New 6105 pump, BAD clicking

[FishN00b83]

So I bought 2 6105 pumps for my Apex controller about a month ago. I didnt get to set them up until last week. After I set them up with a few profiles, I realized the left one was making a LOUD clicking sound when ever it went from 0 to 100. The right one is dead silent, and it's on the same profile. I emailed Tunze but I havent herd back from them as of now. What can I do about this? Has anyone experienced this?

 

[Craig Borowski]

There are a couple of things it could be. It's possible the pump just needs a little more time to break in. Most startup sounds decrease significantly over the course of two to three weeks.

But you should check to see if the pump's attenuation disc is in place. You'll need to remove the front cover of the 6105 and then slide the impeller out. Use a flashlight to look down at the bottom of the shaft. There should be a small disc like this one down at the bottom.

It's also possible that it's an issue with the Apex programming. When a Tunze controller triggers a pump to go from 0 to 100%, it gives it a tiny burst to get the impeller moving before immediately following up with 100% power. That little burst helps minimize noise. I'm not very familiar with Apex programming and can't say if this is possible with an Apex, but I imagine it is.

(You'll get faster responses by posting in this forum or contacting us directly.)

 

[rvitko]

I did get your email as well, but to expand on what Craig said-

Most noise issues work themselves out in a couple weeks, they are caused by parts needing to seat and air in the pump, especially in the small crevices between the shaft and rotor and under the rotor. If you search this forum you will find a few such complaints and see they resolved themselves.

The disk is one of the main mechanical causes, while quite rare, if it is missing or at some point the pump was disassembled and it was lost or installed upside down you will have more noise.

A front cover that is not fully clicked in will have more noise. Check that the gap is even all the way around the pump.

Rarely, a drive unit fits too tight on the shaft, such a pump will usually stall over time as well so I would ignore this possibility for now.

As Craig mentioned, different controllers can result in more noise, this will not be a huge issue but the ramp up function we add to our controllers does soften the start and some soft clicking should be expected with off and on function on most other makes of controller, it will even occur on ours but will be reduced.

I would also be sure that the pump is not contacting a hard surface in a corner for example.

The best course once you verify the front cover and disk are present is to switch this pump to a mode where it changes from 30-100% instead of off and on and give it a couple weeks to break in. As a general rule, the noise is reduced 50% after 2 weeks of use and a further 50% over the next 2 months and then they are full worn in and seated.

 

[FishN00b83]

Thank you for the replies guys. I will double check the housing and see if the blue disk is there in a few mins. Ill post again after I check it out. I guess if this is still happening in a few more weeks ill post in this thread again and take it from there?

 

[FishN00b83]

I just checked them both out. They have everything they're supposed to. Ill do what was suggested and keep it at 30-100 for a couple weeks and take it from there.

 

[rvitko]

Sounds good, if in 2 weeks it is still noisy, my next step would be to swap the drive units (prop and magnet between pumps), one may be too tight and binding so when pulled down it sticks and then suddenly slips and hits the base of the pump.

 

[FishN00b83]

Sounds like a plan to me. I put both pumps on a 30-100 program today. ill leave it like that for the two weeks then try the 0-100 again? By the way, thanks for responding so fast, you've been very helpful.

 

[FishN00b83]

I just tried putting the left pump on a 0-100 profile for 5 mins and it sounds like someone is hitting the glass with a hammer. I also tried switching the impellers and the left one still clicks. what should I do? More time?

 

[rvitko]

I think the next step is to send a new disk and impeller, it may need two disks (only the plastic part) these are a shim to space it into the magnetic field and the click means their is too much distance for the magnet to pull back. Pm me your address.

 

[FishN00b83]

I installed the new parts that I received and the one pump still clicked. After talking to rvitko, he told me to put both black disks in, Instant silence. He has been a huge help from start to finish, answering all my obnoxious questions over and over again. This company knows how to deal with people. Even after these little hiccups, i would definitely recommend these pumps to anyone! Thank you again for all the help, it's much appreciated.

 

[rvitko]

Thank you and sorry for the hassles.

 

[Sparkpaul]

Hi Roger,

I recently sold my two mp40wes but I sold them because they were loud. I just bought two tunze 6105 and an apex system and they arrived a week ago.

I had it run for 4 days without apex and they were dead silent

However, today I connected to them to apex and started setting up the profile and one of my two pumps is making a clicking noise when going from 0 - 100%

I used my hand to hold the clicking pump just to make sure it's not the holder but the noise continued. So I redid my programming because I don't want to damage it.

Should I let it run 30 - 100% for two weeks and see how it goes?

 

[rvitko]

The clicking will cause no damage. It is caused by the propeller magnet slapping the bottom of the pump on start up. Some noise is innevitable but we have done the following to reduce it as much as possible-

1) 3005.740 disk used since late 2010.

2) Controllers 7092 and 7096 have a ramp up feature since 2011 so the pump quickly goes from 0-10% and then jumps to 100%, this eases the magnet down and softens the click.

It is not possible to completely eliminate the noise from off and on use. It will reduce over a couple weeks of running in. A Tunze controller would help as well. Rarely a second 6065.792 disk can also greatly reduce the noise, this is the black plastic disk without the silicon cup of 3005.740 and is just stacked on top of the 3000.740.

 

[Sparkpaul]

How come only one of the pumps has that clicking noise when they are both run from the same apex controller and profile?

 

[FishN00b83]

I had the same exact problem. One was dead silent and the other sounded like a hammer hitting the glass. Now they're both dead silent. I haven't herd a click from either one if them and I have a 0-100 profile running most if the day.

 

[sahicharles]

Hi Roger, same thing here but I am using 7096 controller instead of apex. When I sync two pumps for wave mode, both pumps have a clicking sound, is it normally? Will this issue be address by adding the extra black disk?

 

[rvitko]

It depends on the severity of the click, a soft click is normal, if you can only hear it right at the tank, I would not add the disk, if you can hear it some feet away and the pump has run a couple weeks already, then I would consider this solution.

 

[Sparkpaul]

Hi Roger, I can hear it for several meters away.
The tank is in the school library and it has to be silent.

I will wait and let it get adjusted for two weeks and let you know if it continues.
By the way, do you know why only one makes that clicking sound?

 

[sahicharles]

It depends on the severity of the click, a soft click is normal, if you can only hear it right at the tank, I would not add the disk, if you can hear it some feet away and the pump has run a couple weeks already, then I would consider this solution.

On mine, you can hear both pump are making a clicking sound pretty clear when the pumps are making a short pulse to make the wave, I was worry it will damage the pumps so change to pulse mode currently. I will change to wave mode again and let it run for two weeks to see if the clicking sound will fade away.

 

[rvitko]

The coil can be positioned slightly higher or lower in the motor, if it is higher, when the pump turns on the coil pulls the propeller magnet down and it slaps the bottom of the pump, it has more distance to travel. That is why the 6065.792 fixes it, it shims up this gap.

The reason we ask customers to run them at least two weeks is that the drive magnet and shaft polish in with use and so some of the clicking can be because the drive magnet hangs up and suddenly slams down, once this is polished down, the noise goes away and unnessecary shims will result in more noise

It is only a noise, the magnet is moving 2mm down and smacking the bottom, it will not do any harm, it doesn't have that much force.