Aquamaxx cTech Calcium Reactor not working

[P_tang]

I finally got time to install my calcium reactor today, but when I plugged in the recirculation pump it produced a very loud, screeching sound...and showed no signs of recirculating....any ideas? I know the media was poured in correctly and did not go down the central tube....it just doesn’t work. It will likely be a while before I have time to get this thing running again, so I am very frustrated.

 

[P_tang]

I took the recirculation pump off the reactor to inspect it...clean as a whistle. Plugged it in to see what happens, and it makes the same loud, high pitched sound.

I am using the kamoer peristaltic pump to pull water through the reactor. Makes me wonder if the recirc pump just makes that noise when it’s dry...and maybe the peristaltic pump isn’t successfully pulling water? Or I didn’t wait long enough?...which leads to my next question: is there a priming step or something when trying to pull water through like this? Just trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks.

 

[ca1ore]

I’m not sure specifically what pump that unit uses, but dry running any pump is a generally bad idea and they will often make a screeching sound. Try it with water.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Either missing a bearing or scratched impeller magnet?
Check hole again as, if the magnet is rubbing against something- you will know by weird noise
Does the pump housing hum when plugged in? If so, it is energizing pointing to impeller. Also try spinning the impeller when plugged in if you are able to

 

[P_tang]

Either missing a bearing or scratched impeller magnet?
Check hole again as, if the magnet is rubbing against something- you will know by weird noise
Does the pump housing hum when plugged in? If so, it is energizing pointing to impeller. Also try spinning the impeller when plugged in if you are able to

The propeller spins. When I took it apart to inspect, I plugged it in briefly to check to see if it would spin when plugged in....it does. I guess I have to figure out how to get water to the recirc pump. Shouldn’t running the peristaltic pump to pull water through work? Maybe I just didn’t wait long enough?

 

[P_tang]

So I ran the peristaltic pump for a good while and it never showed any signs of moving water while trying the “pull through” method. General flow of water with this reactor is from sump=>reactor intake=>recirc pump intake=>reactor chamber/media=>exit reactor at top of lid=>sump.

I’m wondering if the pull through method is even possible with this reactor.

 

[P_tang]

Well I switched it around to push water through and now everything seems to be working great. Loudest thing is the kamoer pump. Question now is do I need a ball valve to control effluent or can I still control that with the kamoer?

 

[Mrsadat]

Well I switched it around to push water through and now everything seems to be working great. Loudest thing is the kamoer pump. Question now is do I need a ball valve to control effluent or can I still control that with the kamoer?

I’m currently running the same reactor it’s hard to get started at first. I’m pulling on my system in the future before you start it up fill it up with water first. Then turn the kamoer all the up to prime it and get the air out of the system. Once the air is all out all you need to do now is level it out good luck

 

[P_tang]

I’m currently running the same reactor it’s hard to get started at first. I’m pulling on my system in the future before you start it up fill it up with water first. Then turn the kamoer all the up to prime it and get the air out of the system. Once the air is all out all you need to do now is level it out good luck

Yeah I had the chamber as full as I could get it. The water just never would move for whatever reason. Maybe I will switch it around when I have to change the media.

 

[gilman]

It sounds as if you had air stuck in the pump . Like the other guy said you have to prime it for awhile to purge all the air out . It will make that noise also when co2 is injected , just so you know . You should not need a needle valve with the kamoer either way you run it .