Ecotech Battery Backup unit failing during outage from hurricane.

[Freddie83]

Hello,

The one time I needed the battery backup, it’s not working. We're experiencing power outages due to the hurricane, and I have 4 MP40 pumps with 2 Ecotech battery backups. Only one of the pumps is running on battery backup; the other 3 won't operate regardless of which battery I connect them to. Both batteries are fully charged. I've already lost a lot of fish because of this issue.

Any advice on how to get the MP40s to run on the battery backups?

 

[Subsea]

Get battery operated air pumps until you figure it out.

 

[VintageReefer]

They are notorious for failure and battery life degrading over time.

How old are they? Can you explain how you have them wired in to the mp40s? Just want to double check nothing is incorrect

Do you have any app settings that might be interfering ?

 

[Freddie83]

Get battery operated air pumps until you figure it out.

I have but unfortunately didn’t put one in until I realized I had lost most of my fish already.

 

[Freddie83]

They are notorious for failure and battery life degrading over time.

How old are they? Can you explain how you have them wired in to the mp40s? Just want to double check nothing is incorrect

Do you have any app settings that might be interfering ?

About 2 years old if even that.

During an outage only 2 wavemakers should receive power. 2 batteries dedicated to 2 wavemakers.

Configuration: Mp40 plugged in to apex system, Battery backup plugged in directly to wall with booster cable going to Mp40.
I’ve tried with different mp40’s. Out of 4 only 1 recognizes a battery backup.

 

[VintageReefer]

Oh interesting. So it seems the issue might be with the 3 mp40

I’ll step back I have no idea unless there’s is a mobius setting linked to them disabling it

 

[dangles]

About 2 years old if even that.

During an outage only 2 wavemakers should receive power. 2 batteries dedicated to 2 wavemakers.

Configuration: Mp40 plugged in to apex system, Battery backup plugged in directly to wall with booster cable going to Mp40.
I’ve tried with different mp40’s. Out of 4 only 1 recognizes a battery backup.

Booster cables? You mean the 12-24v booster cables?

 

[Freddie83]

Booster cables? You mean the 12-24v booster cables?

Not sure the exact name but they go from the battery backup to the mp40 and have a fuse in the middle.

 

[dangles]

Not sure the exact name but they go from the battery backup to the mp40 and have a fuse in the middle.

Not this I hope?

 

[Freddie83]

Not this I hope?

No. The fuse is way smaller maybe 1/2”

 

[dangles]

No. The fuse is way smaller maybe 1/2”

Ok good.

Maybe it’s the fuse in those cables?

If that’s not the issue, you may need to start a support ticket with Ecotech.

 

[Subsea]

I have but unfortunately didn’t put one in until I realized I had lost most of my fish already.

Freddie,
I feel your pain. After 50 years of Reefing, I went thru the eye of Ike and lost utility power for 2 weeks. At that time, I had evacuated the drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico and was home 50 miles inland north of Cameron, Louisiana.

I lived on 20 acres and had a small generator that required me to turn off central air and purchase a window unit for sleeping in bedroom, but I ran a complete 150G system for 2 weeks.

Once while away on a vacation, the utility company lost power for a few hours at night. A neighbor who had a reef tank, came over in the morning and found every fish dead and every coral was fine. He removed all dead fish before they decomposed in the tank.

 

[Freddie83]

Freddie,
I feel your pain. After 50 years of Reefing, I went thru the eye of Ike and lost utility power for 2 weeks. At that time, I had evacuated the drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico and was home 50 miles inland north of Cameron, Louisiana.

I lived on 20 acres and had a small generator that required me to turn off central air and purchase a window unit for sleeping in bedroom, but I ran a complete 150G system for 2 weeks.

Once while away on a vacation, the utility company lost power for a few hours at night. A neighbor who had a reef tank, came over in the morning and found every fish dead and every coral was fine. He removed all dead fish before they decomposed in the tank.

Thank you for the message. I know how hard it is

What’s infuriating in my case is the constant equipment failures with these high priced aquarium parts.

 

[Subsea]

Thank you for the message. I know how hard it is

What’s infuriating in my case is the constant equipment failures with these high priced aquarium parts.

I built my own UPS (uninterrupted power supply) using off the shelf genetic components: battery charger, battery and inverter. The large batteries were the most expensive components. I am only running two 70W pumps on two tanks: 75G & 150G.
The batteries cost $200 and were the most expensive component: charger & inverter were less than $100. I wired everything in series so there are no switching devices which increases reliability.

As a subsea engineer, in charge of the underwater blowout preventers in deepwater drilling, we ran 100% redundancy with our UPS systems. As a monthly operational maintenance check, we turned off supply current and monitored battery voltage for a fixed period of time. When I built my home system, I did the same UPS test to determine how many batteries were required for 48 hours of operation of critical equipment.

To further make the point, I spent $1000 on repair/replacement of circuit board for large Jacizi, only to have something else fail in less than a week. Technician came out for $100 and replaced a $0.20 fuse which failed in less than a week. I shut the system down. When I get ahead of projects, I will get an electrician friend to remove jacuzzi proprietary controls and install off the shelf industrial controls.

 

[bakbay]

Sorry to hear about the fish loss.

Confused but you’ve used the 12v cable on another MP40 to rule out? I’m there with subsea above, perhaps it’s just a fuse problem? Anyway, one MP40 should be adequate for flow though. You can try to put it closer to the top for surface agitation & oxygenation.

I have a DIY LiFePO4 UPS on all my tanks with MP40s and MP60s — I test them monthly by yanking the lower source.

Amazon.com

Good luck!