Rio 2500

When I bought my tank, I got a Rio 2500. After about 5-6 weeks it began
to lock up when the power was turned on. I could get it to work by
taking it apart and putting it back together before turning it on, but
it was unreliable. One blackout could wipe out my tank.

So, to fix this, I bought another Rio 2500 and a new impeller for the
first, and this worked well for about six weeks. Then the same thing.
Now I am running the first with the new impeller.

What is up with these things? Do they need a new impeller every month
or so?

Are these things just pieces of junk?

Is there some way to repair or modify them?

I think that most of us will agree that the best way to repair a Rio is a
three step process -

1) place rio in trash can.
2) take trash can to curb
3) wait for trash collection crew to remove offending pump from can


PaulB wrote:

When I bought my tank, I got a Rio 2500. After about 5-6 weeks it began
to lock up when the power was turned on. I could get it to work by
taking it apart and putting it back together before turning it on, but
it was unreliable. One blackout could wipe out my tank.

So, to fix this, I bought another Rio 2500 and a new impeller for the
first, and this worked well for about six weeks. Then the same thing.
Now I am running the first with the new impeller.

What is up with these things? Do they need a new impeller every month
or so?

Are these things just pieces of junk?

Is there some way to repair or modify them?

yeah ... don't unplug it or let the power go out. i've converted to all
mag-drive.

"Patty, David & Alex Town" wrote in message
...
I think that most of us will agree that the best way to repair a Rio is a
three step process -

1) place rio in trash can.
2) take trash can to curb
3) wait for trash collection crew to remove offending pump from can


PaulB wrote:

When I bought my tank, I got a Rio 2500. After about 5-6 weeks it began
to lock up when the power was turned on. I could get it to work by
taking it apart and putting it back together before turning it on, but
it was unreliable. One blackout could wipe out my tank.

So, to fix this, I bought another Rio 2500 and a new impeller for the
first, and this worked well for about six weeks. Then the same thing.
Now I am running the first with the new impeller.

What is up with these things? Do they need a new impeller every month
or so?

Are these things just pieces of junk?

Is there some way to repair or modify them?

I have heard nothing but bad things about Rio. However, my reef is now
3 1/2 years old and my Rio return pump has worked 24/7 all this time
without a lick of trouble. Even has the original impeller.
I may have been lucky but my experience has been fine.

Todd

I have heard nothing but bad things about Rio. However, my reef is now
3 1/2 years old and my Rio return pump has worked 24/7 all this time
without a lick of trouble. Even has the original impeller.
I may have been lucky but my experience has been fine.

Todd
it is true that we more often hear the bad instead of the good

I have had just as many rio's fail as I have had magdrive's fail
yet i own more rios and most of them are older, one significant difference is that when
rio's go they have a tendancy to really go, when madrives fail they just dont work and
maybee heat up the water (50% of my time anyways : )
there are also some models of the rios that fail more often than others, and in different
circumstances (wavemakers/constantly on/ off every now and then like feeding)

it would get anoying if every day i posted saying that one of my rios is still working
--
--
richard reynolds

I wonder if it is not a problem with the 2500 model. I have three
smaller Rio pumps on my skimmer, refugium and my water top off system
and they never have problems.

The Rio 2500s that I have had seem to be failing in the same way. The
impeller seems to get worn on the side towards the motor, and the only
thing I can see that could cause it is a small raised area where the
plastic was injected into the mold.

It looks as if the impeller gets too much play and jams in the housing.

Two pumps in three months is too many, I am going to try a Mag 7 next.



Todd W wrote:
I have heard nothing but bad things about Rio. However, my reef is now
3 1/2 years old and my Rio return pump has worked 24/7 all this time
without a lick of trouble. Even has the original impeller.
I may have been lucky but my experience has been fine.

Todd

"PaulB" wrote in message
...
I wonder if it is not a problem with the 2500 model. I have three
smaller Rio pumps on my skimmer, refugium and my water top off system
and they never have problems.

The Rio 2500s that I have had seem to be failing in the same way. The
impeller seems to get worn on the side towards the motor, and the only
thing I can see that could cause it is a small raised area where the
plastic was injected into the mold.

It looks as if the impeller gets too much play and jams in the housing.

Two pumps in three months is too many, I am going to try a Mag 7 next.




I actually just pulled out a Mag 7 and put the Rio 2500 back in. The Mag
was less than 2 years old and had reached the point (about a year ago) where
every time it stopped, I had to tear it apart and clean it to get it to
restart. It also seems to me that the Mags dump way too much heat into the
water. Since this is my main return pump from my sump, failure is not an
option. I just ordered an Eheim last night. My experience is that Rio 2500
and 3100 are decent pumps (for what they cost), the 1700 and 2100 seem to be
the trouble makers that have given Rio such a bad reputation. I still have
a Mag 9.5 running my skimmer after several years, and it has run pretty much
24/7 without a problem. Don't underestimate luck when it comes to pumps!

