Beware! Innovative Marine UV Pump is Dangerous

[DaneGer21]

So...
You havent contacted them at all, but quickly trashed them on the internet for all to see?

Dang bro, did you help develop this product, or work for them? According to your post, you do. Geesh, cut the guy some slack, if I had one and didn’t know I’d appreciate him for pointing it out.

 

[Maxx]

Dang bro, did you help develop this product, or work for them? According to your post, you do. Geesh, cut the guy some slack, if I had one and didn’t know I’d appreciate him for pointing it out.

Nope, dont work for IM at all, nor am I employed in the hobby.

He could have pointed it in a way that didnt throw anyone under the bus without making them aware of it. It's not hard.

Take IM out of it completely. Add any other manufacturer....it's the same thing.
The principle of what the OP did is what has my panties in a bunch.
I've been in this hobby for 40 years, I've been keeping saltwater since 1986. I remember what this hobby was in its infancy. I remember when Xenia was tough to keep and the high tech gear was dual 175 MH's with a pair of 95 watt Actinic VHO's with a wet dry filter that had a rotating spray bar over DLS material. The really high tech guys had a 4 inch by 12 inch counter current protein skimmer with a wooden airstone. If you wanted to learn anything, you better find a book or someone who really knew stuff.

I say all of that to point out that we are currently in the golden age of reefing. We have more manufacturers making better equipment than ever before. It is easier than ever before to have a reef tank in your house that would have world class just 10 years ago. There are many reasons for this.

One of them is more people getting into the hobby and sharing information, the other is more company's believing they can make a better product (or one just as good at a lower price point) than the competition and they try. Sometimes they're successful, sometimes they arent.

That pump is fubar, and I would be unhappy if that was going on in my tank.
But I would at least contact the manufacturer first to see what they had to say about it and what their response was before starting up a thread calling them dangerous in the title.

Chasing out the less expensive manufacturers means it's harder for new people to enter the hobby.
No newbies in the hobby means it dies over time.
If the hobby dies over time, we all need to find something else to do.
And apparently 2020 isnt the year to go looking for new things.
Alot of people are out of work and hurting, and alot of companies are struggling to stay afloat by the skin of their teeth right now. Things just suck all over.

The OP isnt the first person to make a thread like this, (trashing a company's product online without at least giving them a courteous heads up first so they can try to rectify the problem), but this a bad practice in normal times, and 2020 aint normal by far.

The fact that there is so many folks pushing back on me just asking if the OP if he bothered to spend 30 seconds of his time and shoot the company an email before setting them on fire in a thread on the largest forum for reef keeping is absolutely amazing to me.

 

[Angelwolf21203]

I would also agree with the thread title being appropriate. The OP specifically stated that the pump was dangerous. He did not accuse the company of anything. He simply presented the facts on what he discovered, in an attempt to spread the word that this could be an issue for others who use this specific pump. And perhaps he has since contacted them. Or perhaps he has delt with them prior and was dissatisfied. You don't know that, and you haven't asked him, either. You're too busy blasting the OP about the terminology they felt was appropriate at the time of starting the thread. The title did exactly what it was intended to do. It drew attention to a potentially harmful situation. There were no derogatory remarks or accusations anywhere in the post. Also, you are the only one who made the assumption that a GFCI was not being used. The OP didn't state, and you didn't ask. You assumed and accused. But the bigger problem here is that no one has given the OP a chance to speak.

And to the OP, thank you for sharing. You may very well have prevented a terrible incident from happening.

 

[2_much_junk_in_the_sump]

The fact that there is so many folks pushing back on me just asking if the OP if he bothered to spend 30 seconds of his time and shoot the company an email before setting them on fire in a thread on the largest forum for reef keeping is absolutely amazing to me.

So I was supposed to contact the manufacture first and then I could post? I don't get the logic. My concern is with the people who have one of these pumps in their tanks and not the manufacture. Sorry if that upsets you. We're talking about a $100 UV with the pump included. I didn't expect it to come with an Abyzz level pump, but I also didn't expect the cable to disintegrate in my tank in 6 months. This is just a word of warning to the community and if the manufacture sees this and improves their produce even better.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[squampton]

I Love IM's tanks. I've been very disappointed with all of the other equipment I have from them.


And yeah, that's a deathtrap.

