Tunze 90002 Pump Cleaning/Issues

[nattarbox]

Howdy, having a few issues with my 9002, which has otherwise been running great for almost a year now.

I noticed that there was no skimmate being generated this week. Removing the cup, there were no bubbles noticeable in the chamber, and very little water movement. I figured it just needed a good cleaning, so I took the skimmer apart and scrubbed everything.

After returning it to the tank, it still wasn't drawing any air or generating much water movement to speak of. I took it apart again and checked the pump. Testing it outside of the skimmer, it looks as if the impeller is "catching" every few seconds, pausing in rotation then resuming.

I tried cleaning it some more, brushing out the area around the shaft where the impeller sits, but no luck.

Any tips on getting this pump working again, or should I plan on ordering a new one soon? This has already been out of operation for a few days, and I don't want to go too much longer without skimming on the tank.

 

[Aquadepot]

Try soaking the dismantled pump and impellor in vinegar overnight if this does not help, you will need to send it in.

 

[rvitko]

Also check the impeller, it may be just a bad impeller. Hold the magnet in one hand and turn the impeller blades with the other, if they turn a full 360 or can be moved up and down while holding the magnet, it is likely just a bad impeller, something may have entered the pump and damaged it, for example, over time fine sand can cut the base plastic off the magnet bottom.

 

[nattarbox]

The blades can move slightly when holding the magnet, but not a full 360. I tried plugging it in a few times and it appears to now be running ok, but at a somewhat reduced volume. I opened the air valve up some more to compensate and it seems to be skimming decently.

I'll keep an eye on it for a bit and possibly try the overnight soak in vinegar, it seems as if there might be something in the shaft of the impeller preventing it from spinning at the normal rate.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[rvitko]

They should normally move about 270 degrees. The most likely culprit if the impeller is OK is that calcium deposits have built up on the metal shaft or in the hole in the drive unit that spins on the shaft, I would try cleaning these with vinegar and check that they parts spin freely.