Echotech, in 45 years of fish keeping, the worst manufacture ever

[mchain275]

I also have experienced issues with their pumps. While I find the Vectra pumps to perform very well while functional, I've had three different M2's fail inside of two years. However, I must give Ecotech customer service credit for replacing one unit that was outside the warranty period.

I've since opted to purchase Jebao return pumps for my systems at a fraction of the cost and keep a couple replacement units around just in case (which is still more cost effective that replacing Vectra's). The real bummer is their incompatibility with the Ecotech battery backup, which provided me with peace of mind.

 

[five.five-six]

So, this is freaking rich. I started the RMA process over a month ago. Shipped the entire pile of junk back to them the morning after they gave me an RMA. They had the thing for a week, called me on a Wednesday, stated that the controller was bad, the motor unit was bad but the power supply was just fine and they would replace the motor for free and canaries $100 for a new controller needed for the new motor. I paid the $100 and had it shipped back. They waited till the fallowing week to put it in the mail.

If you read the OP, it didn’t work. I’ve been emailing them all week trying to straighten this out and just getting BS bot replies and various conflicting emails until today (friday) about closing time stating that need to change my power supply. What a bunch of A-holes.

Hello Mark,

If the new motor and new controller are not working, the power supply is likely the issue. When you sent your pump in for service, the wrong power supply was included and noted on the invoice. To ensure the correct power supply is being used, please reply with a picture of the information sticker on the power supply.

Also, what is the color of the indicator on the power supply, as well as the controller knob when powered on?

Regards,

Chris Fernandes
Aperture Support Group

I’m not too thrilled, worse customer service than H&K

I doubt they will even read this:

I sent the entire suit of your garbage back to you. Power supply , cords, everything. Your technician called me an told me that power supply would work fine with the configuration and told me there was no need to replace the power supply. You had it for 5 days, this isn’t rocket science it’s an aquarium pump. Either you guys are just screwing with me or your entire organization is completely inept.

Had your technician given me the correct information I could have made the decision to purchase the correct power supply or S-can the entire pile of garbage and bought a quality pump lie the Jeabo DCP-6500, which actually pumps water. Instead of you people have been jerking me around for a week.

BTW, I have been posting all of your emails online so your customer base can see why to not even get involved in Echotech.

I hope you have enjoyed screwing with me. Probably doesn’t bother you in the leas that you are killing livestock while your are yuckign it up at my expense.

DIAF

 

[coral-sea]

There is a reason Tunze lasts. German made.

 

[five.five-six]

I also have experienced issues with their pumps. While I find the Vectra pumps to perform very well while functional, I've had three different M2's fail inside of two years. However, I must give Ecotech customer service credit for replacing one unit that was outside the warranty period.

I've since opted to purchase Jebao return pumps for my systems at a fraction of the cost and keep a couple replacement units around just in case (which is still more cost effective that replacing Vectra's). The real bummer is their incompatibility with the Ecotech battery backup, which provided me with peace of mind.

I’ve had my Jeabo running a skimmer with a mesh mod (horribly imbalanced and just hell on the bearings) for about 4 years. it started making noise so I replaced it proactively and kept it as a spare. It worked like a champ for the month I was dealing with Echotec support.


Epilogue, seems that a year ago or so the M1 PS took a dump and I replaced it with an amazon PS but dummy me used a 24V PS and the M1 ran fine with it but the M2 would not. I was unaware of this but I did send the entire thing back to ecotech, where they replaced the pump body and the controller for about $100 with shipping. They informed me that the the M1 powe supply was fine and I didn’t need to replace it. Then they sent it all back to me INCLUDING THE 24V PS. Thats why the new crap didn’t work. After a week of bickering with them, one tech took the time to read my invoice which had a line that said: “not a Vectra power supply”. Nothing about it being the wrong voltage. SMFH.

With that clue I read the labels and bought a 3A 36V amazon power supply, that’s 108VA and the devise only calls for 80VA, now the pump runs fine.

The GUI is still about as counter-intuitive as you could Imagine and I stayed up 2 hrs past my bed time last night figuring out and tuning it to run at my preferred rate. It’s working again.

Now I have a never been wet and only out of the box once reef octopus VarioS 4 with no use for it. It only has an 8’ cord and I need 10 feet.

 

[five.five-six]

There is a reason Tunze lasts. German made.

Funny, I reached out to Roger about getting a Tunze return pump and the guy is great, straight up honest and actually reads my emails. He got back to me right away with all the information I need to make an informed decision and I’m sending my out-of-warranty 6105 motor block that failed back to him to see what he can do to it. Probably just needs a better cleaning than I gave it but I 100% trust he will take care of me the best he can because of decades of Roger doing just that for me and everyone else I know who owns Tunze.