Same. I like the tanks, but their products never impressed me much and I have not bought anything beyond the tank.

 

[92Miata]

But I would at least contact the manufacturer first to see what they had to say about it and what their response was before starting up a thread calling them dangerous in the title.

Why? What would that accomplish?

This pump is absolutely dangerous. Nothing IM says or does over private channels is going to change that.

 

[flabryth]

The title of this thread is :
Beware! Innovative Marine UV Pump is Dangerous

That's trashing them.
If his goal was to bring awareness, then titling the thread something like "My power cord came off my pump" or "PSA - Check your power cords" something along those lines.

I'm not defending the quality of the product. I'm pointing out that instead of contacting anyone the OP just trashed them on arguably the largest reef keeping forum on the net.

I'm far from perfect, I doubt anyone else is as well...to include IM.
Mistakes happen. How companies/people respond to those mistakes is the important part.

When was the OP's pump manufactured? Did he by any strange chance buy some NIB old stock and IM has already corrected the problem in subsequent products?

Is the pump brand new and IM just got a bad batch?

Nobody knows.
But the OP started this thread, without contacting IM, making them aware of the issue, and giving them a chance to respond or make it right.

Now, if he had already contacted IM, they told him to pound sand, and left him high and dry with a defective pump...then he's fully justified in starting this thread.

As of now, he's preemptively trashing the company without giving them a chance to respond.

Wither he contacted the manufacture or not...the issue is real. yes the company should be made aware of the issue, but so should we.

 

[Maxx]

So I was supposed to contact the manufacture first and then I could post? I don't get the logic. My concern is with the people who have one of these pumps in their tanks and not the manufacture. Sorry if that upsets you. We're talking about a $100 UV with the pump included. I didn't expect it to come with an Abyzz level pump, but I also didn't expect the cable to disintegrate in my tank in 6 months. This is just a word of warning to the community and if the manufacture sees this and improves their produce even better.

Thank you all for your responses.

LOL...People are absolutely cherry picking parts of my posts...
I've repeatedly stated that if your purpose was to warn people you could have easily done so without specifically naming IM in your thread title. I dont have a problem with you warning people. I have a problem when someone trashes a company without at least contacting the company before trashing them. The ramifications of anonymously trashing a company on the internet especially these days, could be fatal (to the company). Contacting the company and giving them a chance to respond is the polite thing to do. Unless your goal is to cause the company damage deliberately. If you're into that, then fine. I'm not, it's a manners thing. I dont know you and I dont see the benefit to you deliberately causing the company damage, so I legitimately believe this was not done out of a malice, but rather out of ignorance.

How is the company to improve the product without being notified of the problem? Has IM or anyone from IM seen this thread? Do you know if they have or not? How would you know unless they respond or unless you contacted them? Do you see what I'm getting at here?

Why? What would that accomplish?

This pump is absolutely dangerous. Nothing IM says or does over private channels is going to change that.

Is it absolutely dangerous? How many other times has this occurred? If it was a regular occurrence, wouldnt we have heard about it before? I'm certain that others who had dealt with it before would have chimed in by now. What actually caused the cord to separate from the pump? Do we know?

Again, I'm not standing up for IM specifically, I'm just against trashing a company publicly without giving them a heads up about the problem beforehand. Again, how is a company going to improve it's product without being notified? If you truly believe this pump is so dangerous that it's a hazard, why wouldnt you notify the company?

As I said before, I have zero issues with thread being started about an issue that could be a problem for others. I dont believe a failure of that magnitude should be kept private or off the radar. Just notify the company and give them a chance to respond. If they tell you (or anyone else) to pound sand, then post that up publiclly, I dont care. The company was never notified in this case and likely has zero idea that this is going on.

Wither he contacted the manufacture or not...the issue is real. yes the company should be made aware of the issue, but so should we.

I agree completely with this post.

 

[92Miata]

Is it absolutely dangerous? How many other times has this occurred? If it was a regular occurrence, wouldnt we have heard about it before? I'm certain that others who had dealt with it before would have chimed in by now. What actually caused the cord to separate from the pump? Do we know?

Again, I'm not standing up for IM specifically, I'm just against trashing a company publicly without giving them a heads up about the problem beforehand. Again, how is a company going to improve it's product without being notified? If you truly believe this pump is so dangerous that it's a hazard, why wouldnt you notify the company?

