Are the new Rio pumps bad too?

[Wiskey]

I have a skimmer that uses a old style (not UL listed) Rio 1700 W/ a needle wheel impeller, I like the skimmer, but the oil spill chance makes me loose sleep. I would like to replace it with the new style Rio and use my needle-wheel impeller on it to avoid this chance, but:

Do the new UL listed Rio's still have this problem? When they fail do they also dump oil in your tank, or electrocute you? Do they have any other problems?

Thanks,
Whiskey

[The Grim Reefer]

The "oil spill" stories are just that. There is no oil in the pumps. I cut one in half to see that for myself. I know of a couple people that were shocked by older Rio pumps when the power cord seal broke. Getting the UL listed pump probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

[IsaaX]

Just to make you feel better, I've been using a 1700 as a return on my 40g for 6 yrs now and is still running strong. It's not the UL listed one either. I wouldn't drag the pump by the cord just to be on the safe side. On my new 90g I'm using a 2100+ which is UL listed.

[Wiskey]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
The "oil spill" stories are just that. There is no oil in the pumps. I cut one in half to see that for myself. I know of a couple people that were shocked by older Rio pumps when the power cord seal broke. Getting the UL listed pump probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

Interesting, I've seen hundeds of reports of these pumps creating an oil slick on people's tanks when they fail, I just figured they did. I myself had a old Rio 2500 blow up on me, it didn't make a oil slick, but it did get the tank 6 deg hotter in 2 hours.

Thanks for your input,
Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally posted by IsaaX
Just to make you feel better, I've been using a 1700 as a return on my 40g for 6 yrs now and is still running strong. It's not the UL listed one either. I wouldn't drag the pump by the cord just to be on the safe side. On my new 90g I'm using a 2100+ which is UL listed.

I have a friend who has been using Rio pumps forever two, he thinks I am crazy for being afraid of this one, but frankly I have so many nice corals, and things are finally working for me, I just didn't want to come home to an oil slick and a bunch of RTN.

Thanks for chiming in!
Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Huh, I thought I would get more replys on this topic,... but my course is clear, I will replace my Rio 1700 W/ a UL listed one, and not worry about it. This is good because I really didn't want to try and figure out how to attach a sedra or Ocean Runner 2700 to this thing.

Thanks guys,
Whiskey

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Wiskey
Interesting, I've seen hundeds of reports of these pumps creating an oil slick on people's tanks when they fail, I just figured they did. I myself had a old Rio 2500 blow up on me, it didn't make a oil slick, but it did get the tank 6 deg hotter in 2 hours.

Thanks for your input,
Whiskey

If a 10th of the stories were true TAAM would have been sued out of existance. When you mix electricity and water bad things can happen. People have been shocked by Rio pumps but they have been shocked by mag drives and eheims too so i dont discount that.

I am sure at some point a Rio melted down and put what looked like a oil slick in someones tank. The thing is I can think of a few threads where people have claimed a Rio killed their tank. When asked they were too mad to contact the manufacturer, was too busy cleaning up the mess to call the manufacturer or already threw the damn pump away so it didn't matter. I don't know about you but if a pump or whatever fails and kills my tank I am not wasting any time *****ing about it on line, I am taking pictures and contacting the manufacturer about replacing my stuff.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Wiskey
Huh, I thought I would get more replys on this topic,... but my course is clear, I will replace my Rio 1700 W/ a UL listed one, and not worry about it. This is good because I really didn't want to try and figure out how to attach a sedra or Ocean Runner 2700 to this thing.

Thanks guys,
Whiskey

You might try posting a new thread about your particular model of skimmer and ask if others have fitted a different pump to it. I don't want to come off like a cheerleader for Rio. If you will feel more comfortable with a different pump you should at least see if it is possible.

[Wiskey]

I bought this sump for $3 and it had a built in skimmer. The body style and operation is very close to a G3 though, and after putting a needle wheel impeller on the pump, I really started getting some great skim out of it.

I can't be sure, but I think it started life as a old CPR wet-dry, the biggest one. Anyway I doubt anyone seriously uses one of these things.

The body style of this skimmer is really good. The water comes in, down the bottom of the skimmer inside a pipe and hits a cone and heads back up. The water drains from the complete bottom through holes in the bottom plate and you adjust the water level with a movable baffle in the sump itself. It has a 6 or 8 inch diameter body, ~26 inches tall, and all the overflow water goes into the skimmer compartment first before passing onto the sump part.

The problems when I got it were many, but after sealing the cup to the body properly, using a needle-wheel pump, and fixing a crack in the down-pipe I can get a full cup a day of nice stinky stuff out of it no problem. (heck I can get a cup/second if I move that baffle up )

I am not as worried about using an unreliable pump as I am about what happens when it breaks. These pumps are cheap enough that I will likely pick up 2 just to have a backup, but if they are prone to oil spills then No dice.

I hear you about getting a hold of the MFG, if it did happen to me I would be on that phone in a second.

Thanks for your help,
Whiskey

[goreefer]

I have used many Rio 600 and 800 pumps. I also started a thread asking what to use instead of the rio's, but none of the people that previously slammed the Rio's came back with a replacement. I have never had a Rio completly blow up or fail, but then I do regular maintenence on them.
I'm sticking with my Rio's.
They work, are reasonably priced, and seem to be reliable.

[Wiskey]

Thanks for the input Gorefer.

