Let's Count the Broken RIOs

[tankslave]

4 Rios
0 Maxi's
Threw them all away for an Iwaki that is well on its way to live longer than me...

[ShipMate]

3 of 3 failed including 2x600, one of which electrocuted me. A 2500 just seized would not restart after less then 10 uses. All reefers: Please stay away from those.

My1200 MJ has been running 2 years, cleaned it once. I also have an 800 on a Bakpak skimmer, no problems.

[midnightmadman]

Do any of the "electrocuter" victims have GFI outlets?

[NorthernCF]

For me. I did not at the time.

[spankerbob]

2 bad rio's here
1 bad via aqua

the rio's are cheap ya get what ya pay fer

[mopecula]

I use rio 1700, 2100, hp+2500 for 2, seio 620 for 2, and I have only had one problem whic was that the magnet on the rio hp+2500 broke but I ordered a new one and found that they changed the design of the impeller magnet to correct this issue. I always turn off the pumps for water changes on a biweekly basis and they alwas start for me. I do clean my pumps every two-three months. i find if the pumps go dry the will tend to not start again if they have calcium deposits on them. I also have maxi jets and they do lock up if i do not clean them on a regular basis due to the calcium deposits locking up the impellers on the magnets.
just my experience for a year and a half. also i have gfci and a ground probe to help protect me and the tank inhabitants in case a pump or something does go wacky.

[Krustylove]

You know what RIO stands for right? Replace in one Year. And that’s why I have to buy Rios-cause I can't make acronyms on account of never finishing college-and cant' afford a Tunz....I do like my Maxi jets. RIO are disposable-but I cringe when I see them on customers tanks cause that means they are going to call me on the weekend or when I am on vacation to let me know the water stopped moving in the fish tank and is now moving down the hall!!! I use the old impellers as refrigerator magnets just after I smash them to bits in my back alley in sheer frustration at what "made in China" crap they really are. I counted 7 on my refrigerator but haven't saved them in years since I stared replacing all my customers tanks with Mag drives (and the anger management helped too J.K.)

[kass03]

I had 1 rio blow up in my 150 gal. and there was black gunk all over the tank. Surprisingly nothing died.
I also had a mag 7 burn up but it just stopped working.

kass

[Katana_user]

5 Rio's over a 10 year period. Zero failures.

[Jamesurq]

I ran a rio 800 on my skimmer for about 2 years. Then one day it just stopped working. So I replaced it. About a year later, the new one shorted out and tripped the GFCI - while the tank was left unattended for 3 days...

COMPLETE LOSS...

I've had 4 maxijets that I bought at the same time as the FIRST rio that have basically pumped 24 hours a day for most of those 4 years - and they're still fine...

NEVER AGAIN. I'd love to get a seio - but I won't, out of fear.

[bpd964]

I read these forums so I never had a rio.

My mag's, hagen's and my MJ1200 still going..

[Ehydo]

Year 2 on a used Rio 2500 running 24 hours a day.

How often do you clean your rio?

[69vette]

Originally posted by Jamesurq
I ran a rio 800 on my skimmer for about 2 years. Then one day it just stopped working. So I replaced it. About a year later, the new one shorted out and tripped the GFCI - while the tank was left unattended for 3 days...

COMPLETE LOSS...

Are you saying that you lost the whole tank because your skimmer wasn't running for 3 days?

[floridareefs]

Originally posted by melev


Unfortunatley Melev, that could happen with your current pumps. I have had both 2100 and 2500 rnning for a long time with no problems. I also live in florida and the power outages are a major nuisance. It hasnt bothered this pumps at all from flicker to brown outs.



Exactly. If you have a 2100 or 2500, you have a ticking time bomb in your hands. Listen, I've read enough horror stories both here and on rec.aquaria.marine.reefs that I don't have to wait to see it happen to my tank. I only use those Rio pumps to mix my saltwater. If it explodes and nukes in that resevoir, I'm only out 55g of saltwater. If it was in my system, I'd be out all of my livestock.

Use it where it won't cause harm, or toss it.

