Sick and Tired of Waveline pumps [Archive] - Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board

daplatapus

11-08-2015, 11:39 PM

Ok, so long story short I've gone through 3 controllers on my Waveline 12000's. 1st gen controllers were awesome! But they burned out their poorly designed cooler fans, thus in turn burn't out the controllers.
2nd Gen controllers = very poor pump performance (at least on high head applications)
3rd Gen - no change from 2nd gen (at least the ones I got)

I have to say, there is a definite, audible difference in RPM from my 1st Gen to the other two, so it seems like it allows the impeller to ramp up further.

Now I hear there is another gen that is Apex ready.

My question (because it appears RLSS customer service doesn't like it when you keep asking them why their products suck):
Does anyone know if these pumps are PWM controlled or how to test if they are?

How can I mod something to drive these pumps?

FishyFishy!

11-09-2015, 01:33 AM

Yup! Feel your pain. I scrapped both my 10,000's and went back to the tried and true mag drives.

The DC's are great pumps for a while, but unless you fork out huge cash for the big name brands, they will just end up in the garbage.

Myka

11-09-2015, 01:48 AM

What happens when the controller dies? It doesn't have variable speed or it doesn't work at all?

The Codfather

11-09-2015, 01:58 AM

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=96980

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 01:03 PM

Myka, when the controller dies, everything dies :(
Fishy,Fishy: I was under the impression (when they first came out) that Waveline were the top of the line. These are definitely NOT Jabeo pumps.

Codfather:You are my hero! Has it been working well? Mind if I pick your brain a bit? My boards are way different than yours, but I don't mind poking about a bit to figure out what's going inside. Unfortunately my boards are also not as nicely identifying what wires are doing what. Here's a pic of the latest gen board:

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2005.53.42_zpsi3ilgzq8.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2005.53.42_zpsi3ilgzq8.jpg.html)

The wires in the top left are what's coming from the AC/DC Meanwell power supply. The black, White and green wires are headed to the pump. I tried metering them out with my voltmeter but the readings were haywire, constantly moving all over the place. Any idea's?

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 01:21 PM

This is the power supply they're using:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2006.09.17_zps3xasxugs.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2006.09.17_zps3xasxugs.jpg.html)

Myka

11-09-2015, 01:30 PM

Myka, when the controller dies, everything dies :(
Fishy,Fishy: I was under the impression (when they first came out) that Waveline were the top of the line. These are definitely NOT Jabeo pumps.

Well that's lame. I didn't read all that other thread. Wouldn't there be a fairly easy way to just go around the controller and use it as an on/off pump? Or, could you buy a controller from a different pump (they have replacements I think for other brands, don't they?) and integrate it?

Everyone thought the Waveline pumps were top of the line until the big players released DC pumps that were in the $500+ range and we realized that the Waveline is a cheaper model (and performs as such). Not as cheap as the Jebao, but it may as well be with all the failures.

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 01:50 PM

Ya, what's weird is with the 1st generation controller I got with the pump, I was probably pushing over 1000 gph. According to the factory charts I should be able to push over 1300 gph at 12' of head, so I figured it was probably close.
A friend had their's running far earlier than mine, but it fried the controller because of poor cooling design. RLSS sent us all new controllers even though I hadn't even run mine yet. My friend ultimately shut their tank down and got out of having a tank because of the damage everything caused - but that's a whole other story....
So I finally have mine up and running and since I still had old controllers, I decided to run them side by side with the new controller to see the difference when I filled up my 210. I'm running 2 separate returns that run side by side so the comparison should be spot on. Well the new controller I bet doesn't put any more than a few hundred gph. It totally sucks compared to the old controller.

I would TOTALLY be open to running it wide open with no control. With the head pressure I'm running at I need all I can get. I just need to figure out how to make that happen without burning up the pump :)

FishyFishy!

11-09-2015, 02:29 PM

Fishy,Fishy: I was under the impression (when they first came out) that Waveline were the top of the line. These are definitely NOT Jabeo pumps.

I was talking for like red dragon, abyss, ecotec etc. As far as top of the line.

