In our support center you'll find documentation for installation, maintenance, upgrades etc.
If you can not find what you need in this section visit our FAQ section or contact us.

Why we don't use Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide electrolyte catalyst:
Both are highly toxic to start with and they both produce a very toxic electrolyte solution that is very hazardous. As a matter of fact that type of electrolyte solution requires a permit for disposal purposes, "its that toxic". Also, just to test sodium hydroxide and what it can do to your engines internal parts that are made of aluminum. Put a couple of tablespoons of caustic soda [lye] into a small container and add water. Now drop in an aluminum soda can and see what happens. Thats what happens to your pistons and heads of your engine over time using caustic soda [lye].

That is why we used White Distilled Vinegar, although a little less efficient, it "IS NOT" toxic and the electrolyte solution is harmless at clean out disposal time. If you read our instructions part #3 you will also see that we used plain old white distilled vinegar for our electrolyte solution which is of FOOD GRADE QUALITY. You can actually consume White Distilled Vinegar. That is how ecologically safe and friendly our systems are designed.

NEW: Our HydroLyte solution is a giant leap forward in electrolyte technology. It significantly improves the performance of our generators whilst still being ecologically friendly and biodegradable and removes the requirement to use vinegar.

Important Facts...
All MagDrive units produced after Nov 1, 2007 are the Series 11a, 12a, 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a, Magnum or Super Magnum model units. These units use white distilled vinegar, ecolyte or our new HydroLyte for the electrolyte solution. Series 11a, 14a, 15a, 16a & 17a units startup cold at 2.5 - 4 amps maximum and ultimately draw up to 7 - 20 amps of DC current (slightly higher with HydroLyte - please refer to the HydroLyte manual).

Tech update general info... 11a, 12a, 14a, 15a, 16a & 17a models
The basic operation of both models is identical except for the electrical control factor. The 11a-17a (not 12a) has electromechanical controls which means, as the unit is run over a period of time the h2o in the vinegar is consumed and a portion of the acetic acid remains in the brick module. This residue acetic acid can cause an amperage increase to the point where the initial 15 amp fuse can be popped. This is caused by an increase in acetic acid from the vinegar as the distilled water part of the vinegar is consumed. To remedy this small inconvenience, you can dilute the vinegar in the brick cell by adding some plain distilled h2o into the A-trap and replacing the fuse with a slightly larger fuse. Another option is, fill the Brick and A-trap initially with the vinegar and fill the reserve tank with just distilled h2o [no vinegar]. That way you will only be introducing h2o when the pump calls for refill and there won't be a build up of excessive acetic acid. Another point is by doing so, you won't affect the pump seal on the reserve tank by running vinegar through it as well as keeping the amperage down.

NEW: Our new HydroLyte-based electrolyte improves on vinegar and ecolyte by increasing HHO gas output whilst eliminating the excessive current issues highlighed above. In other words, all of the attributes you need in an electrolyte without any of the drawbacks.

12a brick: uses an electronic control system. The system adjusts itself automatically regardless of the amperage draw. It does it by reducing the voltage as the amperage increases therefore keeping the system within operational calibration limits. There still may be slight damage to the seal on the reserve tank pump because of the vinegar attacking the pump seal. To eliminate that possibility, after filling the A-trap and brick by using their fill ports with vinegar, fill the reserve tank with just plain h2o. You will notice that there isn't any real frequent clean out required on either model. Thats because the vinegar leaves no visual residue accumulation as its being used in the cell. You can still use denatured alcohol for cold weather exposure with only h2o in the reserve tank. A foam insullation wrap also does wonders in cold weather on the brick and a-trap. If you are having difficulties with installations and don't have a clue where to turn, contact us via the details on our Contact Us page and we will get you your answers.

Thank you,

Magdrive UK Limited 

Contact Magdrive UK Limited for further details.