Yes, this particular pump is absolutely dangerous.

Are all pumps of this model? Who knows. Should everyone who owns one of these know, and check theirs and make sure there's no damage? Yes, absolutely.

What's the best way to make sure that happens? Telling people.


IM has been notified by this thread. Thats how things improve. Transparency is ALWAYS most effective. There is absolutely nothing positive to be gained by giving them a heads up before warning people. That's how you end up with nasty letters on lawyer's letterhead and complaints going away. Once its out, its out.

 

[K7BMG]

So in essence what your actually saying, is the post should not have been made until after he made contact with the manufacturer, and then only if the manufacturer handled it poorly, simply to not tarnish the manufacture's reputation.
Respectfully and I am sorry, I can't see or agree with your point of logic here.

Lets say he titled the thread with the words.
Beware! UV Pump is Potentially Dangerous,
and through the entire post, never mentioning the manufacturer or product so not to tarnish the reputation of the company.

But what would the first questions from all that read the post be?
What would you yourself ask?

Whos UV pump, what model, are you talking about?
Or am I way incorrect here?

I say this as you are more or less contradicting yourself, stating he should not trash the company but also stating he has the right to post.

In your case his appropriate response should have been, something like I will tell you the product and manufacturer only after they respond to me and only if they tell me to pound sand. But I want to forewarn everyone of a potential hazard to ones health.

If they take care of everything and make it right then no harm no foul and I will leave it anonymous as I would hate to ruin there reputation.

Even though as was pointed out by you or someone in this thread, that it was posted on Thursday at 10:11pm at the start of the long holiday weekend and that they were probably closed until Monday morning.

Yet If someone else's UV pump has the same issue, I guess if they get shocked or worse, oh well. That's the more acceptable, ethical solution?

When there is a potential of harm to another, I feel we have the obligation to do the best we can to protect another from this harm, this takes precedence over protecting a manufacturers reputation.

I understand the concept your presenting here I do. In this particular circumstance I have to respectfully disagree.

I would agree with you 100% if the product had simply failed prematurely, or did not perform as it should have and needed to be replaced, or should have been replaced by a warrantee or something, yes by all means give them the chance to satisfactorily resolve the issue before you trash them and there products.

As I have previously said and leaning in agreement to your point here, the OP clearly states he has no intention to contact the company as he does not trust the unit for more than the cord issue, and has no intention of of replacing it. Basically choosing to take the loss. I feel the OP MUST contact IM based on such a LIFE SAFETY issue, if his intent on the whole was to make certain others would not be harmed.
Clearly the OP feels that by posting here alone is/was all the responsibility required on the matter. I disagree strongly.

The chance IM may happen across this post IMO is unlikely.
I doubt they have seen it at all.
My proof to this fact is simple.
Have the posted any response here?
Well there's your answer.

 

[anth]

Thanks for making people aware. This is not only dangerous for tank inhabitants but also their keepers. Its entirely up to you wether or not you contact the company, personally i would but regardless, facts are facts and no amount of communication with them is going to change what’s happened so thanks for the warning.

 

[tnw50cal]

Since the OP was/is the one and only buyer of this defective product as no other threads(reports) about it can be found( if you find one post a link) I can only assume(you know what that means)that IM knew it was a defective product and that's why they only made and sold one. Then again they could have sold a bunch of them and the OP got a bad one(you know made in Mexico by North Koreans on a Friday at lunch time).
I can report that I bought one of IM's 9 watt desktop UV sterilizers and the power supply died after having owned it for 5 months. I got in touch with IM and had a replacement(under warranty)shipped to me within one week. Been working great ever since. With that said I'm going out to buy a new car, one of those ones that NEVER breaks. Anyone know what manufacturer makes those?

 

[Tamberav]

Their reactors use the exact same pump (same model). I have a reactor of theirs almost 2 years old and no issues with the cord.

Maybe you got a lemon.

 

[tnw50cal]

Here's another lamp cord, this one on a pump from a Figi Cube refugium. In this case the cord did just fine,it was the epoxy that sealed the motor/cord that gave out, electrocuting me and the tank.I use it now to mix my salt/water. I replaced it with a Marineland 600 powerhead that you guessed it-came with a lamp cord.