DC return pump stopped working

[EDJFA]

I was doing a water change this morning and unplugged my return pump. When I plugged it back in...nothing.

It's a Jabao DC12000. It's been running well since I set up the tank a few years ago. So well that I've never taken it out of the tank to clean it. Looking at it now, it doesn't seem to be so dirty that it wouldn't work.

Any idea what would make this pump just stop working? It appears to be getting power through the power supply and the control panel, but not to the pump itself. At least the lights are on at both those places, leading me to believe that the power is going where it's supposed to.

It's an easy replacement if I need one, but if anyone has a suggestion on what I should do before I go searching for a new one, I'd love to hear it.

 

[babybull]

My drive went out on mine. Replaced it and a couple weeks my pump stopped working. It just needed a good cleaning. The magnet on impeller was pretty dirty. Cleaned it all up and it has been working fine since then..Also bought a replacement pump just to be safe.

 

[Aqua Man 07]

if you got a couple years out of it you are doing good they all fail at some point

 

[EDJFA]

I got it working again. It didn't want to, but I got it started after cleaning it. It took manually spinning the impeller, but now that I've got it going, it seems to be doing OK.

I'm going to buy a new one just in case.

Which leads me to another question - what are the good internal return pumps?

Fish Street sent me this on in a shipping error and they agreed to let me keep it for only $50. I wasn't at the point of looking for a return pump yet when I got it, so I hadn't done any research.

I like that I can change the output of this motor from the control pad. I don't use that feature except when I'm doing a water change, but it is convenient.

Any suggestions?

 

[kegogut]

I just had the same problem with my Jebao DC12000. I switched it out for a new Mag 12 pump that crapped out on me 2 weeks later. After that I decided to buck up and get the Ecotech Vectra L1. So far it's been doing amazing. Its definitely the quietest pump Ive ever owned. Ive never had a problem with any ecotech product Ive used which is the main reason I decided to get it.

If you can afford it I highly recommend it.

 

[mpgrant77]

It is calcium buildup on the impeller shaft. I had the same problem. Mine would not start back up after a feed cycle once every two months or so. I would have to take the pump apart and soak it in vinegar. Then put it back together and it would work perfect until it built calcium back up. I eventually had to remove the shaft from the impeller and give it a really good cleaning. Finally I just replaced it with a waveline pump. No more problems. The design of the impeller and shaft allow calcium to build up and stop the impeller from freely turning. Jabeo could use a little redesign on this assembly. Calcium will tend to build on parts that get a little warmer like a shaft spinning on a bushing.

 

[EDJFA]

It stopped again. I had it plugged into different outlet while I was working with it and when I got it started again I decided to leave well enough alone.

Problem was that I couldn't close my office door with the pump plugged into the outlet just outside the door. When I tried to move it, it wouldn't turn back one.

MPGrant - thanks for the explanation. I've got a bucket full of a vinegar and water sitting here just for things like this.

I'll put it in there to soak overnight.

 

[mpgrant77]

Mine got bad enough over time that even soaking it in vinegar would not help. I could not get the vinegar to penetrate into the shaft and bushing area enough to fully clean it. I had to physically remove the impeller off the shaft to get it fully cleaned. It was not easy, I had to use a puller to remove it.