Reeflo Blowhole BH 1100 Review With Images

[mcurtis]

This is my first review on Reef Central for the new Reeflo Blowhole BH 1100 external mag pump. I replaced a crappy AquaEuroUSA EU-1340 submersible pump that i was having issues with. This is on my 90 gallon (3x2x2) with a 30 gallon sump. I am also working on a video to kind of show it installed and running, as well as the flow on the different speeds.

THE PUMP

Here is the back of the pump



Pump Inlet side - 1 inch threaded inlet and 1 inch threaded outlet



Back of Pump - Here you can see the red selector switch that has 3 speeds. Low, Medium and God mode!



Here is the pump standing next to a soda can for size reference. (Yes, i like diet coke with lime) 6 inches x 6 inches x 6 inches



Here are the connectors that came with it. I liked that included was the screw on 1" fittings and gasket. All i needed to do was mate it up with a 1" 90 degree threaded elbow. A little bit of plumbers tape and it works great.



THE INSTALLATION

My installation of this pump isn't your typical installation, so i had to get creative and come up with a plan that would work. First, i don't have a drilled sump, so i decided to mount the pump above the sump towards the back of the stand.

Here is the pump mounted a few inches from the top of the sump



Here is the pump mounted, looking in from the front of underneath the cabinet to the back where the pump is. I basically used a 2 x 4, turned it on its side and screwed it into the back of the cabinet frame. On top of the side ways 2 x 4 i screwed another thinner board and made a T shape. Then i placed a piece of foam (not even sure if i needed to put this here) down, put the pump on the foam and just zip tied the pump in place.



Here is the pipe that is coming off the inlet side of the pump and going into the sump, with a check valve at the bottom to keep it primed if i turn the pump off. If the check valve fails, i have enough room in my sump from the overflow up top, so this really isn't an issue.



THE RESULTS

So because of a priming issue i had due to my unique application of this pump, i had an issue getting the pump primed. I filled up the outlet tube with some water and turned on the pump. I could hear the pump spinning, but nothing. Being this was my first external pump, i called Reeflo and spoke with Chris. He was very helpful and basically i didn't have it primed good enough. He said if you can't get it working we will get you another one and to call him back if i couldn't get it working. That was customer service that i really enjoy hearing, as this was my first dealings with Reeflo.

Back to the pump, filled it all the way up and still nothing. I even sucked and blew (keep it clean) on the outlet loc-line to get it to work. Nothing. I left the pump running and went below to start unscrewing the inlet to the pvc and heard this loud pfffft of air. Then all of a sudden it worked!. I tightened up the outlet collar and begin to see what this could do.

POWER

Low setting: Nice flow, just an even steady pace.

Medium setting: A bit stronger, but not really noticable from the Low setting.

High setting: Seriously? I had shot water out of the tank using this setting. I have an algae scrubber on the drain side and you could hear the water just shooting out of that thing and was NOT happy. Waaaay too much flow for my tank, but i love that i have the power if i need it

I am currently running this on LOW, as i am not sure if there is much difference between that and the medium setting. I figured the less wattage for low was the deciding factor. I may change it to Medium and do some more tests with it. I have a Vortech MP-40 for flow, so this works well in my situation.

PRESSURE

Here is a chart directly from Reeflo's site with Pressure/Head rating for all 3 speeds. It also shows the wattage as well.



TEMPERATURE

I have a chiller on this tank so this really isn't a factor for me. However, i have noticed the temperature on my Apex only fluctuates 1 degree max with this pump and it seems more stable at those temperatures longer. I like the idea that i have freed up some more room in my sump as well.

WATTAGE

My previous AquaEuroUSA EU-1340 submersible pump was at: 125 watts
This Reeflo BH1100 External pump - The 3 way select able power switch
Low: 65 watts
Medium: 95 watts
High: 120 watts

NOISE

Ok this thing is dead silent. I am not even kidding. Maybe it is because of my algae scrubber is noisy and maybe its because this is my first external pump. Maybe.

I had to keep checking to see if it was on by putting my hand on the pump. I can't hear it running. My internal pump however would vibrate and i could hear it running, even over the algae scrubber and it was annoying.

PROS AND CONS

PROS:

3 select able speeds
Lots of Power
Low wattage
Dead Silent
Low heat
Small footprint
2 year warranty

CONS:
Short power cable (4' 6")

[pmrossetti]

thanks.....a good Iwaki alternative, right?

[mcurtis]

Originally Posted by pmrossetti

thanks.....a good Iwaki alternative, right?

