Impeller fused inside pump due to calcium build up!

[James Yeung]

Hello,

Has anyone experienced this before? Impeller must have ceased up and had more time to calcify for an additional 3-6 weeks. I've been soaking it in vinegar for 3 weeks now. Pump now looks brand spaking new but no success.

I'm at a loss here without breaking the impeller.

It's for an Eheim 650GPH pump. These impellers are $$$.

Anyone has good ideas to undo this problem?

Thanks!

 

[THE ROOK]

Can you remove the impeller & shaft, exposing the magnet?

If so, maybe tapping on the shaft with a small rubber mallet would free it up. I would not hit it with anything solid as the magnet may shatter.

 

[sikpupy]

see if you can get the ceramic shaft out. Once thats out, you may be able to rock it back and forth a little. If that does not work, grab a paper clip and see if it will fit into the space and slowly chip away at it while you watch TV. Next option is to go buy a auto feeler guage. Should be able to bend that to size to get into the crack to chip away at it.

 

[romanr]

Are you using full strenth vinegar? Make sure all shake the pump under a bucket of vinegar to let out any bubbles. Try to move the shaft as much as possible and soak again. You might have to repeat many times. I've had this happen before and it's a pain. First time it happened I broke the shaft and had to buy a new one. Not that expensive compared to a new impeller.

 

[DT's_Reef]

Make certain you've taken the pump apart as much as possible (e.g., expose the impeller) and soak it in full strength vinegar. This shouldn't take more than a day.

 

[Mariner]

You might try something a little stronger than vinegar. I've used muratic acid with great success -- removes deposits vinegar doesn't touch. But you have to be cautious with it, it is real "eat your flesh" acid! Do not get it on your skin or breathe its fumes!
Try this. Submerge your pump in a bucket with a gallon or two of water, add a cup or two of muratic acid and a powerhead to circulate the water and leave it for a couple of hours. This should all be done outside and where pets and people won't get into it.
FWIW,
Mariner

 

[jdhuyvetter]

Only time that happened to me wasn't calcium. The magnet oxidized (rusted) and swelled up.

 

[James Yeung]

Thanks for all the tips guys!

I'm using 3% vinegar. It's useless right now. Shaft is stuck right onto the impeller as well and that is always the case anyway whenever I clean my pumps to losen it up. I usually clean my pumps every 3-4 months. This time I got lazy and didn't do for over 1/2 year and neglected to even check on a routine basis (besides the ones going to refuge and main tank). Whatever gaps this Eheim pump had in there, it's incased with calcium. Mind you, the gap is probably very very thin.

Where can I buy this muratic acid or something stronger? I've soaked the whole pump in vinegar for a week. One day actually cleared everything up except for the impeller chamber. Right now, the pump is not entirely soaked in vinegar, just the chamber area. I also used CLR to no affect.

Auto feeler gauage sounds like a good idea. The gap is hairline thin, that's all I know.

 

[jenglish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15238701#post15238701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mariner
You might try something a little stronger than vinegar. I've used muratic acid with great success -- removes deposits vinegar doesn't touch. But you have to be cautious with it, it is real "eat your flesh" acid! Do not get it on your skin or breathe its fumes!
Try this. Submerge your pump in a bucket with a gallon or two of water, add a cup or two of muratic acid and a powerhead to circulate the water and leave it for a couple of hours. This should all be done outside and where pets and people won't get into it.
FWIW,
Mariner

I have done this as well.... mind you it will dissolve metal and please do it outside in a place that children animals cannot get to it. If this does not work then it is not calcium.

 

[Mariner]

I picked up a gallon of muratic acid at Lowe's awhile back. Some hardware stores might have it, but some won't carry it because it is quite hazardous.
Mariner

 

[James Yeung]

Hmmm... I was just at Lowes today! Grand opening and saw something unbelievably priced. 2" plastic ball valves for $10CDN! Cheapest place I've seen were $18CDN and no other big box/small box carried it, except for specialty pond shops or pool shops but was a rip off. I bought 4 more to stock up on pond plumbing supplies.

Anyway... back on topic. muriatic acid... that's hydrochloric acid right? I saw some kind of liquid acid type stuff by the gallon some weeks ago but forgot the name. Used for cleaning concrete. Would that be good enough if I don't find muriatic acid?

I would find this stuff in the paint section right? I hate to go around asking someone and then they won't know what it is and give me strange looks why I'm using it for a water pump for fish. LOL!

I just checked my pump again today... Damn that thing is still stuck on solid. My reef tank has now become skimmerless reef for 2+ months. My 9 or so clams may or may not be enjoying it.

 

[THE ROOK]

It is usually near the paint. It will say muratic acid right on it (red letters), along with a warning label. It's sold by the gallon.

 

[jenglish]

Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid... like 31% by weight or so. It is used for pools and cleaning concrete. You just don't want some product with other stuff in it. Just ask for it, they won't know what it's for.

 

[goochesfish]

I soak pumps by running them in vinegar every couple of months because this has happened to me before.

 

[BFG]

You could try this.

http://www.deltecusa.us/aquariummedia/ezeclean.php

Hope this helps!

 

[che25]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15238701#post15238701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mariner
You might try something a little stronger than vinegar. I've used muratic acid with great success -- removes deposits vinegar doesn't touch. But you have to be cautious with it, it is real "eat your flesh" acid! Do not get it on your skin or breathe its fumes!
Try this. Submerge your pump in a bucket with a gallon or two of water, add a cup or two of muratic acid and a powerhead to circulate the water and leave it for a couple of hours. This should all be done outside and where pets and people won't get into it.
FWIW,
Mariner

Watch-out: Muratic acid, or Hydrochloric Acid (HCL), is really, really, really hot. We use it to clean excess stucco off of finished concrete. I don't think I would want it anywhere near a reef tank.

 

[jdieck]

Muriatic acid will work but start with a lower concentration, like 1/2 a cup per gallon. Submerge the impeller asembly (with shaft) for about 1 hour.
Finally a recomendation. Calcium carbonate tends to precipitate in areas that are heated like pump impellers. Try maintaining an alkalinity level into the 8 to 9 dKh rather than 10 or 11.
Also keep on the look out for stuck pups/powrheads and clean as soon as they stop otherwise they tend to heat a lot more when stopped thus increasing precipitation very fast.

 

[gabbagabbawill]

Just a safety tip - I use muriatic acid to clean the rust out of old gasoline tanks on motorcycles. It will take it down to a new surface of bare metal. I recommend wearing some good rubber gloves. Also, don't get it in your mouth like I did. It cause me to loose part of my front tooth, as a drop landed in my mouth. Sounds stupid, I know, but it happened. Just be careful. Should probably wear safety goggles too and have some baking soda nearby to counteract the acid, should you get it on skin, hair, eyes or teeth. good luck!

 

[James Yeung]

Hey, thanks all for the tips. I'll go searching tonight and follow all your precautions.

I failed to clean my pumps in 6+ months. I usually do every 3 or so months but got lazy and forgotten over time.

I'll report back on my progress.

Thanks!

 

[James Yeung]

Crap. Lowes and Home Depot don't sell it.

I did find one that is Oxalic Acid but is for cleaning fences by power spraying. Doesn't sound strong enough to me since it can be use like that. And for the concrete stuff, the main ingredient is something like sodium something mixed up with other chemicals... nothing that sounds like acid to me. :-(