Let's Count the Broken RIOs

[Saltwater Steve]

I lost one too... it was a RIO 800 that came with my Remora. I am so glad that I upgraded to the Maxi-jet 1200!

Speaking of which, does anyone need a RIO 800 impeller? I definitely don't need it anymore, and it is in perfect condition (for a piece of garbage that is)... free to whoever wants it!

[Billdemart]

I have 5 Rio heads 800, 600, 600, 90, 50

Never had a problem with any of them.

[mojodeli]

I have/had a RIO 2500 that came with a used set up. I have only used it for circulating new water. It fried on me last weekend and sullied my two day old water. :-|

Not a huge deal except that my water change schedule is off by a week but I hate to think what it would have done to my tank.


That thing was smoking and it smelled terrible.

[rhiggsbear]

Boy, this thread will never die.

Well, mine are still pumping away.

[The Aquarist]

Originally posted by rhiggsbear
Boy, this thread will never die.

Well, mine are still pumping away.

There is a great reason why this thread will never die! Many of us have had the same aggrivating experience with the same wasted money situation. Wasted money isn't the only issue. The stories I have read here at RC and other websites about RIO electrical failures, sparking outlets, stray voltage, frequently failing impellers, not turning on after being temporarily unplugged or after power outages are all very similar to my RIO experiences. Fortunately, I have not had sparks yet, but I've had 7 RIOs that I can remember over the years. One crapped out on a power outage last month and the few I have left are on their way out.

I could go on and on about the problems. Check some other RIO threads and you'll get the idea. This thread will never die and hopefully, the stories will not get any worse than the RC thread about the person who came home to a burning smell and found out it was the RIO in the sump or the person who came home to see an arcing coming from near or in the tank (I don't remember exactly, but it's not important) and sparks coming from the outlet where he plugged the RIO in. That's as bad as I hope the RIO experience will ever get for the sake and safety of all of us RIO buyers. I'm out of this game!

EX RIO CLUB 2003!
To Live .... Lo Learn ... To Throw AWAY!

[Billdemart]

How funny is it that the day after I came on this thread and said all my Rio's are running fine, that my Rio600 died completely.

[captainken]

I had a rio 1200 come with my skimmer.
i never used the thing.
after all the talk about the rio im surprised that people just dont buy it and maybe the company will get the picture. it is a piece of junk from what i have read for the last 10 months.

i use a iwaki pump or a mag. for powerheads-maxijet all the way.
easy to fix and get parts for.

rio-no way
maxijet- yes more reliable.

[derrikd]

You know i heard that RIO's are bad and never bought one, allways had Maxi-jets and Mad drives.. love them....BUT i got a CPR hang on fuge this week in the mail and guess what pump it came with a RIO i hop this is one of the good ones...***fingers crossed****

[kevlouie]

you know i have been using rios for a long time, and tese are my observations:

rio 400-800 - good little pumps, last 3-8 yrs if properly mntd
rio 1200 - no exp
rio 2100-2500 - aviod they are crap
rio 3100 - seems to run well several yrs old

[The Aquarist]

Hey! Is everyone just going to let this thread fade into the data base? I know there HAS to be more of us out there with RIO pumps that fried, stopped, needed impellers, put out stray voltage, cooked the whole tank and on and on and on ......

I don't want to read any more of that "It's because people don't do their maintenance" statements either. These things fry in calcium loaded reef tanks or just Fish only tanks with no added calcium AND many of them only make it a month or less! Go over the previous 8 pages and review! Enough is Enough! Let's keep the word out for anyone who does not know the RIO experience! RIO has a new line out now! This may be starting all over!

Taam has completely ignored us and the problems they gave us. They do not reply to email complaints or recall their obviously low quality products. They continue to take the money from people who don't know the potential and likely experience that comes with that RIO purchase. After 7 RIO pumps and definitely more than 7 impeller replacements and after my own experiences with failed RIO pumps, one tank wipe out and stray RIO voltage, I say keep this thread alive!

[looser]

I'm with you. Screw Rio. They've certainly screwed me! Any lawyers out there? How about a class action law suite? No joke.

[Sallylightfoot]

Every time I would unplug or lose power even for a sec it would not restart. Not a good thing if you are not home. Will not ever own another!!!!!!!!

[montepora]

Rio- 4 (2100, 2500, 3100, 4100) All the problems started after cleaning. Got electricuted a few times too.

MagDrive-1 (Model 24) Called but was told nothing they could do about the ceremic housing.

Maxijet-0

Rio
MIT

[medicine]

2 rio 800's in about 2 months time...
DIE RIO DIE

[sumpinhabitant]

lost a 3100 and a 1700 in the last 90 days

[Sharpy]

I can't believe this company is still in business...how do they get away with selling such JUNK???

[Big_Don]

1 RIO Electrifying the water
0 others with problems

Got to love the Mag Drives!

Lara

[dave2184]

My first pump was a rio 2100 for my sump pluged it in and after about 5 minutes POW!! it took out my surge protector and burnt some of my power cords and the laminate tile in my kitchen my sand hadn't even had a chance to settle

[mikrok]

i unplugged mine b4 they had a chance to die

[Oimate84]

Rio=1
Cap=1
Other=0

Had a Rio 2500 explode in the sump

[The Aquarist]

Originally posted by looser
I'm with you. Screw Rio. They've certainly screwed me! Any lawyers out there? How about a class action law suite? No joke.

I'm sure many of us agree with the idea, but we were lucky. We learned and threw away our evidence (case) before getting a fatal or major injury jolt or losing property. We would also need an official documenting of the event, such as a fireman confirming the event and pointing to Rio as the cause.

The best we can do is keep the information out there and stay on the lookout for Rio under a different name and possibly file a complaint with the California Better Business Bureau. As far as I know, that's where Taam is based.

[rockclimber057]

I had a rio 800 on my protein skimmer in the sump and when I would touch the top of my display tank I would get shocked. I would unplug it and the problem would go away. I purchased a new one from a lfs and when I got it home and took it apart the impellar had definetly been used. It was all covered in muck. I cleaned it up but the dang thing still needs a kick start to get going after has been unplugged for a skimmer cleaning.
dave

[Finious]

Both of my 1700's have problems starting up after they are turned off. One is dead now and the other I am scared to turn off.

[Mr. 6]

rio 3100-trashed....electric current leak into tank.....for a fun time stick your hand into a tank with some electrical current in it.....great time...

[kevlouie]

What about the little ones? I have 2, a 400 and a 600 that have been running for 7+ years. The big ones are crap.