Skimmer Pump - Ran dry by accident

[Sculpin]

Hello,

I've got a Super Reef Octopus 3000 internal skimmer that I was doing a routine cleaning this weekend by running it in a sink of diluted vinegar solution. I normally let it run for a couple hours, so I didn’t notice that the plug in my sink wasn’t set tight, and all the water slowly drained. When I came back I found the pump had stopped working, but I was able to get it to start up again after simply unplugging and plugging it back in. I finished cleaning it (while monitoring it closely) and then rinsed it off with fresh water. During the rest of the cleaning process I noticed occasionally the pump wouldn’t start up right away, but if I unplugged and plugged it back in, it would start up. I figured as long as I got it running, it would keep going and I would be ok, but I noticed this evening that it just stopped unexpectedly on its own, and 10 seconds later it started again.

Questions:
1. Is there anything I can do to fix or improve the damage to the pump?
2. Is there any risk to continuing to run this pump if the behavior described continues?

I looked online and a replacement is around $230 so this is a pretty expensive mistake and I’m hoping to avoid having to buy a replacement pump.

Thanks, Sculpin

 

[Skimmy]

damn...
prolly toast man... sorry.
is it going to hurt anything??
possibly if it cooks all the way and releases burnt plastic/resin.
i doubt theres anything u could replace, as the problem isnt the impeller.
have you taken it apart and inspected the interior??

 

[Krish]

I agree. Probably toast and probably not worth the risk. :doubt:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mcoomer]

A 5 gallon bucket is your friend. I'm soaking a 6105 and running my Tunze nano in one right now.

I wouldn't risk running that motor. Depending on how hot it got you could see some degradation of the insulation of the motor windings. This degradation could cause your pump to fail (at the worst possible time of course) and could pose a safety hazard to you. Sorry, but I'd recommend replacing it as soon as possible.

Mike

 

[dnjan]

Not familiar with that specific pump, but many pumps have an impeller that has an internal magnet. The impeller is "lubricated" but the water around it. Running it dry means you might have worn some of the plastic coating off, exposing the magnet. Corrosion will cause it to swell, stick intermittently, and eventually lock up completely.

Sorry ...

 

[Sculpin]

Thanks for all the feedback. I was pretty sure it was toast, but figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I'll take it apart tonight and check it out, more out of curiosity than thinking I'll be able to fix anything. The irony is I was cleaning it to keep it in tip top shape because I knew it was an expensive piece of equipment. :mmph: