dd calcium reactor...

[ricky]

hi all,
this question is probaly more for stuart to answer...but please feel free to leave your comments..

i am looking at buying deltecs new pf601 calcium reactor...i do have the older version which has a sealed lid so making it very hard to clean out..anyway, searching the internet and reading up about the reactor i do keep coming across people complaining about the pumps failing around the six month period.. the pump has had it on my reactor but it is old.

is this a common problem?
also my current deltec reactor all the rubber sealing o rings have failed so i have ptfe taped the threads...is this a common problem?

however..i do have other deltec equipment and i am a fan of deltec gear but i am hearing and reading about a poor service from deltec....

i am looking at either grotechs calcium reactor as appose to deltecs but deltecs do favour me more...

i am not by any means having a go deltec i would just like these couple of questions answered before i go ahead as your reactor is a lot more expensive than grotechs...for the same spec..

regards.
ricky.

[Stuart]

hi all,
this question is probaly more for stuart to answer...but please feel free to leave your comments..

At your service

i am looking at buying deltecs new pf601 calcium reactor...i do have the older version which has a sealed lid so making it very hard to clean out..anyway, searching the internet and reading up about the reactor i do keep coming across people complaining about the pumps failing around the six month period.. the pump has had it on my reactor but it is old.
is this a common problem?

We had an issue in the States with some of the models due to the 60Hz which means the pumps rotate 20% faster.

In the UK most issues were with the smaller PF509 units as the pump was so small you could not fit a ceramic bearing and the pumps were running ceramic on plastic. If this starts to wear and you do not catch it then it wears other parts.
This design was changed about a year ago for a new design of pump where there is a ceramic on ceramic running surface and an over temp cut out to stop people boiling the pump if it runs dry.

The PF601 never had this issue however the older ones like yours used to suck in media if over fluidised and damage the pump that way - This is why the 4th generation models are fitted with sponges at the top.

also my current deltec reactor all the rubber sealing o rings have failed so i have ptfe taped the threads...is this a common problem?

Orings are available at low cost but I suspect yours is leaking at the tap and is the internal oring. This can be tightened up from one end using the handle as the entire ball will come out.

however..i do have other deltec equipment and i am a fan of deltec gear but i am hearing and reading about a poor service from deltec....

I am not going into this again however I spend most of my time answering people questions so it can not be that bad.

i am looking at either grotechs calcium reactor as appose to deltecs but deltecs do favour me more...

You get a lot more calcium out of a fluidised reactor as it does not track and reduce the surface area. The media is always moving as you know and in contact with the water giving a maximum reaction surface.

i am not by any means having a go deltec i would just like these couple of questions answered before i go ahead as your reactor is a lot more expensive than grotechs...for the same spec..

I can not comment on this unfortunately other than to say are you sure it is the same spec as with the Deltec unit you can achieve a dKH of 80 at the outlet where as many reactors because of the issues described above struggle to reach 40.

regards.
ricky.

Stuart

[ricky]

stuart many thanks for your quick reply...as i say i do like deltec equipment but before i splash out i just wanted to be sure these problems had been delt with....

again many thanks.

ricky.