My Mag Drive Headache, New pump?

[Bearfan]

So I own two Mag Drives, a 9.5 (when the sump was in the stand) and a 36 (now that it's in the basement) and I have had both break the ceramic shafts. Well, on Saturday, I come home and find there is no water moving in the system. I pull apart the 36 and find all of the propeller blades have broken off. Mind you, there is no live stock or anything in my sump, no foreign material, or anything. I figured one of the blades defected, then the vibration shook it apart. So now I have no operating sump. I think I have had it with Danner Manufacturing and the Mag Drive line. I think I might set up an external. Anyone have any suggestions as to a good external pump. I'm thinking Iwaki or Dolphin, but I am open to suggestion.

I want something that pumps about 3600gph + since I have to fight 14' of head.

 

[fishfreek]

I belive your experence with the MagDrives is unique. I havent heard of problems like this being widespred. I belive your mag36 is less than a year old correct? You should contact Danner about getting a replacment impeller.

I like the littlegiant pumps aswell when it comes to external pumps.

Something else to think about is using a pair of smaller pumps. Still with the ability of pumping the 14' head but that way you can have one return to one side and the other to the other side. Then when/if one fails you still have at least 1/2 of your flow to limp on.

 

[Biggen]

I'll second FF recommendation on the little giants. My LFS uses them and swears by them. They seems to be cheaper than most external pumps as well.

 

[Bearfan]

Well, I did contact Danner, and they have had this problem with the Mag Drive 36 and have redesigned the impeller. They are sending me the new revised impeller. It seems to be a widespread problem with the Mag Drive 36s.

I would do two pumps, but that would be another 40' run of piping, and I have the bulkhead for 1 so the plumbing would have to be outside the tank, and my wife is appearance conscious.