Fluval Edge Filter Motor Stopped

[cath1024]

Hi there,
I have a 12 gallon fluval edge - it has been up and running for about 3-4 months now and today i removed the back where the filter sits to be able to clean the algae and when i put everything back and plugged it back in it wouldnt come on.
I felt it and it is very hot to touch - is it possible maybe it just wore out? Is that normal after only 4 months? Do i need the exact same filter system as this one or am i able to buy any one that would fit? And do i just need the motor part or the whole filter tube ect?

Any fluval edge owners out there have any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[MBOU]

Did you check or clean the impeller on the pump? If a bit of grit gets in and jams the impeller, it will overheat and burn out the motor. Or did you have it running outside of water? It would overheat if running out of water.

Its a specific little pump to attatch to the filter, its not normal to need to replace it so soon...

Where did you get your tank from? If you give them a call and see if they have a spare pump before going (dont want to waste your time if they dont have one!) and ask them to swap it for one that works. Or failing that buy the new one. Its only the pump you need to buy.

 

[cath1024]

Thank you for your reply ... no i didnt have it running outside the water and no i have never cleaned it - how often should you change the little bag of white things and the sponge part and the carbon part?
When you say i would just need to buy the pump is the the little black part that has the motor? It did come off the main part so maybe i should just take that part with me into the fish store and see if they can match it up?

 

[cath1024]

ok i just checked the impellar and then plugged it in to check it again and it started - i put it all back together and back in the tank and it seems to be working fine now - i am thinking it was too hot that was why it stopped maybe? But what caused it to get so hot in the first place?

 

[MBOU]

Because its such a tiny tiny impeller, the slightest film of dirt over the impeller causes it to slow down, a lot more pressure on the pump which makes it overheat, often it wont recover.

I would rinse out filter media once a week with the waterchange, just give it a rinse in the bucket of old water and shove it back in. I would clean the impeller every other week whether it looks dirty or not, just wipe the film off the impeller to stop it building up. Keeps to flow good through the filter.

If you have the flow set to low on the filter (moving the intake pipe side to side) it will put a lot of back pressure on the filter and with less flow going through it, the dirt builds up faster on the impeller.