vortech problems

[zygote2k]

Anyone having problems with theirs? I'm sending the whole thing back for diagnostics this time.

[Origami]

Three wet sides in a month?! Wow.

 

I had a failure of an old-style wet side a month or so ago. (It had been running 1-1/2 years without problem.) Having had a spare wet side, I used it but it occasionally vibrated, so I sent it in for a check up. The guys at EcoTech Marine sent me a new wetside - the design of which was very different than the one I had. I just put it in tonight and it's running very smoothly.

 

I don't know how old your MP40W is, but since the first unit's were released, there's been a new wet side design consisting of a magnet upgrade, a new wet-frame and a new, single-piece propeller design.

[trott]

I clean my MP40W every two or three weeks.

[epleeds]

i wish i had an MP40......

[DJBoy98]

My were problematic the first year I got them. I sent them back 3-4 times and the last time, I got a new wet side which was a different design from the original.

 

Their service was great but for $400 a pop, I expected less problems. They have been running well for the past 6 months though.

[khalid]

Both my MP40W and MP20 have been working great with know issues as of yet thankfully. What is happening to the wet side of your pumps?

[Origami]

Both my MP40W and MP20 have been working great with know issues as of yet thankfully. What is happening to the wet side of your pumps?

 

In my case, the wet frame on one unit failed (the ceramic bearing wore its way through the plastic). It was an old design, however.

 

Keep in mind that any new product using new design concepts is likely to have a higher failure rate early on. Incremental improvements to the design can (hopefully) provide improved performance. (They can also provide improved manufacturability, better profit margins, etc.) In this case, it looks like the manufacturer improved the bearing design, coupling between the two sides with an improved magnet, and lower component count by reducing the propeller from a two-piece design to a one-piece design. I'm hopeful that these improvements (two of three which I just put in yesterday) will last. So far, I've noticed that the pumps are running quieter, and with less friction.

[zygote2k]

The new wetside ran so smooth and quiet for 1 week, then unexpectedly started having problems like stopping and causing the dry side to become hot.

[zygote2k]

The new wetside ran so smooth and quiet for 1 week, then unexpectedly started having problems like stopping and causing the dry side to become hot.

[Origami]

The new wetside ran so smooth and quiet for 1 week, then unexpectedly started having problems like stopping and causing the dry side to become hot.

 

I'll be watching mine then.... Thanks for the heads up.

 

Two things possibly worth looking at, Rob: Check to see if there's a thin nylon washer between the wet frame (the wet frame is the 'base' of the wet side) and the magnet. Also check to make sure that the nut is not too tight.

[DDiver]

ive had mine for a while but have had no problems(that i'm aware of at least)...what are some of the problems i should be looking for?

[zygote2k]

If the nut is not tight enough, the propeller won't spin, if it is too tight, the magnet has difficulty spinning. There needs to be a torque specification or some sort of way to tell the proper tightness of the nut. For instance- "magnet should spin freely one or two turns" or something like that.

The new wetside literally exploded. The white locknut and propeller assembly shredded the plastic and came loose inside the cage.