Power Heads, just breaking?

[JPloman]

I have to ask has anyone had a power head just stop working?

Our tank has been up and running for over a year and a half now and suddenly one of my power heads just stopped working. I cant get it to work at all now.

Any ideas why that would happen?

 

[greenmaji]

dirty impeller or impeller housing... possibly a some stuff (like sand for example) got in a wore out the impeller..

 

[Devilishturtles]

Or if isn't a too high quality powerhead, it can simply burn out. It could even break if you are running one that is too small for your tank. So, its either a dirty/clogged impeller, or a motor burn out, IMO.

 

[Hara]

powerheads and pumps should be cleaned regularly as part or routine tank maintenance, with a strong vinegar solution. Calcium deposits form and can create problems.

 

[JPloman]

Hara, I did not know this. Would it be a good idea to take all of them out and clean them this weekend? I have had them in there over a year now and never cleaned one.

 

[HoopsGuru]

Absolutely, I keep a schedule so that every few weeks I am cleaning one of my three. They get a lot of organic buildup which slows them down, and eventually calcium deposits. Soak them in the vinegar solution and then scrub them as well. Remember to remove the impeller and clean in the housing (just be careful if your powerhead retains a central hub, I have broken more than 1 off in a hurry).

What brand are these powerheads?

 

[No_Floaters]

Some of the PHs I've used (e.g., Penguins especially) will get worn from sand being pulled past the plastic impeller body, rub it, and break-thru. This exposes the magnet inside to the saltwater. Rust swells the sides of the impeller until it stops. But guess what...in the mean time, iron oxide is slowly bleeding into the tank.

 

[malkore]

I've found that simply cleaning my maxi jets with hot water, q-tips, and a filter hose brush is all I need to keep them running perfectly. i try to clean em like this every other week, and once a month for the MJ on my skimmer (just cuz its harder to remove from the CPR skimmer)