Tunze 9101 troubleshooting

[caribfan]

I have two used Tunze 9101 that have stopped working. They were both in service with a controller and over time, they both stopped spinning, not at the same time though.

I took them out and gave them a vinegar bath and that seemed to remedy the problem for a short while ( 3 - 4 weeks), but now I'm back in the same situation.

I pulled the impellers out of both powerheads and put a new impeller in and neither of them would turn.

This was done not hooked up to the controller, but just hooked up straight to the power.

How can I determine if my motor block is bad? Is there any repairing these if that's the case?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[rvitko]

Do you possibly mean a 6101?

When you did the vinegar bath, did you first remove the propeller assembly and bushings?

 

[caribfan]

Do you possibly mean a 6101?

When you did the vinegar bath, did you first remove the propeller assembly and bushings?

yes, meant 6101. I'm inventing new products, lol.

I don't recall if I took the impeller out. I can do another one with the impeller removed. Should I try to find a brush to clean the inside of that cavity out?

 

[rvitko]

I would try that, the key is that the impeller is not seized to the bushing at the bottom of the well, it has a red o ring under it. This pump would be 8-9 years old so it is quite plausible that the motor had failed.

 

[caribfan]

Got it. I've got everything in a vinegar bath. I'm not holding my breath though, the impellers are separate from the bushings.

Is there anything that can be done for the motors if that is the issue?

 

[caribfan]

So quick update..

Both power supplies work.

Both impellers will spin in a working 6101, I got one from a friend to help trouble shoot.

One of the pumps will spin, but kind of erratically. If I hook it up to the controller, it does not work.

The other pump appears to have a dead motor block as none of the impellers will spin.

Is there anything I can do to help the working pump run smoother?

Is there anything to be done for the motor block that doesn't spin. I noticed that two of these pumps have a white liner in the motor block cavity. The one that doesn't work does not and is black.

 

[rvitko]

The liners were just different plastic colors, we tried white as it was a glass reinforced plastic and white was the natural color and more consistent, the black can vary in shade from grey to black. In the end white was a bad choice because it is hard to see calcium deposits and verify that it is clean. The motors are a sealed unit, they are no longer repairable as the spare motor 6101.015 is no longer available. If you are interested I would work with you on discounts for 6105's, the current equivalent.

 

[caribfan]

The liners were just different plastic colors, we tried white as it was a glass reinforced plastic and white was the natural color and more consistent, the black can vary in shade from grey to black. In the end white was a bad choice because it is hard to see calcium deposits and verify that it is clean. The motors are a sealed unit, they are no longer repairable as the spare motor 6101.015 is no longer available. If you are interested I would work with you on discounts for 6105's, the current equivalent.

Ok, I'll keep that in mind, I appreciate it.

Does the erratic spinning on the pump that works point to an impeller problem or a motor block problem?

 

[rvitko]

If everything is clean, no cracks in the drive magnet, it is a motor block problem.

 

[caribfan]

So, the plot thickens here. I needed to Mix some salt water the other day and figured I'd see if I could use one of these power heads that's working erratically. I dropped it into the trash can and it proceeded to run for a week without issue.

I decided to put it back in the tank and it almost immediately started having issues.

Put it back in the salt mixing trash can and it runs without issue. Any thoughts here? Could it be an issue with how the power head is sitting on the mag mount? I tried it with and without the controller In my tank.

 

[rvitko]

My hunch is there is a break in one of the wires, there are five very fine wires in the cord, similar in size to phone wires. If one has a break it can work when the position of the cord is just right.

 

[caribfan]

Any way to trouble shoot that?

 

[caribfan]

I suppose I could put it in the tank and move the wire until I found a position it would run consistently in.