Help. Reeflo snapper makes loud grinding noise

[Chingon]

dont know why, i recently got this and seem to run ok, a bit noisy but last two day it will make this loud noise as if its grinding, and then after a while it will go away and run ok for a while. then it comes back and so on.

i know the bearing inside of it was replaced as well as the o ring for the impellers housing.

i need some advice on this.

thanks.

 

[Chingon]

any one?//

 

[Scooterman]

These should be dead silent, either the fan on the back is rubbing or the impeller / bushing is causing problems. You can take the pump housing apart and clean it inside, inspect the bushing and the impeller. If you can't figure it out you can call reef-flow and see what they say. I bet they wold help you either repair it or fix the issue!

 

[Chingon]

thanks scooterman. i will try to take it apart.

 

[Scooterman]

There are diagrams at the reeflow website to take it apart and service it.
Just click on the large photo on the left for your pump.

ReeFlo Pumps

 

[Ed Hahn]

I am trying to remember which manufacturer recommended putting muratic acid/water in pump and letting it soak with tape over both ends. You want to rinse of course after doing so. It removes hard water deposits. I am not sure if it was Chris or Dolphin staff. I wanted to chime in.

 

[Chingon]

Thank you, for the help. its been running quietly now. i didnt do anything, i went black friday shopping and came back and i cant hear the pump over the fan.

thanks, i'm guessing it might have been the grease on the bearing. maybe it wasnt evenly spread. i dont know. i'll give it a day and if it makes noise again, i'm gonna open it with the hammer(j/k).

we'll see.

 

[vinny2261]

Sounds like you have sucked some sand into the pump. I would take apart the impellar assembly and give it a good cleaning. Make sure that you flush out the return line, to make sure there is no sand in the pipe. You can also sponge or bag the return until the sand settles. If you need more help send me a pm and I will see if I can text you thru it.

 

[vinny2261]

Viniger works excellent for removing calcium deposits. Easier to find that muratic acid.

 

[Chingon]

Sounds like you have sucked some sand into the pump. I would take apart the impellar assembly and give it a good cleaning. Make sure that you flush out the return line, to make sure there is no sand in the pipe. You can also sponge or bag the return until the sand settles. If you need more help send me a pm and I will see if I can text you thru it.

Well the noise came back, loud hum. and it went away again.
I will try to take it appart tonight, just wondering if i will have to replace the o ring. not sure. i havent put any sand on the tank yet but could be left over from when it was taken down and moved. thanks..

 

[vinny2261]

Yes, before tearing every thing apart check the cooling fan on the back of the pump and make sure it is clean and free of dirt. If you have too, disconnect the pump from the tank. Un screw the front bolts that hold on the front housing. When taking things apart always do it some place where you can easily see things that may fall out. Pull the front housing off, look for anything that may be broken and making the noise. Next remove the impeller. Inspect all items and surfaces of the impeller outer case and inner case. Remove any objects that should not be there. All surface should be smooth. The O ring, and all the other surface should be carefully cleaned and wiped down. If there are calcium deposits you can soak in a vinegar solution and scrub with a old tooth brush. Reassemble the pump being careful not to pinch the O ring. Hook up the pump and add water to check for leaks, if no leaks turn on pump. If you had the pump worked on recently, I believe you mentioned something about the front seal being replaced, even though it was a new part it could still be defective or perhaps not installed properly. Hopefully this help you out some more, let me know how its going. Vince

 

[Chingon]

Yes, before tearing every thing apart check the cooling fan on the back of the pump and make sure it is clean and free of dirt. If you have too, disconnect the pump from the tank. Un screw the front bolts that hold on the front housing. When taking things apart always do it some place where you can easily see things that may fall out. Pull the front housing off, look for anything that may be broken and making the noise. Next remove the impeller. Inspect all items and surfaces of the impeller outer case and inner case. Remove any objects that should not be there. All surface should be smooth. The O ring, and all the other surface should be carefully cleaned and wiped down. If there are calcium deposits you can soak in a vinegar solution and scrub with a old tooth brush. Reassemble the pump being careful not to pinch the O ring. Hook up the pump and add water to check for leaks, if no leaks turn on pump. If you had the pump worked on recently, I believe you mentioned something about the front seal being replaced, even though it was a new part it could still be defective or perhaps not installed properly. Hopefully this help you out some more, let me know how its going. Vince

it's pretty cool that you can actually take the pump apart to fix things in there. After i bought the set up, the pump sat around for about a month or two with out getting any use. it sounds like it wont be a PITA, to take it apart. I guess it might be a self inflicting wound on this one as i just rinsed the pump with hot water prior to installing, but i wont be sure till i open it and see it today. Thank you.