[floridareefs]

Originally posted by kass03
I had 1 rio blow up in my 150 gal. and there was black gunk all over the tank. Surprisingly nothing died.
I also had a mag 7 burn up but it just stopped working.

kass

Thats my piont-- mags break too. Don't be fooled into thinking that all pumps are everlasting. Its like anything else you buy, take care of it and it will last. I personally dont leave my tank for more than 6-8 hours. When I just went to vegas, a family member stayed at the house to tend to my tanks.

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by Jamesurq
I ran a rio 800 on my skimmer for about 2 years. Then one day it just stopped working. So I replaced it. About a year later, the new one shorted out and tripped the GFCI - while the tank was left unattended for 3 days...

COMPLETE LOSS...

I've had 4 maxijets that I bought at the same time as the FIRST rio that have basically pumped 24 hours a day for most of those 4 years - and they're still fine...

NEVER AGAIN. I'd love to get a seio - but I won't, out of fear.

SEPERATE BREAKER FOR MAIN PUMP AND POWERHEADS.

My best advice. A different one for the lights too.

[Jamesurq]

Originally posted by 69vette
Are you saying that you lost the whole tank because your skimmer wasn't running for 3 days?

Power went out - therefore, lighting and circulation went out.

Originally posted by Ehydo
SEPERATE BREAKER FOR MAIN PUMP AND POWERHEADS.

My best advice. A different one for the lights too.

Yeah - hindsight. The system was set up temporarily at someone elses house. The new system is on 4 circuits.

1 for main circulation
1 for lighting
1 for closed loop
1 for everything else (reactor/autotopoff/heaters, etc)

[Mikeeal]

I just read this entire thread, currently running two 2100+'s on small submerged closed loops, only for about two weeks now. A couple of people asked about whether or not the ones that burned were UL listed or not...mine are, and I was wondering if that makes a difference.

Either way, I am QUITE spooked right now.

[The Grim Reefer]

Older Rio pump had some issues with the power cord being able to pull away from the housing if it was handled roughly. That is probably the source of the burned up pump stories. The newer pumps supposedly have the cord more firmly attatched to prevent that.

[coralnut99]

Three years ago I threw away the last of 8........count them 8 Rio 1700's - 2100's. I spent a lot of money switching to Magdrives and Maxijets. Not one failure in the past 3 years. Not one out of 7 magdrives and many maxijets. And I run the Maxijets on 1/2 hour interval timers.

I just bought 2 Seio's simply because I don't have the time to DIY a maxijet stream, and I don't have the stomach to pay for Tunze's. I was hoping I didn't buy an old Rio In a Seio shell.

Well, for me these motors haven't changed a bit. If you stop them for any reason at all; maintenance, move the plug, move the pump, etc. They will not restart on their own. I have to pull it out of the water and shake it. When it wouldn't restart the first time, and I made the mistake of starting to pull it out of the water before unplugging it, It made quite a mess when it restarted as soon as it came out of the water.

Same poor quality product with a fancy impeller.

Once bitten, twice a fool I guess.

I could never, in good conscience recommend a Rio product to anyone on the basis of reliability. For me they've been as close to a complete failure as you can get. And with the number of failures I incurred, you can't call it an isolated instance. Just poor quality.

[midnightmadman]

I have called and left 3 messages to the company about mine locking up......they NEVER called back yet.

[coralnut99]

TA-Designs, that's why there's so many of us venting in this forum. The cheap price sucks people in.

[nano10]

You know i got jumped all over when i post on here that Joe's Juice was worthless becuase it doesn't kill them and that they spread everywhere and the problem becomes worse. people told me that it could cause people to stop buying the product. I have used RIO in the past my roomate has used RIO in the past. they have never dead melted cought fire never not once. but i have had two other pump fail on me and bought RIO to replace them. Still running

[midnightmadman]

nano what are you talking about?

[69vette]

Not all Rio's had problems. I think it was the 1700, 2100 and 2500's. I have a half dozen smaller ones that have been working perfectly for close to 10 years.