Electrokate
Well-known member
Hi,
When I worked at the LFS I heard a lot of complaints about the longevity of gear. Lately have been appealing to the various manufacturers for warrantee fulfillments and advice, with varying results. I can report happy interactions with Zoomed and ESU/Coralife so far.
I know everyone hates the zoomed powersweeps, but I always liked them, even the wholesalers laughed at me for it... one week 5 out of 6 of mine stopped and I thought they were right. After emailing Zoomed and learning how to get them started again I am liking them a whole lot more. Found out a lot of people throw them away out of frustration so thought I would let you know what I learned and save you the replacement costs.
First off most manufacturers of powerheads will tell you they need monthly maintenance and I know most of us do not do this, myself included. Keeping up on this should extend the life of any powerhead. Visual checking often is a very good idea as sometimes the failure means leaking electricity or exposed copper wires which can be hell on the tank, so try to check powerheads of all brands at least monthly.
The powersweeps made me feel stupid though. First off though there are grips on the sides like a Rio has, you can't pull them apart there. Grasp it the long way and pry up with your thumb... see first picture. Amazing how long I tried to pull on those grooved grips, my boyfriend who knows nothing about fish tanks figured it out.
The second picture shows how you get to the gears that make the outlet move. You do not have to expose the impeller to clear this area, it's the piece on the bottom of the pump. I found that the first time you get it open is the hardest, after that it's easier. I had to use a butter knife to get some of them started, beginning at one end and loosening it all the way around then prying it off gently as it appears bendable. The gears might pop out so the last picture shows how they should lie, they are not locked in. Using a towel to grip and working sitting on the floor might be a good idea in case you drop parts or loose your grip if it is slimy, mine were.
In all my stopped pumps there were a few grains of sand in the gears which were enough to stop the action. Rinsing them fixed that problem, also did take them out and clean slime off. The manufacturer says occasionally a gear will break and they do have replacements available. They said if it stops pumping water at all then you have a motor failure, warrantee is good for one year so if it's not too old they will replace it. Only one of mine totally failed and it was in freshwater, one of the ones I have is a monster freebie that someone gave away after it stopped moving, it's been going for years in saltwater and is coated with sealife. For me there has been no correlation between failure rates and saltwater use.
So if you have these and are banging your head against the wall don't worry, you can fix them. I like that they have the sponge prefilter which I often use to quick cycle quarantine tanks or in tanks with soft coral frags that might come loose and be sucked in a regular powerhead. If you still hate them don't throw them away, someone will be happy to take and fix them.
I would use these up high away from the substrate as they can be stopped by a few grains of sand, all my fish dig occasionally. Also would keep an eye on everything if you have a hair algae outbreak as it can clog your overflow or pumps quickly if fish tug it loose and send it flying.
Now onto my next targeted manufacturer... should I hit All Glass or Marineland?
Kate
When I worked at the LFS I heard a lot of complaints about the longevity of gear. Lately have been appealing to the various manufacturers for warrantee fulfillments and advice, with varying results. I can report happy interactions with Zoomed and ESU/Coralife so far.
I know everyone hates the zoomed powersweeps, but I always liked them, even the wholesalers laughed at me for it... one week 5 out of 6 of mine stopped and I thought they were right. After emailing Zoomed and learning how to get them started again I am liking them a whole lot more. Found out a lot of people throw them away out of frustration so thought I would let you know what I learned and save you the replacement costs.
First off most manufacturers of powerheads will tell you they need monthly maintenance and I know most of us do not do this, myself included. Keeping up on this should extend the life of any powerhead. Visual checking often is a very good idea as sometimes the failure means leaking electricity or exposed copper wires which can be hell on the tank, so try to check powerheads of all brands at least monthly.
The powersweeps made me feel stupid though. First off though there are grips on the sides like a Rio has, you can't pull them apart there. Grasp it the long way and pry up with your thumb... see first picture. Amazing how long I tried to pull on those grooved grips, my boyfriend who knows nothing about fish tanks figured it out.
The second picture shows how you get to the gears that make the outlet move. You do not have to expose the impeller to clear this area, it's the piece on the bottom of the pump. I found that the first time you get it open is the hardest, after that it's easier. I had to use a butter knife to get some of them started, beginning at one end and loosening it all the way around then prying it off gently as it appears bendable. The gears might pop out so the last picture shows how they should lie, they are not locked in. Using a towel to grip and working sitting on the floor might be a good idea in case you drop parts or loose your grip if it is slimy, mine were.
In all my stopped pumps there were a few grains of sand in the gears which were enough to stop the action. Rinsing them fixed that problem, also did take them out and clean slime off. The manufacturer says occasionally a gear will break and they do have replacements available. They said if it stops pumping water at all then you have a motor failure, warrantee is good for one year so if it's not too old they will replace it. Only one of mine totally failed and it was in freshwater, one of the ones I have is a monster freebie that someone gave away after it stopped moving, it's been going for years in saltwater and is coated with sealife. For me there has been no correlation between failure rates and saltwater use.
So if you have these and are banging your head against the wall don't worry, you can fix them. I like that they have the sponge prefilter which I often use to quick cycle quarantine tanks or in tanks with soft coral frags that might come loose and be sucked in a regular powerhead. If you still hate them don't throw them away, someone will be happy to take and fix them.
I would use these up high away from the substrate as they can be stopped by a few grains of sand, all my fish dig occasionally. Also would keep an eye on everything if you have a hair algae outbreak as it can clog your overflow or pumps quickly if fish tug it loose and send it flying.
Now onto my next targeted manufacturer... should I hit All Glass or Marineland?
Kate
Last edited:
