Unreliability of 9012 motor/impeller

[kinnadian]

Hi Roger,

I'm having reliability issues with my 9012.

I've had it less than a year, since then the impeller has broken apart, then the motor stopped (wouldn't spin the impeller), I got a new one and a few months later my new motor will now fail to start again. The impeller is not broken but the motor won't turn the impeller.

I have soaked both the impeller and motor in vinegar, scrubbed them well with a scourer pad (as well as inside the motor chamber). There is nothing inside the motor chamber. The pump has never run dry.

When I turn the motor on, sometimes it won't turn at all, and sometimes the impeller will spin half a turn and then stop (but continue to vibrate as if it wants to turn). After this, continuing to turn off and on again won't move the impeller. Trying to take it out, the impeller feels like it has somehow been bound in the motor, very difficult to remove. After putting back in again it spins freely by hand, and when I turn it on, it might turn half a spin again (or none at all).

I've made a video of what happens, click here: https://vid.me/e/A85h

The clicking at the end of the video is me turning the power point on and off trying to make it start again.

So this is the 2nd motor (and 1 impeller) I have been through in 1 year.

Is there a known reliability issue with a batch of these motors/impellers? If I get another issue (which I expect at this point) as soon as I am out of warranty period then I will have to buy a new motor (or impeller), which I don't have much confidence in at this point so would likely give up on the skimmer altogether and go to a different brand.

My supplier (Aquanet in NZ) is being helpful sending out replacement parts but I doubt this will last long if I continue to get failures. I expect he will have a batch of impellers/motors all from the same production cycle so if this is a manufacturing fault I will continue to get these issues unless he gets a new batch. I believe he is also slowing pulling out of selling wholesale equipment so may be unable to support me at all.

Edit: I've read this thread and your last post: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2520954

But I assume this is only to fix the issue with air not being sucked in sometimes?

 

[Mightyfish]

I have my two 9012 for just under one year and this is my fourth impellers now. Previous ones were all broken after couple of months.

 

[rvitko]

A redesigned impeller will be available in about a month, it will solve this. The issue is the impeller and not the motor, it separates and either doesn't spin the needlewheel or the spacing is compromised so it spins and cannot draw air.

 

[kinnadian]

Will this be available from Tunze US/Germany, or our local supplier?

My impeller shaft is not separated from the impeller, and the shaft itself won't even spin, will this still fix the issue?

 

[rvitko]

I cannot comment on every country, I only know the 115V 60Hz pumps we have here, I have never had a motor failure. They will be available from Tunze Germany in a few weeks and every distributor will get them if they order after that.

 

[Mightyfish]

A redesigned impeller will be available in about a month, it will solve this. The issue is the impeller and not the motor, it separates and either doesn't spin the needlewheel or the spacing is compromised so it spins and cannot draw air.

Hi Roger, will new design impeller be sent to Australia when it is available or will there be a wait? Also, when new impellers are available can i ask for one from 9012 distributor or do i have to wait for existing impeller to break again first?

 

[rvitko]

I don't know when it will be available worldwide, the factory should have them ready in a few weeks, Australia is far and transport times are long so it could be a while, but the point is it will be solved, you may well need another impeller in the meantime and they will send it.