dosing pump question

[Xubar]

I plug the darn thing in and it won't suck up from my reserve RO bucket to my sump (for auto top-offs). It'll suck the water up about 2" then the water will drop back into the bucket...it just keeps doing this.

I also noticed that when I plugged it in sometimes it'll rotate one way, then when I plug it in again, it'll rotate the other way - is this normal? It's a used pump, and I'm not familiar with them, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

The pump is an aqua medic sp3000.

 

[Xubar]

^

 

[Xubar]

^^

 

[rbursek]

Some pumps need a positive head, {water source equal or higher then the pump}. Yours may be one of them.

 

[Playa-1]

You could have a bad seal or a pin hole on the draw tube preventing the pump from picking up the liquid. It would be like trying to drink through a straw with a hole in it.

If the pump is running backwards periodically then you may have some electrical issues, clogged tubing, clogged footvalve, or maybe a reverse switch that you are not aware of.

If the pump is running backwards all the time then you have the draw tube and the discharge tube on backwards.

If you don't have one, then you may want to add a footvalve on the bottom of the draw tube.

You will want to try and keep the pump relatively close to the liquid that it is pumping.

 

[IslandCrow]

Put a check valve between the RO bucket and the pump. That should fix the problem. A second check valve between the pump and wherever it's going usually isn't necessary, but sometimes helps as well.

P.S.
It's also in the directions. . .

 

[Xubar]

Check valve fixed it right up! Now I need to figure out about the crap-shoot on which way it'll turn when plugged in.

 

[IslandCrow]

Now, that's rather strange. It should always turn the same direction. I'd give the manufacturer a call. Yours may be defective.

 

[wiscsaltwater]

if it turns the wrong way your polarity on your outlet could be reversed.