Bubble Blaster not restarting

[Baxreefs]

Like the title says, I'm running my SRO 3000 Ext, I just hooked it up Friday night and it ran all night and day yesterday. This moring it was stalled. Now it just stutters and stops but won't restart. The impeller is clean. The shaft appears to be in good shape.

Anyone with any eperience with these Bubble Blaster pumps that can shed some light on this issue?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Bax, here’s my experience with an Atman 2500….on an SWC 160. It is a mesh wheel pump and it was stalling….not completely….but not maintaining a bubble-filled column. I played with nylon washers (at HD in those drawers in the Hardware section). I found that three washers on the mesh wheel side, and it worked just fine. My guess was that the mesh wheel was binding/rubbing on the front plate of the pump. The washers moved the wheel away just enough to stop the binding. No guarantee, but that’s my story with an Atman!

 

[Baxreefs]

Thanks Paul

I was told by another reefer that a new BB pump arrived with a cracked ceramic shaft, so, I'm headed out to drain the skimmer again and pull the pump to check the shaft. I have it fed from the drain so it's not as simple as my old set up of shutting off a pump anf twisting off a union. I just had the impeller in my hand this moring, but did not pull the shaft apart! Doah! 8)

Visually, the needle wheel looks in a good position to run just fine?

 

[Baxreefs]

It's a broken shaft

Interesting, I can see where it was previously glued I bought is "slightly" used on RC.

Need to order a shaft on RUSH delivery! I removed my ASM G4X last night!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Bax, for a quick fix today, try your local hobby shop. Can’t remember who posted this, but they found that the carbon fiber rod available at the local hobby shop is the same diameter as the impeller shafts. Now it’s not ceramic, but it might be enough of a temporary fix until the replacement gets there.

 

[NJ Reef Farm]

bax if you try the carbon rod idea please understand the importance of your lungs and anyone else in the house when working with that stuff I'd rather wait for a part then have carbon shards floating around my house just a heads up

 

[Baxreefs]

bax if you try the carbon rod idea please understand the importance of your lungs and anyone else in the house when working with that stuff I'd rather wait for a part then have carbon shards floating around my house just a heads up

I don't think a quick fix is optional as the old shaft is really in there. It appears to be glued or cemented in place. The Impeller is sold complete with needle wheel and the insert back plate thingy in place. $80 big ones!!!

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

Can you plumb in a skimmer bypass now as well so maintenance will be easier in the future?

 

[Baxreefs]

I actually realized that I can add a simple tube and run a line right to the sump to drain the skimmer. But I think I'd prefer a by pass as it takes my drain awhile to settle in after a shut down. I'm still balancing that.