01/10/2025
Octo pumps, the good, the bad and the ugly!
The Octo VarioS has been running for a week and its feedback time.
Firstly we have to say that after plumbing it in and switching it on, Anthony thought he got a dud. He couldn’t hear even the smallest hum from the motor. He had to check the top tank to see if the pump was actually switched on!!!
Even from high end pumps you get a very low hum of the motor working, not with Octo. No noise, like none at all. It caught us quite off guard.
The controllability on this pump is fantastic, you can have it run flat stick or adjust the flow to suit your needs. You can also hit a feed button which will turn the pump off for either a 15 or 60min interval and the pump will turn itself back on after that time.
Also as STANDARD the VarioS comes with a float switch which will turn the pump off should the water level drop to low. In the long run this means the motor won’t overheat from lack of water and will add to the longevity of the pump.
We realise other pumps can have these switches bought as an extra but it is in the box as standard with the VarioS.
5 year warranty, no small print at all. If there’s is a failure in the 5 years that isn’t the impeller or water into the controller it will get fixed/replaved. What more can you ask for?
We ran into 2 problems with the VarioS.
The first is the hard plumbing couplings that come with the pump didn’t fit standard pressure PVC. We had to lathe the end of the pipe to glue it in.
The only other problem that people may have is the outlay. Once you have the VarioS running you can quickly forget about the cost. A few stores we have spoken to have had Octo pumps running in excess of 15 years. You’ll rarely get that from cheaper pumps. But seeing the inclusions into the VarioS that are optional extras in other brands you can see exactly why they are priced where they are.
Fun Fact it’s CHEAPER for you to buy Octo in Aus then getting it sent in special from China.
All in all the one minor flaw is out weighed by all the benifits.
Anthony’s Octo VarioS 4 rating is 20/10