Doug

Actually I took my original Rio 2500, ground down the raised area where the
plastic was injected and it has lasted longer than it did with it's first
impeller. I think it is a quality control problem.


"jdougs" wrote in message
.. .

"PaulB" wrote in message
...
I wonder if it is not a problem with the 2500 model. I have three
smaller Rio pumps on my skimmer, refugium and my water top off system
and they never have problems.

The Rio 2500s that I have had seem to be failing in the same way. The
impeller seems to get worn on the side towards the motor, and the only
thing I can see that could cause it is a small raised area where the
plastic was injected into the mold.

It looks as if the impeller gets too much play and jams in the housing.

Two pumps in three months is too many, I am going to try a Mag 7 next.




I actually just pulled out a Mag 7 and put the Rio 2500 back in. The Mag
was less than 2 years old and had reached the point (about a year ago)
where
every time it stopped, I had to tear it apart and clean it to get it to
restart. It also seems to me that the Mags dump way too much heat into
the
water. Since this is my main return pump from my sump, failure is not an
option. I just ordered an Eheim last night. My experience is that Rio
2500
and 3100 are decent pumps (for what they cost), the 1700 and 2100 seem to
be
the trouble makers that have given Rio such a bad reputation. I still
have
a Mag 9.5 running my skimmer after several years, and it has run pretty
much
24/7 without a problem. Don't underestimate luck when it comes to pumps!

Doug

Larry W wrote:
I bought a Rio 2500 8 years ago and its still running, never been opened. I
use it to power my skimmer which is 5 ft away and 3ft high from the sump.

"PaulB" wrote in message
m...

Actually I took my original Rio 2500, ground down the raised area where

the

plastic was injected and it has lasted longer than it did with it's first
impeller. I think it is a quality control problem.


"jdougs" wrote in message
...

"PaulB" wrote in message
. com...

I wonder if it is not a problem with the 2500 model. I have three
smaller Rio pumps on my skimmer, refugium and my water top off system
and they never have problems.

The Rio 2500s that I have had seem to be failing in the same way. The
impeller seems to get worn on the side towards the motor, and the only
thing I can see that could cause it is a small raised area where the
plastic was injected into the mold.

It looks as if the impeller gets too much play and jams in the

housing.

Two pumps in three months is too many, I am going to try a Mag 7 next.




I actually just pulled out a Mag 7 and put the Rio 2500 back in. The

Mag

was less than 2 years old and had reached the point (about a year ago)

where

every time it stopped, I had to tear it apart and clean it to get it to
restart. It also seems to me that the Mags dump way too much heat into

the

water. Since this is my main return pump from my sump, failure is not

an

option. I just ordered an Eheim last night. My experience is that Rio

2500

and 3100 are decent pumps (for what they cost), the 1700 and 2100 seem

to

be

the trouble makers that have given Rio such a bad reputation. I still

have

a Mag 9.5 running my skimmer after several years, and it has run pretty

much

24/7 without a problem. Don't underestimate luck when it comes to

pumps!

Doug






I've been through a couple 2500s this year with pretty much the same
outcomes as you have mentioned. Currently using Pondmasters until Rio
sort out their quality assurance problems.

I also do not run my skimmer 24/7 I run it 12/12 which means that the 2500
gets turned on/off every 12 hours. I guess I'm just lucky.


"Gronk" wrote in message
...
Larry W wrote:
I bought a Rio 2500 8 years ago and its still running, never been
opened. I
use it to power my skimmer which is 5 ft away and 3ft high from the
sump.

"PaulB" wrote in message
m...

Actually I took my original Rio 2500, ground down the raised area where

the

plastic was injected and it has lasted longer than it did with it's
first
impeller. I think it is a quality control problem.


"jdougs" wrote in message
...

"PaulB" wrote in message
. com...

I wonder if it is not a problem with the 2500 model. I have three
smaller Rio pumps on my skimmer, refugium and my water top off system
and they never have problems.

The Rio 2500s that I have had seem to be failing in the same way. The
impeller seems to get worn on the side towards the motor, and the only
thing I can see that could cause it is a small raised area where the
plastic was injected into the mold.

It looks as if the impeller gets too much play and jams in the

housing.

Two pumps in three months is too many, I am going to try a Mag 7 next.




I actually just pulled out a Mag 7 and put the Rio 2500 back in. The

Mag

was less than 2 years old and had reached the point (about a year ago)

where

every time it stopped, I had to tear it apart and clean it to get it to
restart. It also seems to me that the Mags dump way too much heat into


the

water. Since this is my main return pump from my sump, failure is not

an

option. I just ordered an Eheim last night. My experience is that Rio

2500

and 3100 are decent pumps (for what they cost), the 1700 and 2100 seem

to

be

the trouble makers that have given Rio such a bad reputation. I still

have

a Mag 9.5 running my skimmer after several years, and it has run pretty

much

24/7 without a problem. Don't underestimate luck when it comes to

pumps!

Doug






I've been through a couple 2500s this year with pretty much the same
outcomes as you have mentioned. Currently using Pondmasters until Rio
sort out their quality assurance problems.