|
|
|
|
#1
09/21/2007, 11:46 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Reeflo Dart life?
Been running my Dart on a Closed Loop for close to a year an a half, 24/7
Been taking the volute off about every 6 months for a rise, never noticed any problems before other than a thin slim coat inside but this time seems the shaft is a little noisy in the seal when I rotate the impeller by hand. Not leaking but wondering if it's time for a little preventive maintenance? How long should the seal last? |
|
#5
11/27/2007, 12:38 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
ouch - and I'm looking at getting a Dart NW skimmer!
How long do external pumps generally last?
__________________
One's standard of living is definitively determined by the size of their reef. - me We live with each other, not for ourselves - Protect our planet |
|
#6
11/27/2007, 01:02 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Mine ran perfectly for 14 months and then started to get louder, four months later I had a small leak.
When I pulled it apart I found that the shaft compression seal uses a spring inside of it and that spring had rusted badly, it no longer compressed but was rusted into a fixed shape. I suggest that if you are having strange noises you pull apart the head and check the shaft seal, the spring can be cleaned off and lubricated with Silicone if the problem is caught early. |
|
#7
11/27/2007, 05:14 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
/bump
__________________
One's standard of living is definitively determined by the size of their reef. - me We live with each other, not for ourselves - Protect our planet |
|
#8
11/27/2007, 08:50 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Have you contacted Reeflo?
After a year and half one of my darts starting making noises, called Reeflo, and they sent me a replacement pump. Obviously your situation may be different from mine, but I have been very pleased with the service I have received from Reeflo. They also sent me a free replacement seal for my other. What happened to the Reeflo/Sequence forum?
__________________
"It was not a hold. The defender was just overpowered."- Ed Hochuli |
|
#9
11/28/2007, 07:36 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
It did seem to disappear recently, didn't it.
I have not had a chance to contact them yet, but as you said, their customer service is pretty good and I'd expect them to help me out. During shipping, the fan cover had been damaged and they sent out a replacement as soon as I contacted them. They were going to send a replacement pump but the pump was fine, just the cover was bent into the fan. My initial post wasn't really a knock on them, just found it interesting that others were having problems at almost the same time ( length of use ). |
|
#10
11/28/2007, 11:00 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
__________________
¡ʞuɐʇ ʎɯ ǝʌo1 ı |
|
#11
11/28/2007, 11:47 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
i had a problem with my pump right away.. but the good thing was the people at reeflo just listened to it on the phone... and they knew what was wrong with mine. sent me out a new one right away...
if in doubt... call them. they are very nice. when i was sent out my dart... i opted to get the super dart conversion for more flow... for like 20 bucks you can't go wrong! |
|
#12
11/28/2007, 11:51 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
#13
11/28/2007, 11:58 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
okay, so they way reeflo and sequence works... is... they make their pumps and then they make the impellers. with the impellers they always offer a size up and down. they say it is to offer the customer a more tailored flow. for the dart, there is also a upgrade and downgrade. as you know the lower one will give you better energy consumption. and the upgrade will up the flow! hahaha... i think if i remember correctly...a nd correct me if i am wrong... it ups the flow from 3500 to 4500? basically they just give you the new impeller... which is like 20 somthign bucks? they even install for free! i would do the impeller swap when you get the pump serviced. by then you will know if you want more flow or less flow...
|
|
#16
11/28/2007, 12:59 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
My Dart lasted 2 years before it started making noise.
I asked if they could replace the bearings & the seal, but my pump has the Hubbel motor, and they said that the motor could not be serviced while the Baldor motor could. So if you are looking to buy one, ask if it has the Hubbel or the Baldor... Get the Baldor. Stu
__________________
Some people think that I have Attention Deficit Disorder. They just dont understand that........ Hey! Look a chicken! |
|
#17
11/28/2007, 01:45 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Nice call on the motor Stu
I knew Reeflo made the smaller impeller for the dart housing, which is what they sell as the snapper(?), but I was unaware of the impeller upgrade. I'll have to look in to it, as I was getting ready to change my closed loop from a dart to a barracuda for some added flow since I recently added more outputs. This may save me some money. Thanks for the info faded.
__________________
"It was not a hold. The defender was just overpowered."- Ed Hochuli |
|
#18
11/28/2007, 02:36 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Reeflo does not sell the Dart with a Baldor motor anymore. They stopped about 2 years ago, it's only sold with Hubble motors and there is no point calling and asking for Old stock, he has been out of Dart-Baldor pumps for almost a year.
Great motor if you can find one, I suggest you call reeflo and ask them to go back to Baldor motors even if it costs more. I called and if more people do and Chris see's a big Market he may go back. I would certainly pay $40+ more for a Baldor version of the Dart. |
|
#19
11/28/2007, 02:55 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
yea, the new impeller is great! i didn't have to change 1 pipe in my plumbing! well.. i am changing my nozzles... i had 2 penductors, and now i am moving to 4 penductors... other then that... same mount, same inlet, same outlet... just perfect!
|
|
#21
11/28/2007, 03:45 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
it is okay... i know i am not running at full potential, the dart doens't have the full pressure to run the 3X flow penductors are known for...
but, i get nice wide flow paterns and it isn't that bad?i had 2 x seio 1500 and it kept moving around my sand. which is a good sign. i took out one of the seios, and now i am thinking about getting rid of the last seio, since the flow is still good... if i feel like it isnt' enough i wanted to try out the korralias, or the mj mod ones cause they are cheap... and dont' use much energy... when i had 2, i split at the top and pointed them in opposite corners... it worked well and i got no dead spots. 1 reason i used the seio was to feed and i would turn off the return... so the corals can eat up all the food... it will look like you don't get as much turn over, but when you put your hand in front... there is alot of flow. the penductors just sacrafice return flow for over all flow inside the tank. |
|
#22
11/28/2007, 10:32 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Well, I emailed Reeflo regarding the larger impeller, and what do ya know, I received a response within 2 hours. I'm sure they won't mind me copying the email response, so here goes;
"We do have an impeller that makes a dart into a super dart. The increase in flow is a function of where you are on the curve (system pressure). Both have the same Max pressure of 12'...as you can see from the graph at 8' of pressure the dart will do about 2000gph while the SD does about 2350...at 5' this difference is greater still with dart at about 2600gph and the SD at 3100 gph...this difference gets larger all the way to their max flows 3600gph vs. 4200 gph...so if you have a simple system (or closed loop): 5' lift and 1.5" or greater pipe you would se a difference of about 15-18%...at higher pressures the diff is only 5-9%..."   For $30 plus shipping, I figure it's worth a shot before buying a barracuda.
__________________
"It was not a hold. The defender was just overpowered."- Ed Hochuli |
|
|
Linear Mode
