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Any ideas why not? It was in the sump and just stopped working (when I was out of town, of course). I took the front end off and everything is fine. With the propeller off, the motor still didnt come on.
Mag 5 not working
- Thread starter legalreefer
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How will that help the motor coming on? It does absolutely nothing when plugged in... :doh:
My experience with Mag pumps (and I've had many) are more about 1 of 2 things happening depending on the age and how much it's used. The more common issue (besides the cleaning ones mentioned above) is the magnet on the impeller eventually becomes demagnetized and quits spinning. A $15 replacement will fix that issue. The 2nd issue is that over time, the epoxy coated motor inside just quits working for various reasons.
I don't recommend the intense use of vinegar as a cleaning solution on these as it tends to break down the epoxy coating around the motor that provides the waterproofing. Same thing applies to any powerhead. This is what insulates the electricity from the water and keeps you and your fish from getting the shock of your life!
I don't recommend the intense use of vinegar as a cleaning solution on these as it tends to break down the epoxy coating around the motor that provides the waterproofing. Same thing applies to any powerhead. This is what insulates the electricity from the water and keeps you and your fish from getting the shock of your life!
If it was allowed to run dry for a while that will burn out the motor.
Inspect the impeller, magnet, shaft and volute (impeller cover). If the magnet is scored, swollen or the shaft broken, there's your problem. Check the volute - if the little hub where the rubber bushing seats the impeller shaft is cracked, there's your problem. Usually the volute cracks first, if it is allowed to run that way, the impeller will "play" and in extreme cases, it can wear the impeller housing within the pump body, to distort, in which case the pump is toast.
If it's just the impeller and/or volute, those can be obtained at much less cost than a replacement pump.
They are so easy to fix, even I can fix them (and that's saying something...)
Jenn
Inspect the impeller, magnet, shaft and volute (impeller cover). If the magnet is scored, swollen or the shaft broken, there's your problem. Check the volute - if the little hub where the rubber bushing seats the impeller shaft is cracked, there's your problem. Usually the volute cracks first, if it is allowed to run that way, the impeller will "play" and in extreme cases, it can wear the impeller housing within the pump body, to distort, in which case the pump is toast.
If it's just the impeller and/or volute, those can be obtained at much less cost than a replacement pump.
They are so easy to fix, even I can fix them (and that's saying something...)
Jenn
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It started working again! I dont think I will trust it for a return pump anymore, instead I will use it to mix salt! Thanks for all the advice!
Please take the time to check the volute and impeller. That's common behavior if the volute is broken. Sometimes it will start, sometimes not. If you run it with a cracked volute it will eventually ruin the pump. Much easier to spend $9 to fix it, than $75 on a new one. Even if you use it as a backup only, it will serve you better if parts aren't broken.
Jenn
Jenn
