Quiet One return Pump problems

[ReefRacer]

I have 2 Quiet one 3000's. The first I bought ran ok for a short time and then after I unplugged it I had to plug it in over and over to get it to start. It got to the point that I had to take the front off the pump, push start the impeller and stick the front back on and hurry and fill the sump top off compartment back up to keep it from running dry. I cleaned it and it did the same thing. I didn't want to be without a return so I ordered another and was going to send the original back to the manufacturer but never did. Now the new one is doing the same thing- In fact it stopped while I was working in the sump. I had to do the same thing to get it going. I stuck the parts in vinegar for a while and scrubbed inside the pump with a bottle brush dipped in vinegar. I didn't see a build up on any parts but I do drip kalk into the same compartment as the return pump. My float switch gets bound up with kalk deposits pretty quit. Any advice?

[cee]

The tolerances on Quiet Ones are pretty tight, and they do bind pretty easily. Also, when they do bind, if you don't catch it fairly quickly, the impeller permanent magnet can suffer demagnetization damage IME. I have one, but only use it on a closed loop, and clean it every 2 months with a bath in vinegar. It's especially important to remove the deposits at the bottom of the impeller housing, which is not easy and usually requires "picking" the calcium deposits away after an overnight soak.

Dave

[ReefRacer]

I assume the cure for demagnetization is a new impeller? Mike

[cee]

Clean it good first to make sure it's demagnetized (obviously, it won't spin). You can check by not installing the volute, but put the impeller in the motor and just hold the other end of the shaft. Plug it in and see if it spins. If it does, it just needs a good cleaning. If it doesn't, get another impeller (doesn't matter if it's from the same pump or not) and hold it near the motor. You'll feel the "pull" of the magnetic field if the motor's OK. If not, your motor's shot (which can happen if the impeller seizes since the motor losses are higher). That should help you isolate the source of the problem. HTH.

Dave