How to fix jamming Red Sea reef mat

[TX_REEF]

Hello! If you are like me and your Red Sea reef mat keeps giving you “jam” errors via the Red Sea app even though there is no jam upon inspection, it is likely your drive motor is burned out. Follow these steps:

1. Confirm that the drive unit is in fact burned out. Do this by clearing the jam error in the ReefBeat app, remove the drive unit from the reefmat device, then attempting to manually operate the motor with the arrows on the side of the drive unit. If the cogs still don’t turn, then your drive motor is likely burned out.

2. Acquire a new drive motor. If your unit is less than 2 years old, it should be covered under warranty. Submit a ticket for a new drive motor here: https://g1.redseafish.com/support/tech-support-inquiry-2021/

Try this even if your unit is older than 2 years, they may send you a new one for free anyway.

If you cannot get a free drive motor replacement from Red Sea, you can purchase a new one here, quite affordable: https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/r...reefmat-250-reefmat-500-reefmat-1200-red-sea/

3. When your replacement drive motor arrives, follow this guide to replace the motor. Watch at 2x speed if you wish:

Red Sea also has a replacement guide on their YouTube channel, I’m sharing mine as a shameless YouTube channel plug :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

4. Once your drive motor is replaced and your reefmat is operating as it should, check your fleece length usage per day. Then, go to “other settings” and check what your advance length is. Consider increasing it so that your drive motor has to operate less frequently, which means less wear on the motor and hopefully a longer motor lifespan. The thought process here is the effort by the motor to start the roller is more than the effort to keep it going, so less frequent, longer fleece roller advances should mean less times the motor has to activate per day.

If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll try my best to help!

 

[dschuffert]

That is some excellent info; thanks!

 

[slingfox]

Hello! If you are like me and your Red Sea reef mat keeps giving you “jam” errors via the Red Sea app even though there is no jam upon inspection, it is likely your drive motor is burned out. Follow these steps:

1. Confirm that the drive unit is in fact burned out. Do this by clearing the jam error in the ReefBeat app, remove the drive unit from the reefmat device, then attempting to manually operate the motor with the arrows on the side of the drive unit. If the cogs still don’t turn, then your drive motor is likely burned out.

2. Acquire a new drive motor. If your unit is less than 2 years old, it should be covered under warranty. Submit a ticket for a new drive motor here: https://g1.redseafish.com/support/tech-support-inquiry-2021/

Try this even if your unit is older than 2 years, they may send you a new one for free anyway.

If you cannot get a free drive motor replacement from Red Sea, you can purchase a new one here, quite affordable: https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/r...reefmat-250-reefmat-500-reefmat-1200-red-sea/

3. When your replacement drive motor arrives, follow this guide to replace the motor. Watch at 2x speed if you wish:

Red Sea also has a replacement guide on their YouTube channel, I’m sharing mine as a shameless YouTube channel plug :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

4. Once your drive motor is replaced and your reefmat is operating as it should, check your fleece length usage per day. Then, go to “other settings” and check what your advance length is. Consider increasing it so that your drive motor has to operate less frequently, which means less wear on the motor and hopefully a longer motor lifespan. The thought process here is the effort by the motor to start the roller is less than the effort to keep it going, so less frequent, longer fleece roller advances should mean less times the motor has to activate per day.

If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll try my best to help!

Great idea on increasing advance length to extend motor life.

 

[prodman]

What if I keep getting the jam notification but when I manually advance it works as normal?

 

[762pmcs]

What if I keep getting the jam notification but when I manually advance it works as normal?

Just installed mine yesterday and am having the same issue.

 

[Wayne Karlen]

Good info but I do suggest you check the motor to gearbox connection, as I did below before replacing.

Just past my 2 year warrantee on my Reefmat500 and the motor jammed. I removed the motor unit to inspect and still would not advance or retract using the buttons on the unit. Took about ~1/2 hr to remove 4 screws, open to inspect inside (clean & dry) & another 3 screws to remove the motor/gearbox. The motor/gearbox still wouldn't turn electrically or manually so I removed the clip to separate the motor from the gearbox. Both then rotated by hand freely. Reassembled and it worked perfectly.

I suspect the plastic sprocket on the end of the motor became jammed in the plastic gears in the gearbox. No broken teeth so hopefully that problem is solved.

 

[TX_REEF]

Good info but I do suggest you check the motor to gearbox connection, as I did below before replacing.