I had to run a powersource similar to that one, but due to the moisture in the fish room, it too eventually died.

mike31154

11-09-2015, 05:00 PM

My question (because it appears RLSS customer service doesn't like it when you keep asking them why their products suck):
Does anyone know if these pumps are PWM controlled or how to test if they are?
How can I mod something to drive these pumps?

Only way to chase a signal such as PWM is with an oscilloscope. Costly piece of gear, although these days there are dongle options available that work with a PC. Aside from the controller, it's good to know more about the pump motor as well. Is it a brushless PMG DC motor, any additional circuitry in the motor or pump housing?

Scythanith

11-09-2015, 06:59 PM

Buy an Abyzz or RD pump. Done.

Ron99

11-09-2015, 07:34 PM

The Wavelike pumps are, as far as I know, Jebao motor blocks with their own controller.

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 10:47 PM

Buy an Abyzz or RD pump. Done.

eek! The one I'd need is $1300... and I'd need 2 :eek:

The Wavelike pumps are, as far as I know, Jebao motor blocks with their own controller.

That could very well be. I actually have no problems with the pumps. For some reason it's the controllers. I'm just going to find a way to run these and turf these crappy controllers. I have 3 DC12000's that have got probably less than a few months running time combined!

Aquattro

11-09-2015, 10:53 PM

I would TOTALLY be open to running it wide open with no control. With the head pressure I'm running at I need all I can get.

Why not just run a regular pump? I don't get the variable control thing if you're going to run it wide open anyway?

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 10:55 PM

My biggest selling point on the DC pumps is vibration. No matter how much I isolated my Reeflo Barracuda or my Laguna pond pump, you hear it vibrate through the floor. With the DC pumps, they are DEAD silent. No vibration what-so-ever

And as hard as it is to conceive... that tiny little DC12000 (when the controller was working as it should) pushed as much water as the Reefflo Barracuda

xenon

11-09-2015, 11:00 PM

daplatapus

11-09-2015, 11:01 PM

I setup an EcoTech Vectra L1 pump on our new invert system and the amount of water it flows is so impressive. I am feeding 8 tanks and its set @ 40%!!!

If you can wait, apparently they will be available for sale in Canada in February.

What are they like with head pressure though, that's the killer for me. Probably somewhere between 12-14' of head.

EDIT: just checked it out - probably just shy of 1000 gph....

xenon

11-09-2015, 11:11 PM

What are they like with head pressure though, that's the killer for me. Probably somewhere between 12-14' of head.

The output of this pump is 1" but I used a 1" to 1.5" bushing to convert it to 1.5" and its pumping water up a 1.5" line 6' into a manifold that T's off 9 times (8 tanks + external skimmer). Each tank has two 90 degree elbows before the water hits the tank. That is a ton of head pressure if you ask me.

Each tank has baffles so that I can separate the shrimp/crabs/snails/etc so its a flow through design. The bottleneck of my system is the 1/4" teeth in the baffles. The drains can handle more flow but the teeth can only handle so much.

Scythanith

11-10-2015, 12:27 AM

eek! The one I'd need is $1300... and I'd need 2 :eek:

Don't be a baby :)

daplatapus

11-10-2015, 02:21 AM

Don't be a baby :)

Lol. Usually when I'm spending that kind of dough it's for my shop :)

daplatapus

11-10-2015, 02:39 AM

So for those who've asked questions and/or offered to help me out with this little project here's everything I'm dealing with:

1st Gen controller:

Front

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.27.09_zpsomrrxese.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.27.09_zpsomrrxese.jpg.html)

Back:

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.27.15_zpsdpvuxfyk.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.27.15_zpsdpvuxfyk.jpg.html)

Guts/Innards

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.28.52_zpsgfzcydkm.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.28.52_zpsgfzcydkm.jpg.html)

daplatapus

11-10-2015, 02:40 AM

2nd Gen controller:

Front

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.30.51_zpsgnm7e0tw.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.30.51_zpsgnm7e0tw.jpg.html)

back

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.30.57_zpsucyjauq9.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.30.57_zpsucyjauq9.jpg.html)

Guts/Innards

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2005.53.42_zpsi3ilgzq8.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2005.53.42_zpsi3ilgzq8.jpg.html)

daplatapus

11-10-2015, 02:42 AM

mike31154

11-10-2015, 03:27 AM

You already have the MW power supply rated at 24 VDC, 8.8 amps. That's roughly 211 watts. The photo you posted of the pump specs shows a max of 170 watts. Have you tried hooking the power supply directly to the pump? Should work if you wish to run it at full speed. Just need to confirm polarity of the leads. The 3rd wire is no doubt feedback to the controller & not needed if running at full bore without control circuitry.