Whiskey

[sjm817]

I dont know. It seems there are weekly threads of tanks getting nuked by RIO's. I dont know if the new ones are any better, but I wouldn't keep an old one in the tank.

Too many threads like this one for me to use them. They dont leak oil, but when they fry, they seem to leach something into the water that is really bad.

[beetle-b]

I don't understand it either, Since I entered the hobby I have heard nothing but bad of Rios. However they are the only power heads I have used and all of my friends have used. Total problems between all of us after 5+ years of experience, zero.

[xtm]

whoa where to start... my tank was NUKED by Rio three weeks ago. Oh yeah.... Everything died. One lone survivor was an 8-inch long Derasa clam but it just withered and died anyways 3 days ago. I am not a newbie with reefing either and I'm 110% that pump was installed properly. I used it as a chiller pump for ONE DAY.

You know what's funny? The day before this happened, I just spent $2K worth of equipments because I want all equipments to be STABLE and HASSLE-FREE...Tunze Multicontroller, Reactors, all pumps upgraded to Mag-Drives, new Halides... for some reason I thought about using that spare $19.95 Rio as a chiller pump temporarily which is a HUGE mistake



There is not an oil thing, but more like a dirty tar thing that nuked $1+K / 3+yrs worth of inhabitants


all my SPS, LPS, even the GSP's crawling on the sidewall.. all dead.
The SPS's bleached when the temp shot through 90'


DO NOT USE A RIO PUMP. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. You have been warned.

[tacocat]

I would find a suitable replacement like an Oceanrunner. My buddy's RIO 1400 nuked a tank. I can't find the thread on his site since it was back in 2004. Here's a pic though.



It left the "oil slick" stuff in his tank. It's not oil, but we believe it to be melted plastic residue.

[xtm]

Originally posted by goreefer
I have used many Rio 600 and 800 pumps. I also started a thread asking what to use instead of the rio's, but none of the people that previously slammed the Rio's came back with a replacement. I have never had a Rio completly blow up or fail, but then I do regular maintenence on them.
I'm sticking with my Rio's.
They work, are reasonably priced, and seem to be reliable.

I would have replied had I seen that thread. At the earliest possible moment, calmly disconnect those Rios, gather them up and neatly place them in a garbage can. Head to your local LFS and get a Mag-Drive. Little more money but you can sleep at night.

Do yourself a favor and replace them. NOW.

[xtm]

Originally posted by Wiskey
I have a skimmer that uses a old style (not UL listed) Rio 1700 W/ a needle wheel impeller, I like the skimmer, but the oil spill chance makes me loose sleep. I would like to replace it with the new style Rio and use my needle-wheel impeller on it to avoid this chance, but:

Do the new UL listed Rio's still have this problem? When they fail do they also dump oil in your tank, or electrocute you? Do they have any other problems?

Thanks,
Whiskey

To answer your question, I would suggest a Sedra pump.. I have one on my bak-pak and it's awesome. (2500 series) The venturi valve is easy to attach.

I was at my LFS the other day and the salesguy tried extremely hard to convince this young kid to buy the "new" Rio. He explained how the new Rios have a different drive system, etc etc

A new Rio is still a Rio. I'd pass!

[Cody Ray]

Also had a rio explode in my system a couple years ago.

[jstraka1]

Replace it with an OceanRunner 2700 needle wheel pump, you will be amazed at the difference.

[The Grim Reefer]

I see two great pictures of pumps that obviously had some kind of a short in them. What did the manufacturer say?

[tacocat]

It's not my pump, so I can't say. If it were my pump, I wouldn't bother calling. The most they would do is apologize and send you a free pump. A replacement pump would have been the last thing I wanted.

[The Grim Reefer]

I really don't get that attitude, I guess that is why I have been sceptical of a lot of stories. If my tank gets murdered by a malfunction like that I am going to hound the company through the gates of hell. You can't lay a meltdown like that on poor maintanance of the pump, it flat out failed.

[Wiskey]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Those are some nasty looking rio's, that's exactly what my old Rio 2500 did in fact, but I guess I caught it before it leaked anything, it got amazingly hot for being under water though, brought my tank temp way up.

Are they the New Rio's (HF) or the old ones?

I have never used a Sedra, or seen one for sale, but I will look. I do however use a OceanRunner 2700 on my other skimmer (turbofloater). It is a great pump to be sure, but it will not be easy to hook up to this skimmer. The pump literally hangs off the side of the skimmer by it's output nozzle in this thing. OceanRunners use metric pipe, so it could not hang off of this way, plus they are big and heavy so it would not fit in the skimmer section.

Thanks,
Whiskey

(edit for spelling )

[tacocat]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
I really don't get that attitude, I guess that is why I have been sceptical of a lot of stories. If my tank gets murdered by a malfunction like that I am going to hound the company through the gates of hell. You can't lay a meltdown like that on poor maintanance of the pump, it flat out failed.

It's not an attitude, it's the realization of legal liability. They are not legally responsible for the damage incurred by the use of their product. No manufacturer is. There is very little consumer protection from the damage resulting from failed aquarium products. All they are legally responsible for is a replacement product of equal or lesser value.

If they send you a replacement product and you keep hounding them, they could conceivably take legal action.

[The Grim Reefer]

You should be able to find the Sedra pump through places that sell AMS and Euroreef Skimmers.