I had one in the basement and the frequency produced by this pump echoed around the whole house.
The pump would also not restart until it cooled if you shut it off for any reason.

sjm817 · #14 12/30/2007, 08:42 AM

Mine has never had a restart problem. Reliability has been perfect. One reason it is loud is it is in the basement and has a lot of head on in. I have some flow diverted to run the fuge. If I open the valve to send more to the fuge, it gets a lot quieter. Would I pick this pump to run under the stand? No. I would want a very quiet pump for that.

jrmx635 · #15 12/30/2007, 09:06 AM

I've had 4 of them in the past 10 years.
never once had a problem.
they are a little loud but it depends on where you put them

RWillieK · #16 12/30/2007, 09:20 AM

The velocity pumps are extremely quiet - I wouldn't chose anything but that for an in-stand pump in the living room.

Robbie

sjm817 · #17 12/30/2007, 09:25 AM

The Velocity pumps are quiet because they are water cooled. They also add a lot of heat to the water for the same reason.

drfdisk · #18 12/30/2007, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Would you all conisider these pumps to be too loud to place in a living room? My main tank is in my living room, and this pump would have to go in that tanks stand

For my tastes it was way too loud. You could hear it in every room of the house. The Velocity T3 I replaced it with is unbelievably quite. Its more quite than the Oceanrunner 2500s I have. I have heard that the Velocity pumps will heat water also but it is a new tank so I cant say for sure.

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.p...content&id=192

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.p...wcontent&id=12

dsanfilippo · #19 12/31/2007, 06:02 PM

I know everyone seems to say that the velocity pumps add a lot of heat to the systems, but i just switched from a dart ( which was also too loud for me when in a living room under the tank in the stand.) to two velocities ( a T4 main circulation thru the sump, and a T2 closed loop canister filter thru a seaswirl.) I just dont see the temp rise to be so significant. You can still air cool the pumps with an external fan...should take some of the cooling off of the water side of the system.

smcdonn · #20 12/31/2007, 06:32 PM

A little too loud for my liking. I switched to an iwaki