Pump Problems and Heating Issues

froggsong · #1 04-26-2010, 08:53 PM

ok, I have a problem... I have this pump that is a POND pump, and it's supposed to pump all the way fro mthe bottom of a pond up to a waterfall, and it is pumping up about 6 inches from the pump through a 1" pipe and it starts off ok (still way less flow that expected), then slows to a trickle. I could really use some advice on this. I feel like I need to add some other sort of filter here... I have an "extra" one on my fish tank I can use if I have to, and I have a cannister that I don't particularly care for because I've never been able to get it to run properly, but I don't really want to have to use either of those for various reasons. What is slowing down my pump? I hope someone can respond soon, I need to get this thing up and running again tonight before my plants start dying from lack of light and water.

I can take a video if necessary.

EDIT: I'll be instantly notified by email when someone responds, and I have my email coming to my phone so I'll know I've gotten one. I definitely appreciate any fast advice anyone can offer on this. Thanks guys!

beckdg · #2 04-26-2010, 08:58 PM

is the pipe the recommended diameter?

did the pump just come out of storage? can you get the impeller out and clean in there? is it making any noise? rattling?

froggsong · #3 04-26-2010, 09:04 PM

I've cleaned the pump quite a few times in the past couple of days because I got some sand in there. The impeller and all should be fine, and there's a stocking around the pipe that is attached to the pump. This is a pond pump, laguna I think, that is supposed to be used with that corrugated hose, about an inch in diameter. An inch pipe is just to wide to fit on the intake without the connector that I've never had with it. I have almost a whole roll of teflon tape rapped around the intake to make the 1" pipe fit snugly. The pump has been running for a while, but it always stops running. I think the problem before was the sand because it wasn't protected enough, but it can't get in there now. If I have to I can try to go fish out the case that foes around the pump and see if I can make it work that way, but it's going to take up way too much space and pose too much risk to my fish and their fry.

I don't have any pipe other than what I'm using, and I don't want to make the 30min trip to the store either. I've looked through all the fittings and stuff that I have and I just don't have anything else I can work with, other than a quick connect splitter that goes on the output.

froggsong · #4 04-26-2010, 09:06 PM

Also, the only noise it makes is right when you turn it on and it's sucking water, just that normal noise. It used to suck hard enough that it would create a whirlpool, but it's not doing it now. That could be because of the stocking, but I don't know why that would make it start out faster and then slow to nothing.

beckdg · #5 04-26-2010, 09:13 PM

has the flow been a gradual decrease. i ask because this is starting to sound like sand may have done the initial damage and it's just been wearing away since.

is the impeller seated right? is the housing seated right? is there anything that could be broken, unclean, worn down, etc.? is there a worn o ring somewhere that's allowing water to escape or things to wobble off balance? you might consider some teflon, plumbers or silicone lubricant... or vaseline in/around the moving areas. that might help too. assuming it slowed after cleaning it may just need lubrication...

beckdg · #6 04-26-2010, 09:14 PM

doh... the sand is new... doesn't sound promising so far...

froggsong · #7 04-26-2010, 09:21 PM

I checked the impeller and the housing really well with a bright flashlight to make sure there was no damage. It hasn't been a gradual thing at all, it just pretty much quit working right...

I just took out the stocking and rearranged the order of the pipes and I'm getting much stronger flow, we'll see if it slows like it did before. Maybe the stocking was the culprit. I've never had one do that before, but I might have knotted it in the wrong place.

beckdg · #8 04-26-2010, 09:23 PM

got any filter media? something near the course side? you could use that between the pump and the stocking to give the stocking more surface area to let water in.

beckdg · #9 04-26-2010, 09:25 PM

the slowing might have something to do with negative pressure. if it pulls the gasses out of the water there'll be less suction. if the gasses build up over time it'll get worse till it doesn't want to pump.

that's why the fx5 shuts off once every 24 hours... to purge the gasses and let the siphon re-fill the canister.

froggsong · #10 04-26-2010, 09:27 PM

Well, I was worried about sand getting sucked in, so when I swapped the order of the pipes I plugged the end of the intake side with some of that media that's supposed to be for biological filtration in HOB filters. It's coarse, but should still protect against the sand with the angle at which I placed the pipe. Here's hoping. I'm not counting on luck to keep a piece of sand from killing it next time.

EDIT: It's coarse compared to the stocking. It's still fairly fine, and the sand isn't a super fine one. I actually surprised the sand stopped the pump the way it did since this pump is supposed to be designed to pass large particles through the pump.