Tunze is great product but Roger puts it in a league of its own. CoralVue does the same thing with their products but to a lesser extent. Echotec is boarder-line abusive to their customers. I don’t know about Jeabo customer service, never reached out to them because your plug it in and it works, 5 years later when it starts giving you trouble, you throw it out and buy a new one. It was $83, why fix it?

 

[laverda]

Glad you got it sorted out finally.

 

[H&A Aquatics]

I run nothing but Ecotech on my raceway and have had 0 issues. Maybe you just got a lemon.

 

[five.five-six]

I run nothing but Ecotech on my raceway and have had 0 issues. Maybe you just got a lemon.

The getting a Lemmon isn’t my problem with them, though if you read what everyone else has posted in this thread, Echotec should probably open a lemon-aid stand.


The problem is that their support sucks balls. Droopy, sweaty, harry transvestite balls with cottage cheese on the bottom. Ecotec is ostensively a “premium brand”, you certainly pay a premium price but you don’t get premium service or product. The fact that it took a month, with the product in their hands for almost 2 weeks and the pump still didn’t pump water is irreconcilable with the term “premium brand”.

 

[H&A Aquatics]

The getting a Lemmon isn’t my problem with them, though if you read what everyone else has posted in this thread, Echotec should probably open a lemon-aid stand.


The problem is that their support sucks balls. Droopy, sweaty, harry transvestite balls with cottage cheese on the bottom. Ecotec is ostensively a “premium brand”, you certainly pay a premium price but you don’t get premium service or product. The fact that it took a month, with the product in their hands for almost 2 weeks and the pump still didn’t pump water is irreconcilable with the term “premium brand”.

I have 0 issues with support, Seeing I hardly ever need support. Also a little bit different relationship with them than most.

 

[jessesoto33]

I have 0 issues with support, Seeing I hardly ever need support. Also a little bit different relationship with them than most.

I’ll have to agree with Trev, my experience with Ecotech is simply the best hands-down and I run MP 10s MP 40s Radion XR 15 GEN 6 and M2 pump battery back up, some I got used some brand new all work great. Mobius was a pain in the neck until I figured it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[five.five-six]

I’ll have to agree with Trev, my experience with Ecotech is simply the best hands-down and I run MP 10s MP 40s Radion XR 15 GEN 6 and M2 pump battery back up, some I got used some brand new all work great. Mobius was a pain in the neck until I figured it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

That’s really what sobered me on Ecotech the most. I did have some of the original MP40’s and they worked fin, the were noisy and ugly on the outside of the tank and you can’t point them but they had their place and were OK

Möbius was such a PITA, took hours to get stuff to work, then not a year later, I want to make some adjustments and the GUI is so augmented, takes a few hours to figure it out again. And then again some months ago, none of it makes any sense. I’m not interested in having to learn a new GUI/OS every time some genius at Echotec comes up with a moronic notion of something they think I need. also, if you are going to lean on Bluetooth, don’t use the glitchiest Bluetooth chip available. Ecotec cost 5X what a comparable Jeabo costs, add $5, put a decent chip in. SMFH, it can’t only be about how much money they make.

I’m no Neptune fanboy but you do have to admit, out of the box the apex comes fairly well programmed that you can just plug things into their predetermined ports and it will run your tank. Vectra and versa are pretty much useless until you invest the hours to learn how to program them.

 

[jessesoto33]

I have to admit I love my Neptune Apex so much had to buy 3 of them for each of my tanks


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[breadfish]

The biggest mistake Ecotech made was going from Wifi to Bluetooth connectivity.

When did they every go wifi though? I had a gap between using their products and never seen them use wifi.

 

[Tommy Ngo]

When did they every go wifi though? I had a gap between using their products and never seen them use wifi.

Wifi was used since Ecotech started using the Reeflink to bridge all products under the EcoSmart Live App, which was also a pain to navigate on the phone App. Wifi was available from Gen 1-4

 

[breadfish]

Wifi was used since Ecotech started using the Reeflink to bridge all products under the EcoSmart Live App, which was also a pain to navigate on the phone App. Wifi was available from Gen 1-4

I see, wifi as in the light would connect to your phone/device directly via wifi right? I'm still hoping it would connect to the router like many electronic devices these days.

 

[moondoggy]

I have only owned 1 Eco Tech product I do have AI Prime HD's so I guess step brothers from the same mother
I mostly own all Tunze pumps with some Jabao's for fun. Eco Tech is simply out of my price point.