Sicce PSK 1200 SDC Vibration

[rob taft]

I purchased this pump a few months ago and up until a couple of weeks ago it has been operating smoothly. The pump developed a vibration after a recent maintenance cleaning that I have been unable to determiner the cause. The impeller and bearings looks ok and they were clean. I did notice that the impeller has a lot of slop when seated i.e. a fair amount of side to side movement that may have existed since I purchased the unit new but I didn't notice.

I have a heck of a time getting the front of the pump on the unit as the impeller doesn't sit dead upright in the pump body. In other words in order for me to align the impeller shaft with the bearing on the front removable housing I have to stick a small stick or knife to through the opening in the front pump case to hold the impeller in position so I can seat the housing and bearing over the impeller shaft. I don't remember this when I first took the pump apart.

As I said the bearings are in place and look ok and there doesn't appear to be any damage to the impeller. I do notice and I'm not sure if this is normal but when I turn the impeller over by hand (with the front cover removed) it doesn't rotate smoothly like say my Varios pumps. It is not binding but it just appears to be hung up magnetically i.e. I can rotate it but it just seems to jump to the next position. Whereas with my Varios pump I can just turn it and it rotates smoothly without any magnetic drag. . Any help would be appreciated.

 

[blaxsun]

Have you tried a spare impeller assembly?

 

[rob taft]

I ordered one but the one I received was for the PSK 1200 and it is not the same as the one for the PSK SDC. So I'm waiting on a replacement although I can't figure out why given the state of the existing impellor it would make a difference.

 

[TastyScrants]

I ordered one but the one I received was for the PSK 1200 and it is not the same as the one for the PSK SDC. So I'm waiting on a replacement although I can't figure out why given the state of the existing impellor it would make a difference.

Did you fix this?

I have this pump in my Redsea skimmer and it sounds like an issue I’m having.

The impeller seems to bounce around inside the pump even though it’s all correctly assembled.

 

[rob taft]

BLine, No due to some personal issues I have had the time to contact Sicce over this issue. There is something wrong with this pump and quite honestly I can't figure out the problem. I purchased what I thought was a replacement impellor from Saltwater Aquarium.com but the 1200 PSK SDC uses a different impeller. I attempted to get some assistance from SA.com and I actually reached the SA.COM sales rep at who was at the time at Reefaplozza he said he would talk to the Sicce rep who happened to be in an adjacent booth and get back to me but despite several messages left on their phone and emails to SA.com, they have been unresponsive. They asked me to send them an email describing the problem which I have on multiple occasions but they have just ghosted me. For the record, I offered to ship them back the other impeller at my expense. So I'm out $56.00 for a Sicce impeller I can't use and SA.Com lost a customer who has spent several thousand dollars via their website.

My next recourse is to contact Sicce. As you described my pump has the same issue. I took it apart to clean as I have done previously but this time when reassembling I found the impeller so loose in the pump that trying to align the pump shaft with the top bearing was difficult . I had to use a thin sharp object to hold the impellor staright vertical so I could seat the top bearing unto the shaft and seal the top case i.e. there is too much play internally to the pump but I can't determine what is wrong. I don't have another PSK but your issue tracks with mine,

 

[TastyScrants]

BLine, No due to some personal issues I have had the time to contact Sicce over this issue. There is something wrong with this pump and quite honestly I can't figure out the problem. I purchased what I thought was a replacement impellor from Saltwater Aquarium.com but the 1200 PSK SDC uses a different impeller. I attempted to get some assistance from SA.com and I actually reached the SA.COM sales rep at who was at the time at Reefaplozza he said he would talk to the Sicce rep who happened to be in an adjacent booth and get back to me but despite several messages left on their phone and emails to SA.com, they have been unresponsive. They asked me to send them an email describing the problem which I have on multiple occasions but they have just ghosted me. For the record, I offered to ship them back the other impeller at my expense. So I'm out $56.00 for a Sicce impeller I can't use and SA.Com lost a customer who has spent several thousand dollars via their website.

My next recourse is to contact Sicce. As you described my pump has the same issue. I took it apart to clean as I have done previously but this time when reassembling I found the impeller so loose in the pump that trying to align the pump shaft with the top bearing was difficult . I had to use a thin sharp object to hold the impellor staright vertical so I could seat the top bearing unto the shaft and seal the top case i.e. there is too much play internally to the pump but I can't determine what is wrong. I don't have another PSK but your issue tracks with mine,

That’s very annoying. I hope they sort it out for you.

Reassembling the impeller pump is the same for me. This is actually replacing my AC Redsea skimmer which has the Sicce PSK 600 pump. The impeller is also difficult to centre over the lid bearing when trying to reassemble after cleaning, by that pump is so quiet by comparison, and it’s AC!

As mine is via RedSea I contacted them and after going through their long troubleshooting process they’re now sending me a new impeller. Hopefully that resolves it or I’ll be switching it out for something different.

On closer inspection of the DC impeller, it does look like there are soem raised areas on the plastic coating the magnet like the vacuum moulding of the plastic wasn’t properly completed. This could be causing an imbalance when it spins generating some centrifugal force perhaps? I could be talking rubbish though it’s currently 00:19 in the UK and I’m full of whisky!

 

[rob taft]

Bline, Please post an update. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with the impellor. I ended up taking the pump out of service. Unfortunately, my dealings with Saltwater Aquarium. Com proved to be a big time and money wasting experience.

 

[TastyScrants]

Bline, Please post an update. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with the impellor. I ended up taking the pump out of service. Unfortunately, my dealings with Saltwater Aquarium. Com proved to be a big time and money wasting experience.

I will do.

It has arrived at home but I'm working away this week. Pop a message on here on Saturday to remind me if I’ve forgotten to post.

 

[TastyScrants]

Bline, Please post an update. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with the impellor. I ended up taking the pump out of service. Unfortunately, my dealings with Saltwater Aquarium. Com proved to be a big time and money wasting experience.

So I fitted the new impeller today.

It sounds exactly the same. It’s like I’m hearing my neighbour go at our party wall with an impact hammer drill. My AC PSK600 pump in my Redsea skimmer is in another league as it’s is much quieter.

If Redsea refuse to replace the pump, the skimmer along with the rest of the reefrun system is going back to the shop for a competitor product.

 

[rob taft]

Bline, Thanks for the update. I suspected the impellor swap wouldn't fix our problem as my existing impellor and the pump housing looked fine with no obvious signs of damage. It is a mystery to me.

My pump worked just fine for a couple of months then I noticed a slight chattering when I increased the speed. I assumed it was some calcium or algae buildup. When I took it apart, the impellor and bearing appeared to be clean. It was when I went to put it back together that I noticed I had difficulty in getting the impellor shaft lined up with the top case bearing. It was almost like the internal impeller bore had grown in diameter or the impeller magnet had gotten smaller so much so that the impeller wobbled in the pump. I will start the process to contact Sicce.

 

[TastyScrants]

Just thought I’d update.

Redsea ended up replacing the pump. The replacement pump was perfectly silent and had no rumble/rattle. (What is was doing cannot be described as vibration, throw a brick into your washing machine and this describes what is happening).

However I’ve had to take apart my perfect, silent pump today for maintenance.

After cleaning and reassembling it, it is now rumbling/rattling again.

So this is absolutely either a user assembly issue or a manufacturing defect.

Potential issues I can think of:
1. Requires a thick biofilm to operate
2. Requires some sort of silicone lubricant
3. Removing the impeller messes with the magnetic fields.
4. Hocus pocus