Fire Hazard - Auqamedic Ocean Runner Pump 3500 / OR3700

[Brent Thomann]

Just wanted to share my experience I just had.

All of a sudden I noticed this strong electrical burning smell in my house. I immediately went down stairs to my fish room to find it full of smoke and at the same time my fire alarms sounded. I could see right away that the smoke was coming from my Aqua Medic Turboflotor 5000 Protein Skimmer's pump, a Ocean Runner 3500 / OR3700. I unplugged it right away and the smoke slowly stopped billowing out of it. I could see water coming out of the back of the pump from where the smoke was coming from. see pics below. After further inspection I found a crack in the back of the pump from where the water coming from and the back of the pump under the cap was all burnt.

I'm sure glad I was up and home to catch it right away or else my home would of been toast. The pump was right up against my wall and near several other flammable stuff. I would of never thought something like with would happen in a million years with a pump. Now my wife is scared of my reef. Scared for our house & kids and I am too.

Has anyone one else heard of this happening. I would clean the pumps at least twice a year.

 

[Jacwil]

Wow Brent...I'm glad you were there and able to catch it in time!

 

[5380]

Glad it didn't turn out worse. Are you going to report the incident?

 

[rjmayes34]

glad to hear everyones ok and a crisis has been avoided! Yup, real lucky you were home! Was it plugged into a GFI outlet? Thats would/should have cut the power when it overheated....

 

[Henry Colf]

Wow Brent thank God you were home. I've run a OR6500 in my sump for the last 3 yrs. and have never had a problem with it. I also clean my pump 2x a year. I have never had any issuses with it.

 

[pascal32]

Holy crap, glad everyone is alright!

 

[MatAndPatti]

Report it!

Report it!

Glad to hear everyone and everything is OK!! Lucky indeed that you were home!

I'd urge you to report it both to the manufacturer as well as file a report with the CPSC (http://www.cpsc.gov/). (I wouldn't trust any manufacturer to self-report, even if they are required to do so.) Never know... You may not be the only one that's ever had a problem with this product.

Coincidentally, I just checked out the CPSC home page and they've got the Stealth heater recall as one of their scrolling news items up at the top! http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html