I think so. I think it really depends on what features you are looking for: warranty, power, noise level, maintenance, power consumption, price etc.

[5pacey]

ok... two questions..

1) who sells it (or where can I get one)?
2) how much is it?

Spacey

[Laddy]

Originally Posted by 5pacey

ok... two questions..

1) who sells it (or where can I get one)?
2) how much is it?

Spacey

Reeflo. I don't think you can at the moment, they're in testing right now.

mcurtis: saw your youtube video: was the pump really that quiet?

If anyone from Reeflo wants another tester for phase II, PM me. I have a number of systems and application I could use this pump on; if not, put me down on the list for the final product roll out. Good stuff.

[moonpod]

giving me inspiration to hook mine up

[MuffsAbby]

I had a tank installed in July and it has a closed system powered by a Reeflo Blowhole external pump, which I find a little strange since you say it's still in the testing phase. The pump is certainly very quiet, but I have been having serious issues with heat (tank water heating to 88 degrees even though room temp is only 68 degrees, and there is no heater in the tank). The OP indicates that one of the pros to the product is low heat transfer, but that's not been my experience to date.

I've been dealing with the heat issue by reducing my room temp to the low 60's (I'm freezing!) and using various cooling fans, etc. However, if this product is still in the "testing phase", is it possible that I have a "lemon" (a pump for which the bugs haven't yet been worked out)?!

The OP or other members here might not be able to answer my questions, but any tips as to how I can find out more about this pump would be helpful. Perhaps I should be calling Reeflo directly?

[billwill]

Originally Posted by MuffsAbby

I had a tank installed in July and it has a closed system powered by a Reeflo Blowhole external pump, which I find a little strange since you say it's still in the testing phase. The pump is certainly very quiet, but I have been having serious issues with heat (tank water heating to 88 degrees even though room temp is only 68 degrees, and there is no heater in the tank). The OP indicates that one of the pros to the product is low heat transfer, but that's not been my experience to date.

I've been dealing with the heat issue by reducing my room temp to the low 60's (I'm freezing!) and using various cooling fans, etc. However, if this product is still in the "testing phase", is it possible that I have a "lemon" (a pump for which the bugs haven't yet been worked out)?!

The OP or other members here might not be able to answer my questions, but any tips as to how I can find out more about this pump would be helpful. Perhaps I should be calling Reeflo directly?

How have you determined that this pump is causing your heat issue? It's an external pump that doesn't appear to be designed to use water for cooling, so I don't think it's transferring heat to your tank.

[MuffsAbby]

Originally Posted by billwill

How have you determined that this pump is causing your heat issue? It's an external pump that doesn't appear to be designed to use water for cooling, so I don't think it's transferring heat to your tank.

Through process of elimination, this pump appears to be the culprit. You're right about it being an external pump that is not water cooled. But, it's also not air cooled. The lack of a cooling fan seems to explain why this pump is so quiet, but also seems to explain the heat issue. Here's a quote from a review on the net (I don't think the Forum rules allow me to link to the source, so I won't): "The fanless design of the Reeflo Blowhole pump ends up being much quieter, but it also adds more heat to the aquarium water..."

[moonpod]

I'm pretty sure there was a change in the pump after the initial release because there was an issue with heat. I could swear they said they changed something after the initial release and are evaluating with the current second release

[jrpark22000]

Call or email Reeflo, I've been working with Chris. I am also a tester on both phases of the pump.

After some inital problems I went w/ their gold snapper for my tank and use my BH 1100 on a test rig.

[mussel and hate]

I believe that's a Wilo circulation pump with a custom impellor and volute.

I've got two (Wilos) and they are very quiet, however they incorporate a shaft seal in their design which for me is a deal breaker on my air handler let alone a reef tank.

If I'm not mistaken regarding the nature of this pump then it is no Iwaki replacement. I don't mean to imply this is not a good pump it certainly is well made and has excellent performance. I'm just not comfortable with the inevitable shaft seal failure implied by the design.

Regarding heat dump there can be no more than 120w to dissipate even if all of it went straight into the water. MuffsAbby, unless you have a very small and well insulated aquarium that shouldn't result in a 20 degree >T something is definitely wrong with your setup.

[jrpark22000]

Yes there is a shaft seal on the blowholes, a seal at either end of the rotor. The impeller attaches to the rotor in a metal housing which slides into the stator.

I was and still am completely surprised at how much heat these can put into my test rig. It is small, but wow they are a great heater.

You may just be introducing more heat than you can dissipate. Is your tank room too humid? Any way to further help evaporation?