 

[vinny2261]

Most of the things that you can get to easily are just the front impeller area and the fan sceen cover too clean the fan. the electrical parts are a little more tecnical and require more tools. The mention earlier about getting the owners manuel from the website is a VERY GOOD thing to have handy, read first work second. If you can not find the info let me know and I will find it and send it too you. Also if you have a back up pump or power heads it would be good to add them to your tank while you work on the pump. you need circulation. If it is making a noise you should inspect asap in order to prevent further damage.

 

[vinny2261]

I have found snail shells in pumps. They crawled into the inlet area died and slowly grind dow until they become small enough to cause problems. Most debris should be cleared from the force of the water going thru the pump. I read the thread again and just noticed that you had said you did not have sand in the tank yet. So is ther any thing in the tank that was not there before? When you hear the grinding noise see if you can feel the pump. Check if the vibration from the noise is coming from the front of the pump or the back. Dont burn your self if the pump is hot....

 

[Chingon]

I found the manual. yes, there's lots of vibration when the sound gets loud enough to annoy. well i have put some live rock in there. plus some debri came out of some of the plumbing when i first fired the pump. I'm a total noob with this close loop system, i know how it works but not the troubleshooting. You are right i shoulda taken care of this when it just started to prevent any further damage. well i guess i really gotta do it today.
also didnt sit the pump on top of any vibration dampening material.

 

[vinny2261]

Well if you make it back to HD you can get some rubber feet for your pump. Have some towels handy and I hope you have valves on your pump for taking it off the system If not this would also be a good time to install them too. You should have some type of screen covers on your intakes for the cloosed loop or any inlet. Also when you do add sand you can put a sponge or a pad to reduce the amount os sand getting to the pump during setup.

 

[vinny2261]

It may help to know if the vibration, grinding noise the pump is making and approximately where in the pump the noise comes from. Maybe try and get something under the pump to make sure it is not just vibrating on the floor. If you still hear a noise, is it a grinding or a vibration? Is the pump running hotter than the Manuel says it should? Can you feel the front, middle and back of the pump, try and put your ear down by the front of the pump, middle and the back of the pump if possible to see if the noise is coming from. Front of pump means disassemble, clean, look for objects that may be still in piping. try to flush pipe before reassembly. Middle of pump is motor Back of pump is fan. Maybe just a screw fell off, or the fan needs clean. While you have the pump out and before you start to take it apart, AND before you wipe it down!!!! inspect the pump for salt creep around bearing areas, seals etc. If you can better identify the noise and the area the noise is coming from would help to trouble shoot the problem

 

[Chingon]

I was able to touch the pump, its hot but not hot enough to burn your finger, i did mess with the fan and moved the cover a bit, it sound different(metal hitting metal) kinda like a cowbell. lol. it sound more like the sound was coming off the front part. i am getting maybe a drop or two of water leak. some salt creep too. well i do have two valves for maintenance. So i guess i got lucky on that. the leak is very small, but i did manage to get my finger wet when touching one of the bolts for the impeller's housing. seems like i might be getting some running down the shaft and splattering all over the place as it rotates. not too much of a leak. very small. i do want to have it running the way its suppose to run. so i will go ahead and take it apart and post some pictures as i go along, just in case a noob like me runs into the same issue later on. yes taking it out will be a Pain, gotta find something to catch the water as it drains.

 

[vinny2261]

AS you take it apart see if you can track the leak back to its source. The leak could be caused by a pinched O ring, or maybe the surface was not cleaned properly by the last person to take it apart. The bearing area should be defined in your owners Manuel. Check these area for salt creep, rust. This indicates a bad bearing and should be replaced. If this is the case the shaft that rides in the bearing should also be checked for pitting. If the O ring has been pinched get a new one. I can usually find these at local bearing supply house or order them from supplier on line.

 

[Frankie]

Not having read all the replies it sounds like an error in the refurbishing. I think I read that correct in the first post that parts have been replaced.
Where did you get this pump?