If you're handy with a soldering iron & really liked the way the 1st gen controller worked, try replacing the electrolytic capacitors on the board, the firecracker cans. Quite often these fail & render the rest of the electronics useless. Sometimes you can see the failure in the form of bulging at the top of the can. Many an expensive electronic component has been trashed due to failure of a few cheap capacitors in the power supply. They're only a few $$s each & worth a try to see if it will resurrect the original controller.

daplatapus

11-10-2015, 03:16 PM

You already have the MW power supply rated at 24 VDC, 8.8 amps. That's roughly 211 watts. The photo you posted of the pump specs shows a max of 170 watts. Have you tried hooking the power supply directly to the pump? Should work if you wish to run it at full speed. Just need to confirm polarity of the leads. The 3rd wire is no doubt feedback to the controller & not needed if running at full bore without control circuitry.

Hey Mike, is there a way to figure out what the polarity is without damaging either the pump or power supply? Can I just plug 2 wires coming from the power supply to the different combinations possible and see which 2 work? Are the only 3 things that will happen be 1) the pump run backwards if the polarity is crossed, 2) not run at all or 3) run properly?

Or can I smoke something by just trial and error?

RDNanoGuy

11-10-2015, 06:29 PM

You can't run a dc pump directly off a regular power supply. The controller actually switches the coils in the pump on and off very rapidly in a pattern to get the magnet in the middle to spin. Without the controller the motor will make about half a revolution and stop. It is more like an a/c motor in that respect.

mike31154

11-12-2015, 03:45 PM

I wouldn't recommend a trial & error method of determining polarity for a motor. Not likely that anything bad would happen with 24 volts, but not worth the chance really. Try to determine polarity with your multimeter. As mentioned earlier, if the signal from the controller is some sort of pwm or pulse, an oscilloscope is the best way to detect that, but the multimeter should react by jumping off zero. If you have an old analog multimeter, you may be able to see the needle move. It will either jump in a positive direction or try to hit the stop at the left of the meter display.

I asked in an earlier post if you could determine whether the motor is a PMG (permanent magnet) DC motor. If it is, it should run on straight DC voltage no problem, this is how all the little 12vdc cooling fan motors work. The coil circuitry design of a PMG DC motor is such that the voltage is switched internally to keep the rotor moving. However, on a low cost product such as the Wavelines, it will be next to impossible to find out more details on the design. Even more established companies producing higher cost hardware are unlikely to be very free with their design information. Best of luck with this endeavour!

Waveline

11-17-2015, 08:48 PM

Please do not wire the power supply to the pump directly!

Send us your serial number and we will warranty the pump.
email: daniel@rlss.ca

THE WAVELINE PUMP CANNOT BE WIRED DIRECTLY TO A POWER SUPPLY AND BY PASS THE CONTROLLER. THE DRIVER IS IN THE CONTROLLER AND YOU CANNOT BY PASS THE DRIVER. IN ADDITION THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE IS IN THE CONTROLLER, WITHOUT THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE NOTHING WILL WORK.

Myka

11-18-2015, 03:40 AM

Will you warranty pumps that are two years old like this?

byee

11-18-2015, 05:52 AM

I was considering a Waveline DC pump for my cube.

Suggestions on an alternate brand? Reef Octopus?

Waveline

11-23-2015, 05:49 PM

RLSS and Waveline have a 1 year warranty. We do stock all parts to repair your waveline pumps.

fixerupper

12-02-2015, 12:45 AM

I truly sympathize with the original poster.

My story:
Back in 2013 I tried the DC3000 on my 40g cube and loved it so much I switched almost all of my pumps over to Waveline DC. Well, so much for being an 'early adopter'.

