Beckie Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 How can you tell if a punp is going out? Brand is Coralife-turob-c 1270. Any thoughts on a replacement? The tank is running hot and I have no other ideas as to what it could be. Beckie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 feel the pump casing is it hot??? does the pump make grinding noises? Does the flow seem reduced from what it should be? Have you taken the pump out and cleaned it throughly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Try asking it. J/K Most of the time when A ump is going out it will eather go out in a snap and not work or it'll make god offle noises then after a while just stop. If it isnt pumping like it should, I would try cleaning it! Pump should be cleaned at least once a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 All of the above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 The case fells fairly hot. I don't know if the noise is new, its always been pretty loud. I blew out the fan area. How else do you clean them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 gotta take the pump out and clean inside whare the impeller is. There will be some nasty slime inside the, um, well, all the pluming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 If you can't hold your hand on the pump for 30 seconds or more it is adding more heat to the tank than it should. With a submersible pump then I would expect any big difference in temp from the water to indicate a problem. (The water will wick away the heat faster than air so it is harder to tell if it's running hot) Also check power heads if you have any. Depending on the pump there will be different ways to remove the cover to get the impeller out and clean it. Also clean any other parts (Cover, inside the impeller bore, etc.). If the buildup is stubborn let them soak in white vinegar. I've heard the pumps should be cleaned every 3 months rather than a year. Cleaning it too much isn't going to hurt whereas waiting too long will damage the pump eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 what pump is it?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks everyone I guess I will be plugging lines and learning to clean a pump after work. I'll let ya all know how dumb I am after I try it. Beckie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks everyone I guess I will be plugging lines and learning to clean a pump after work. I'll let ya all know how dumb I am after I try it. Beckie Not knowing the particular pump I'll toss out a couple of things to watch for. First is that there is almost always an O-Ring on the cover. Sometimes this is on the cover in a lip around it, other times it fits into a slot that matches on the case and cover. The former is usually not a problem but the latter is often shaped to fit and will often fall out, if so it will need to go back in the same way it came out. Second is to watch out for the washers and bushings that are usually at both ends of the impeller. The washer will usually stick to either the bushing or the impeller and invariably will get knocked off some time while cleaning. I instead try to get the washers removed right away and set them aside so they do not get lost. The bushings (Usually plastic/nylon) may or may not come out of the cover/case with the impeller. Either way make sure they do not get lost. BTW, If the impeller is damaged do not automatically run out to get another pump. Quite often the pump will still be fine but the impeller gets worn by debris running through it. When this happens it can often be fixed by getting a new impeller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks Rick, sounds scary- with my limited/no experiance I see a yucky afternoon coming my way. Thanks for letting me know all that sfuff is in there though. Beckie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 nah they aren't too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks Rick, sounds scary- with my limited/no experiance I see a yucky afternoon coming my way. Thanks for letting me know all that sfuff is in there though. Beckie Not meant to be scary (It really isnt very difficult), just meant to be better prepared since the o-rings, little washers, and bushings can be hard to buy if they get lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I will be plugging lines I blew out the fan areaSounds like it is an external pump. True union ball valves are your friend here, but plugging bulkheads is about your only option other than draining the sump. If the pump is not as quiet as it used to be, it could be a few things. 1st- a small snail shell or other debris could be stuck inside the impeller. Take apart the "wet end" of the pump and inspect. 2nd- the "wet end" of the pump uses ceramic bearings/shafts. They may be worn out and you would need a new impeller assembly. 3rd- the "dry end" of the pump also has bearings inside of the motor. If those bearings are shot, you need to replace the whole thing. They are usually sealed, not serviceable. 4th- There is the "fan" at the end of the pump. One of the fins could be bent, causing it to gouge the casing and making a high pitch noise. That's an easy fix ans they are usually easily bent back into shape. Remember, true union ball valves are your best friend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Thanks sooo much for all your ideas. The pump has always been loud, not sure if its worse but sounds like a good cleaning is way over due. I got home really late so not tonight. I want stores open in case some thing goes wrong. What started all this was high temp. Running nothing but the pump and 1 koralia all night it dropped to 80. After I got home ...I am running 4 of the 8 t5's. Pump and 1 koralia fan. It went up to 81.8 in an hour. Looks like I need Fans for the hood. Thanks Everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Thanks sooo much for all your ideas. The pump has always been loud, not sure if its worse but sounds like a good cleaning is way over due. I got home really late so not tonight. I want stores open in case some thing goes wrong. What started all this was high temp. Running nothing but the pump and 1 koralia all night it dropped to 80. After I got home ...I am running 4 of the 8 t5's. Pump and 1 koralia fan. It went up to 81.8 in an hour. Looks like I need Fans for the hood. Thanks Everyone Do you have a box or pedestal fan (Or almost any utility fan)? If so try opening the hood and directing them towards the opening. (Not directly at the water but rather so the air runs across the water) If it stays cooler then it could just be the lights meaning you need fans in the hood. I would still clean the pump though as it probably needs it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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