help.. main pump not working

[dacoolguychris]

ok here's the dilemma.. i have a little giant 3 mdqx-sc

i turned off my tank because i was moving stuff around in the stup.. and didnt want the sand and etc to get sucked into the main return pump.. when everything was settled i turned the pump back on and it doesn't work now..
I've had this pump for about a year now and have done this before without fail...

but this time it just makes a humming noise.. my old pump crapped out on me but when it did.. it didn't even make a humming noise..

there is water in the pump and hoses surrounding the pump.. what is the problem?...

I just took it apart and cleaned out the chamber to make sure there was no rocks.. or sand stuck in there...I don't want to keep trying it out.. because i'm sure it'll burn the motor..

let me know is there is anything i can do besides buy a new one,.
-Chris

BTW... anybody have a little giant 3 mdqx-sc they want to sell?

[bugsy714]

the shaft might have calcium buildup. Try breaking it down and soaking all the internal parts in warm vinigar water over night. I use half water half vinegar

[dacoolguychris]

but the propeller spins freely on it when i had it outta the pump..
i think it's something to do with the magnet.. polarization.. or whatever.. is there anywhay i can test it with the pump open.. you know just to maybe manually push the propeller to start it..

i really don't ahve the cash to buy a new pump.. of this size..

aaahh
-Chris

[dacoolguychris]

well i fixed it..
desparate times call for deparate measures.. i plugged the pump in.. while the propeller chamber was open and then i spun it with my hand.. the magnet caught on and started sinning by itself..

i hooked it up and it works again..
now there's water all over the place.. but it works..

nothing a few towels can't fix..
phew
-Chris

[gtrestoration]

When you have time and maybe a backup pump handy be sure it will restart on it's own if the power goes off.
SteveU

[jeffreylam1132]

Hey Chris,

How's the corals doing. Hope everything is doing fine. LMK.......

[1FatBlenny]

glad you were able fix it :D

thats exactly what happened to one of my pumps.
you gotta manually "kickstart" it in order for it to turn back on again.

this was actually the puny pump that came with the 12G nano tank. a couple of smacks and a flick got it working again.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by dacoolguychris
well i fixed it..
desparate times call for deparate measures.. i plugged the pump in.. while the propeller chamber was open and then i spun it with my hand.. the magnet caught on and started sinning by itself..

i hooked it up and it works again..
now there's water all over the place.. but it works..

nothing a few towels can't fix..
phew
-Chris

The way magnetic drive pumps work is by generating a rotating magnetic field which pulls the magnets in the rotor. For this to happen, the rotating field generated by the armature has to magnetically "Engage" the magnets of the rotor. In order for them to engage the rotor has to start with no load. in order to do so, the pallets mounted on the rotor are loose in a way that the rotor can rotate about a quarter of a turn before the pallets get moving. If the pallets are stuck and do not have this 1/4 turn play, there will be load on the rotor and it will not engage so just the humming noise made by the rotating field passing by the rotor magnets.
The pallets usually stuck to the rotor by Calcium Deposits so insure when the rotor is being cleaned to move the pallets until they get loose by the vinager disolving the Calcium.
Hope this info helps.

[dacoolguychris]

thanks for all the info jdieck.. i cleaned the propeller chamber and it is now moving freely.. and should be fine for a while..

1fatblenny.. i was about to throw the darn think.. screw the flicking and shaking :)

jeffrey.. the corals look great.. they really filled up my tank and give me something to look @ now :).. i have my new skimmer hooked up and everything looks great.. here's a picture of my tank i took after i put everything in my tank ...
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/39977fishtank052605.jpg

yeay!!!
-Chris

[jdieck]

Originally posted by dacoolguychris
thanks for all the info jdieck.. i cleaned the propeller chamber and it is now moving freely.. and should be fine for a while..

-Chris
Just wanted to be sure that by moving freely you mean the propeller mounted on the rotor and not only the whole propeller-rotor assembly.

[dacoolguychris]

haha.. yeah the ceramic shaft is in the pump.. and everything is the way it was
:)

-Chris

[tidesntails]

when you pull the pump use a screw driver and go into the inpout and you can spin it with out taking it all apart, i had one that did it for a year now its one of the back up pumps
Robert

[jdieck]

Originally posted by dacoolguychris
haha.. yeah the ceramic shaft is in the pump.. and everything is the way it was
:)

-Chris

:D Of course the shaft should be in and the whole assembly shall rotate but I am still not sure if I explained myself:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/586/18470Impeller.jpg

The Rotor and pallets rotate on the ceramic shaft. But if you hold the rotor (see pic) and try turning the pallets, the pallets shall move around 1/4 of a turn before they lock with the rotor. Do the pallets move freely that 1/4 turn back and fore while holding the rotor without moving?