MP10QD Pulsing

[redfishbluefish]

Regardless of the mode, the impeller pulses every second of two. I first noticed because it was rattling on the glass. I thought it was simply alignment, but it was not. Pulling it out of the tank and putting the wetside to the dryside, I could now see the pulsing.

I've never seen this before and wonder if it's the controller or the dryside. Anyone have thoughts? Thanks.

 

[PedroYoung]

Regardless of the mode, the impeller pulses every second of two. I first noticed because it was rattling on the glass. I thought it was simply alignment, but it was not. Pulling it out of the tank and putting the wetside to the dryside, I could now see the pulsing.

I've never seen this before and wonder if it's the controller or the dryside. Anyone have thoughts? Thanks.

Any change in the light around the dial? I had a stuck impeller one time and got an "error code" which was the light around the dial changed to a blinking orange (I think). It ended up being a tiny snail stuck under the blade.

 

[redfishbluefish]

@PedroYoung , thanks for the reply....no error codes/blinking lights. However, I figured it out. I have four spare wetsides that have been sitting in a box for years. Note, these use to be cleaned by soaking in vinegar (now a big no-no). I pulled them apart, and this is what I found....

From the left, swollen magnet, domed to the center hole; swollen magnet breaking the case on the outer seem; ceramic shaft broken at the base; impeller ceased with the ceramic stripped off the metal portion when pulling out the impeller. The fifth wetside is fine and currently running nice and quiet. The two that caused the pulsing were the swollen magnet ones.

These costly errors reinforce my never using vinegar to clean encased metals. As a matter of fact, I only use water on the magnet / shaft portion with only the cage portion getting acid cleaned.

 

[ca1ore]

At least you have some spare parts. Maybe you can get one working extra by mixing the good bits.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I like your thinking @ca1ore . :D

I took the good ceramic shafts from the two swollen magnet wetsides, and used the impeller portions from the "good" magnet impellers. Now I did have to first use a punch, and then a drill, to clean up the one impeller with the ceramic shaft pieces inside. So I was now able to go from four failures to now only two. But I'm still not totally happy. Gosh, this is an expensive hobby.