[MuffsAbby]

Thanks so much for the replies. I should note that this system was professionally installed. I hired an aquarium installation company since I don't know the first thing about pumps and equipment, but I've been learning a lot in trying to solve this heat issue!

Originally Posted by mussel and hate

Regarding heat dump there can be no more than 120w to dissipate even if all of it went straight into the water. MuffsAbby, unless you have a very small and well insulated aquarium that shouldn't result in a 20 degree >T something is definitely wrong with your setup.

I was surprised to see this pump is rated for tanks that are only 75g to 125g, since my tank is 150g with a 40g sump...so it's not very small, although the tank is acrylic and I understand acrylic tanks hold heat more so than glass tanks. Also, at the time the temp was 88, the lids were on the tank/sump. I have since removed them, which is helping.

Originally Posted by moonpod

I'm pretty sure there was a change in the pump after the initial release because there was an issue with heat. I could swear they said they changed something after the initial release and are evaluating with the current second release

My tank was installed in July, so I'm assuming this pump is part of the "initial release", so perhaps that's part of the problem.

Originally Posted by jrpark22000

You may just be introducing more heat than you can dissipate. Is your tank room too humid? Any way to further help evaporation?

My tank is in my family room and it's not very humid. Also, I live in Canada (Toronto area) and it's pretty cold up here (we're not known for heat and humidity in October!). The tank water was 88 a few weeks ago (before I put fish in). I have since managed to bring the tank temp down to about 79/80 via a combination of things, including leaving the lids off, running cooling fans, etc. So, I've solved the heat issue for now, although I worry about more problems next summer when it does get hot/humid.

Originally Posted by jrpark22000

Call or email Reeflo, I've been working with Chris. I am also a tester on both phases of the pump.

I will contact Reeflo. I will also be contacting the company that designed/installed this system to find out why on earth they used a pump that hadn't even been fully tested (the company is not related to Reeflo).

On the plus side, I agree with the OP...the Reeflo pump is extremely quiet.

[mussel and hate]

I'm also in Toronto so we share the same climate. I have 77 Watts of pump on my 20 gallon open top tank 175W of MH 7 inches off the water. With an ambient temperature of 75F my water is 79.5F.

I think you need to keep the top open to encourage evaporation. I suspect the pump is not the main problem. Tell us about your lights.

If you need to drop the temp further you can always build a "bong cooler" for a few dollars. Cheap and very effective in the dry winter months with the added bonus of humidifying the air you breath.

[MuffsAbby]

Originally Posted by mussel and hate

I'm also in Toronto so we share the same climate. I have 77 Watts of pump on my 20 gallon open top tank 175W of MH 7 inches off the water. With an ambient temperature of 75F my water is 79.5F.

I think you need to keep the top open to encourage evaporation. I suspect the pump is not the main problem. Tell us about your lights.

If you need to drop the temp further you can always build a "bong cooler" for a few dollars. Cheap and very effective in the dry winter months with the added bonus of humidifying the air you breath.

I have taken the lids off both the top of the tank and the sump, which is helping a bit. As for the lights...they're T5 HO, but they can't be the problem, since they were never on in the first few months after the tank was installed (it was just cycling). At the time the water temp was 88 degrees, the lights had been on for about 3 hours (in the entire two-month period), which couldn't have caused such an increase. Right now, I only run the lights for a few hours in the evening when I'm home...the lights are off overnight and during the day (when I'm at work). I have four bulbs (2 white, 2 blue) and I only run the blues, never the whites.

For the past week, I have maintained my room temp at 18/19C (64/66F), kept the lids off the tank and sump, and turned the lights on (only blues) for about 4-5 hours in the evening (but left them off the rest of the day/night). Generally, the temp stays at about 79F...but that's still 15 degrees above room temp and there is no heater in my system. I check the temp regularly and if I see it start to rise above 79F, I turn on a cooling fan, which brings it back down again. I intend to install a controller to turn the cooling fan on/off as necessary, so I don't have to keep jumping up and down like a jack-in-the-box.

Right now, I don't need to bring the temp down any further, since what I'm doing is working. But, if it's not the pump, then I'm at a loss as to what is causing the water temp to be 15 degrees higher than room temp, given everything else I'm doing (no lids, lights used sparingly, etc.). Perhaps my two little clownfish are full of hot air!

[mussel and hate]

I guess it must be the pump. 120W doesn't seem like much heat for a 150 gallon aquarium to dissipate in a Canadian November. I've never owned an acrylic tank perhaps my expectations are unreasonable.