Just past my 2 year warrantee on my Reefmat500 and the motor jammed. I removed the motor unit to inspect and still would not advance or retract using the buttons on the unit. Took about ~1/2 hr to remove 4 screws, open to inspect inside (clean & dry) & another 3 screws to remove the motor/gearbox. The motor/gearbox still wouldn't turn electrically or manually so I removed the clip to separate the motor from the gearbox. Both then rotated by hand freely. Reassembled and it worked perfectly.

I suspect the plastic sprocket on the end of the motor became jammed in the plastic gears in the gearbox. No broken teeth so hopefully that problem is solved.

that's a good point to consider, but you can also see pretty quickly when you open the unit whether the white part of the motor is discolored, which indicates the motor is almost quite literally "burned" out.

 

[marinenoob]

What if I keep getting the jam notification but when I manually advance it works as normal?

Just checking, i am having the same issue. were you able to resolve it?

 

[nim6us]

Just checking, i am having the same issue. were you able to resolve it?

I’m also having the same issue on my ReefMat 500, the app keeps saying there’s a jam but it’s turning just fine. It’s so frustrating too because when a jam error is registered it won’t attempt to turn until the error has cleared.

 

[Raptor72]

I’ve been having the same issue. I ordered a couple of motors and will be replacing one when they arrive. Hopefully this takes care of the problem.

UPDATE: I replaced the motor and it’s working fine now with no errors.

 

[nim6us]

Well embarrassingly I found my problem. Somehow when I was replacing the roll I must have thrown away one of the chucks that hold the filter roll straight.

It’s frustrating because nothing is jammed and the roll winds up fine. Yes it’s slightly off center but nothing mechanically wrong. Every time I get the jam error I have to clear it and manually advance the roll.

Either way guess it’s hard for me to be upset when I’m the dummy that threw away the part.

You can’t just buy a new chuck so I’ve had to order the the whole dispensing shaft replacement, which is on backorder. Hope this helps someone.

 

[nim6us]

Just an update...

I'm still waiting on a replacement part to be shipped out to me. It's been such an absolute pain fighting with the ReefBeat app I decided to break down and model a replacement in CAD.

It actually came out pretty great so thought I would share!

If you want to print one yourself check it out here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1931026-reefmat-500-chuck

 

[Raptor72]

Mine was running well for a bit after replacing the motor, but after a couple of weeks, the error message is back. I even have the roller arm swung down and the spool resting on it to alleviate the stress of the cogs moving both sides of the spools. Now I have to go into the app and hit RESUME on the JAMMED MAT error, every time. I'm thinking I might have to replace the whole mechanism.

 

[nim6us]

I feel your pain! That's what I was doing. Clearing the jam error in the app and then a few hours later getting a jam alert, clearing it again.

If/when you fix the error please do share, I'm curious to know what's causing your problem.

 

[NoriSheet]

Well embarrassingly I found my problem. Somehow when I was replacing the roll I must have thrown away one of the chucks that hold the filter roll straight.

It’s frustrating because nothing is jammed and the roll winds up fine. Yes it’s slightly off center but nothing mechanically wrong. Every time I get the jam error I have to clear it and manually advance the roll.

Either way guess it’s hard for me to be upset when I’m the dummy that threw away the part.

You can’t just buy a new chuck so I’ve had to order the the whole dispensing shaft replacement, which is on backorder. Hope this helps someone.

You aren't the only one who has done this... i threw that same part away as well. Not sure how that happens lol

 

[RoanokeReef]

Just an update...

I'm still waiting on a replacement part to be shipped out to me. It's been such an absolute pain fighting with the ReefBeat app I decided to break down and model a replacement in CAD.

It actually came out pretty great so thought I would share!

If you want to print one yourself check it out here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1931026-reefmat-500-chuck

Thank you for this and the great timing! Mine just started jamming and when disassembling noticed I must have tossed it with the roll. Print worked great! May want to add the print here and to the master list https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/3d-printed-handmade-aquarium-items.1082/

 

[nim6us]

Thank you for this and the great timing! Mine just started jamming and when disassembling noticed I must have tossed it with the roll. Print worked great! May want to add the print here and to the master list https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/3d-printed-handmade-aquarium-items.1082/

Wow I didn't even know this thread existed, lots of great stuff! I'll make sure to get this part added there for free.

And so glad it came out well for you! Feels nice to create and share.