2xDC3000 shot just out of warranty.
2xDC5000 shot (one on my RLSS 8i Skimmer and one on my return) again, just out of warranty. Both of these were running only at no greater than 50% power and were cleaned every 2-3 of months. That's why I had 2 for each application. It made the maintenance schedule that much easier.
They started to shut down one by one. Impellers spin for a few seconds but won't stay running. Controllers are fine. It's the same for all of them.

I tried to contact Nick at Reef Supply Canada but he shut down his business. So then I emailed RLSS; about a year ago now. Never a response.
I gave RLSS another chance and sent an email 10 days ago with a follow up 3 days later...again, not-a-word-back!

I have no idea if I just need new impellers, other parts or if I'm just SOL.
With that kind of support (none!) who would be willing to throw more money at a brand with such poor reliability? I was seriously thinking of trying the newest generation with the problems (supposedly) addressed but I'd sure feel foolish if history repeated itself.

Every day I stare at my expensive skimmer just sitting in the corner of the fish room. It's a harsh reminder. Hopefully when my 3D printer arrives I can make a part to adapt a more reliable pump into the skimmer.

Sigh

FishyFishy!

12-02-2015, 12:53 AM

Yup. I have many emails into them as well. Mine were both a long time ago, and recently just to see if they would sell me new controllers and power supplies. Seems like business is just too busy over there ;-)

byee

12-02-2015, 04:04 AM

Thanks for the valuable information. I'll stick with the regular mainstream pumps for now.

Perhaps Waveline will reply to both your emails since he's clearly stated spare parts are available.

_Adrian_

12-03-2015, 02:55 AM

Pump. Connector from controller has 3 pins

front

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.32.44_zpsytlo38me.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.32.44_zpsytlo38me.jpg.html)

back

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2015-11-09%2019.32.53_zps5hyymilu.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/daplatapus/media/2015-11-09%2019.32.53_zps5hyymilu.jpg.html)

sorry, no gut shots of the pump. I can get at the impeller but thats it. Pretty sure it'll all be encased in epoxy inside anyway...

Ill buy those off you if you have given up on them :)

I have a project on the horizon that involves DUAL high current BLDC controller with integrated I2C control :)

I understand the need of these manufacturers to "compact" these units to make it easier to hide, however my issue is with lack of cooling which in the end reduces overall life of the unit. My idea always been over engineer it and make sure that the unit can drive 5 to 10 times its normal workload.

Would you not pay more money to know your never have to upgrade another controller ??

daplatapus

12-03-2015, 05:00 AM

Lol, I haven't given up on the pump yet. I love the pumps. I love the original controller. But poor cooling, fan and bearing designs on the controller resulted in burnt out controllers.
I really want to know what the heck the difference is in the gen1 controllers and any of the next gens. I still have a brand new controller (gen1) and it easily pushes probably 1000 gph at 12' of head. Switch to the other controller...less than 2-300 gph. It's completely gutless. I've had one of the guys from Waveline tell me maybe the magnet has de-magnetized, they sent me new impellers.
For some reason no one over there believes me that it is 100% the controller.

_Adrian_

12-04-2015, 04:16 AM

My plan is to use an integrated H bridge from ST.
It's the only simple alternative that supports 30A continuous duty at 600V for a sensor less BLDC application. The motor might be rated at 170W and 24V... with a bit of quick math 170/24=7.03A is actual draw.

Now to actually further get into engineering we still don't know whatever its a Wye or Delta configuration of the windings inside the motor.

fixerupper

12-10-2015, 02:52 AM

Well, it was a nice thought.
A week since my post. Several weeks since my email.
Over a year since my initial request for assistance.
Still-not-one-peep.

I think we have pretty well established what to expect from the service side.

Thanks for the valuable information. I'll stick with the regular mainstream pumps for now.

Perhaps Waveline will reply to both your emails since he's clearly stated spare parts are available.

byee

12-14-2015, 01:46 AM

FishyFishy!

12-14-2015, 02:50 AM

I was expecting WAVELINE daniel@rlss.ca to reply publicly on the forum or privately with daplatapus.

I was under the impression Daniel trolls the forums to help build the image of the company and not the opposite!

Perhaps the lack of response will have a negative impact on sales. I did consider a Waveline to replace my Ehiem. I'll definitely replace my return pump with another Ehiem.

Life's just too short to get frustrated with the lack of or simply NO support from Waveline.

Yup. Terribly unreliable product. Terrible customer service and zero support. Hopefully they go belly up.

How sad is it that we get better customer service from their Chinese competitors accross the world! Fish street will get back to you asap and usually send you out replacement parts for the cost of shipping. Buy a Canadian pump on our own soil, and even if I wanted to, I cant even get a replacement part from them.

Terribly sad.

_Adrian_

12-14-2015, 04:34 AM

This is the reason why I opt to do my own research and product comparison. I'm not here to bash anyone's product, BUT I will say that no one likes poor customer service and it will not improve your reputation nor your costumer base. Bad reviews always travel faster than good ones...

And that's why I'm working on my own controller :)

My design will be pretty much an universal solution for any sensorless BLDC motors out there from 50 to 500W monsters. Also since it will have serial capabilities it will be easy to integreate with most aquarium controllers. This may not mean much for some, but for those that run multiple pumps this means the ability to have an integral wavemaker!

FishyFishy!

12-14-2015, 04:48 AM

I was bored today....took my jebao 12000 controller and power supply and plugged in my old DC10000 return pump and it runs like normal haha. Good thing jebao parts are available. Might just get some of those to get the wavelines up and running.

byee

12-14-2015, 05:23 AM

daplatapus

12-14-2015, 02:04 PM

I was expecting WAVELINE daniel@rlss.ca to reply publicly on the forum or privately with daplatapus.

Nope, haven't heard a darn thing from anyone.... disappointing seeing how much pumps and other equipment I've bought from them over the last couple years. :(

I was bored today....took my jebao 12000 controller and power supply and plugged in my old DC10000 return pump and it runs like normal haha. Good thing jebao parts are available. Might just get some of those to get the wavelines up and running.

You know, I was considering doing this too. I'd also like to confirm this.

_Adrian_

12-21-2015, 02:11 AM

My driver is coming along nicely :P
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/adrculda/LED%20Light/BLDC_Top_zpsil0y3aeg.jpg

CN1 and CN2 are power feed / loop through to other modules.
I separated the drivers from the logic side for ease of serviceability as well as future upgrades.

byee

12-21-2015, 02:24 AM

Adrian, nice!

Will your controller easily integrate with all DC return pumps?

Will you be making this available for DIY'ers?

Thank you!

daplatapus

12-21-2015, 01:23 PM

My driver is coming along nicely :P

You have to keep us up to date on the progress of this. Have you reverse engineered the Waveline controller or is this from scratch? Only reason I ask is I'm still totally stumped why the Gen 1 controller performs so differently from the Gen 2.

_Adrian_

12-25-2015, 04:02 AM

Adrian, nice!

Will your controller easily integrate with all DC return pumps?

Will you be making this available for DIY'ers?

Thank you!

It will run most, if not all sensorless BLDC pumps.
And yes, once its been tested I will make it available to the DIY crowd :)

You have to keep us up to date on the progress of this. Have you reverse engineered the Waveline controller or is this from scratch? Only reason I ask is I'm still totally stumped why the Gen 1 controller performs so differently from the Gen 2.

This is completely off reservation so to speak as the drivers (http://www.st.com/web/catalog/sense_power/FM148/SC1276/PF258618) I'm using are capable of 600VDC and 30A continuous current if cooled properly, so in other words it's complete overkill!
As far as the Waveline controllers go... I have no clue and only can go by the pictures were posted. IF I had a better high res pictures of the V1 and V2 controllers I could most likely reverse engineer something, however since they are still using a discrete H bridge its simple yet a crude way of approaching this.

Either way... My plan is to use a micro that is capable of driving multiple channels... you know just in case you have multiple return pumps and another dc pump on your skimmer. My aim is for a maximum of 4 channels with I2C control or stand alone control.

Merry Christmas :)

_Adrian_

12-29-2015, 01:43 AM

fixerupper

01-21-2016, 06:06 PM

Nope, haven't heard a darn thing from anyone.... disappointing seeing how much pumps and other equipment I've bought from them over the last couple years. :(

You know, I was considering doing this too. I'd also like to confirm this.

Still nothing.
Anyone else hear crickets?

My dream job would be customer service with this company. Just put every contact on 'ignore' put your feet up and enjoy your tank. Unless, of course, it had Waveline pumps in it. Then you'd be so busy swapping them out for something that actually works you'd have no time to respond to anyone.

Mystery solved.

byee

01-21-2016, 06:24 PM

It would even be nice if they responded by stating its out of warranty and provide you with an option to purchase a replacement driver.

I guess the effort is too great or they simply don't care. Perhaps its the latter especially if Daniel from Waveline has 'quietly' disappeared and no longer posting on this forum.

FishyFishy!

01-21-2016, 06:28 PM

Still nothing.
Anyone else hear crickets?

My dream job would be customer service with this company. Just put every contact on 'ignore' put your feet up and enjoy your tank.

Mystery solved.

LOL. Such an easy job eh??? That lucky bugger

fixerupper

02-07-2016, 04:45 AM

Gonna bump this every month until I hear that someone somewhere somehow has had their (or any) issue resolved by this company. I'd feel crappy if someone else got stung by these people because this thread faded away.

daplatapus

02-07-2016, 04:04 PM

Ya, I haven't heard hide nor hair from them either. Sucks as it seems like my pumps are getting even worse than they were before. I only have 1 running now and it's pumping just enough to overcome the head pressure and that's it :(

Waveline

02-08-2016, 02:53 PM

If I'm reading this right, the controller from the Jabao works fine on the Waveline?

Please confirm.

Jebao and Waveline are completely different and absolutely not compatible.

Waveline

02-08-2016, 02:55 PM

FishyFishy!

02-08-2016, 03:13 PM

Any 24V power supply would work as long as the AMP are correct.

Omg they do exist! !!

daplatapus

02-08-2016, 04:33 PM

Jebao and Waveline are completely different and absolutely not compatible.

Then on behalf of the many members on this board that have your pumps, I BEG of you to help us figure this out ... please.

Any 24V power supply would work as long as the AMP are correct.

And that would be...?

Ryanerickson

02-08-2016, 08:15 PM

Almost bought one of these but this tread saved me thanks guys went with the vertex v6 bit more reliable

Aquattro

02-08-2016, 10:01 PM

Almost bought one of these but this tread saved me thanks guys went with the vertex v6 bit more reliable

I'd say after this thread, anyone buying one needs a good shaking :)

daplatapus

02-08-2016, 10:07 PM

I'd say after this thread, anyone buying one needs a good shaking :)

And the sad thing is, I truly think that with a bit of communication this company could have had a waaaayyyyy better outcome :(

Aquattro

02-08-2016, 10:20 PM

Agreed Dom. This guy even pops up every 3 months, no explanation on the lack of communication. Gives half answers, then gone again. I wouldn't touch one of their products. Too many other good options for people.

FishyFishy!

02-09-2016, 01:41 AM

Its sad that a chinese company like Jebao can produce better customer service and product support than a company within our borders...

I emailed them for new motor block for my 3 year old WP40....they charged me $30 shipped and it was here in 10 days. LOL

I cant even get a response from waveline via email. So sad.

gregzz4

02-09-2016, 02:27 AM

I cant even get a response from waveline via email. So sad.
That is sad. I'd thought about purchasing a DC return pump for my current system and to use on my next. My impression was RLSS is the best out there due to R&D and production, vs knock-offs with reproductions of previous/inferior versions, but this thread has brought much to light for me.

As far as their customer service goes, how are they going to continue at this rate?
I mean, come on, their back-up e-mail is a g-mail address ????
What kind of large, quality product producing company would use g-mail ... :twised:

Thankfully these guys are no longer the only players producing what appear to be quality pumps.

mike31154

02-15-2016, 03:52 PM

Got a couple G's to spend, your troubles are over, here you go, free shipping:

http://www.abyzzamerica.com/Abyzz-400-10M-110V-DC-Water-Pump-p/a400-10m-110v.htm

_Adrian_

02-15-2016, 10:36 PM

And that would be...?

Looks like a 24V 8.8A ( 200W ) Meanwell off eBay like the one pictured on page 1 post #6 (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=969148&postcount=6)

I do however suggest the 360W version as its cooled via a fan rather then rely on convection cooling, but I do not believe it would fit in the original casing and would require a custom enclosure.

daplatapus

02-15-2016, 11:19 PM

But according to this:

Please do not wire the power supply to the pump directly!

Send us your serial number and we will warranty the pump.
email: daniel@rlss.ca

THE WAVELINE PUMP CANNOT BE WIRED DIRECTLY TO A POWER SUPPLY AND BY PASS THE CONTROLLER. THE DRIVER IS IN THE CONTROLLER AND YOU CANNOT BY PASS THE DRIVER. IN ADDITION THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE IS IN THE CONTROLLER, WITHOUT THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE NOTHING WILL WORK.

I can't use just the PSU. So the weak link IS the controller. It's been my only complaint (other than the customer service) of the system right from the start. I need to figure out how to make my own :(

Ryanerickson

02-16-2016, 12:00 AM

Got a couple G's to spend, your troubles are over, here you go, free shipping:

http://www.abyzzamerica.com/Abyzz-400-10M-110V-DC-Water-Pump-p/a400-10m-110v.htm

There's a real pump no customer service needed they don't break

daplatapus

02-16-2016, 12:22 AM

Got a couple G's to spend, your troubles are over, here you go, free shipping:

http://www.abyzzamerica.com/Abyzz-400-10M-110V-DC-Water-Pump-p/a400-10m-110v.htm

If only I could read the flow chart, lol

roblarss

02-16-2016, 02:03 AM

its more than likely the same as my speed wave pumps. I have them running off of an arduino controller. It was either 1-10v signal or a PWM signal (i would have to look again at what I did.). I have been running my pair on this controller for a year approx.

3 wires going to pump - pwr supply +, pwr supply -, signal

fixerupper

02-17-2016, 02:52 PM

Well, I was contemplating replacing the pump in my RLSS 8i skimmer. It's a very expensive piece of kit and shouldn't just be sitting idle because of the crappy Waveline pump. I WAS going to try to replace it from RLSS but they don't answer any communications and MORE THAN HALF of their listed "where to buy" section of their site either no longer exist or no longer carry these products. Not surprising. So, how the EFF can one get this resolved?

To be clear: I've never asked for FREE anything from this company. I merely requested help or other direction to PURCHASE possible replacement items. If you're in the same boat, good luck. No responses no support.

My search found a very similar (if not exact match) pump for the SKIMZ MONZTERSM203 skimmer. The pump is a DSC5000. It's available (not cheap) at Aquacave, BRS etc. Now that it's years later I assumed any recent pump would be would be a newer gen with issues resolved. BUT Here are some recent (2015) reviews on BRS for this skimmer:

JASON wouldn't recommend this product to a friend
I recently purchased this skimmer on the black Friday sale. First I want to say BRS to this point has been amazing. The first day I got the skimmer I plugged it in and put it in the sump. Upon adding power I could immediately tell something wasn't right. Hardly any air in the water column. I adjusted it to let it break in. Within the first 24 hrs the motor/DC controller shut down. This is plugged directly into a wall with no controller and has constant power.

BRS customer service had a new pump out to me the next day. I will update as soon as the new motor is received. It has been 11 days now and the package seems to be stuck in Chicago.

But I want to make sure everyone understand BRS has been amazing thus far in their support.

RON wouldn't recommend this product to a friend
Pump died after 13 months! I see I am not the only one with this problem. I have a bubble magus skimmer that's been running on the original pump for 5 years.

GREAT SKIMMER, TERRIBLE PUMP BY RAY ON 3/15/2015
RAY wouldn't recommend this product to a friend
I purchased this skimmer about 3yrs ago and I am on my 3rd pump. The skimmer is awesome despite that. Skims very efficiently, quiet, and compact. If they had better pumps they would compete with the German brands.

10 Foot pole marks all over this product. My search continues...