Labenator65000
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I was 3 days overdue for my 5-7 day PWC, so I had determined that I would do it last night. I uncoiled my modified Lee's Ultimate Gravel Vac and to my surprise I found that the faucet adapter on the Super Pump was cracked right near the thread. I could push and hold it back together though, and I didn't want to put off my PWC one more day, so I decided that I would use electric tape to hold it together from the outside (hey, it's the best I could do with short notice... it was late at night). It passed visual inspection, and it passed a quick pressure test, so I hooked it up to the service sink and let'er rip while I played a little Minecraft with my kids for 15 minutes (that ms my routine as of late... darn those Creepers!).
Right at the end of the syphon cycle I heard a strange noise from the service sink, so I went to investigate. Well, the warm water must have softened the tape, because it had all stretched out and drooped, so the faulty faucet adapter was blasting water all over the wall and floor (about 1/2 a gallon.. it could have been much worse). I was beginning to have flashbacks of filling my tank using a 5 gallon bucket, and so was inspired to take another stab at my McGyver-like temporary solution. I unhooked it all, unwrapped the tape from the pump and saw the error in my ways so far as the wrapping technique. The pump still seemed salvageable, so I again squeezed it together and taped it, but this time utilizing my Boy-Scout-like tying skills in securing and stabilizing the the failed pump (ok so I was never a Boy Scout, but I was a Den Leader for a couple of years.) By the time I was done with the job, the pump was a veritable ball of black tape with just enough of the connectors accessible to make it work. The darned thing MUST be stable and robust at this point, so I again hook it all up, cautiously begin the refill cycle, balance the temp, and get back to my Minecraft efforts (for the kids, of course
).
There's that noise again! It's again blasting all over the place (glad there is no carpet or finished walls back there), but at least the hack job is still 10% functional. The 5 gallon bucket was silently mocking me my from the floor of the service room, so I was not about to give it the satisfaction of my defeat. I tossed a towel over the hapless pump and turned down the water pressure and waited it out. Mission accomplished...barely.
There is a trip to the LFS in my immediate future to purchase the replacement pump.
Right at the end of the syphon cycle I heard a strange noise from the service sink, so I went to investigate. Well, the warm water must have softened the tape, because it had all stretched out and drooped, so the faulty faucet adapter was blasting water all over the wall and floor (about 1/2 a gallon.. it could have been much worse). I was beginning to have flashbacks of filling my tank using a 5 gallon bucket, and so was inspired to take another stab at my McGyver-like temporary solution. I unhooked it all, unwrapped the tape from the pump and saw the error in my ways so far as the wrapping technique. The pump still seemed salvageable, so I again squeezed it together and taped it, but this time utilizing my Boy-Scout-like tying skills in securing and stabilizing the the failed pump (ok so I was never a Boy Scout, but I was a Den Leader for a couple of years.) By the time I was done with the job, the pump was a veritable ball of black tape with just enough of the connectors accessible to make it work. The darned thing MUST be stable and robust at this point, so I again hook it all up, cautiously begin the refill cycle, balance the temp, and get back to my Minecraft efforts (for the kids, of course
).There's that noise again! It's again blasting all over the place (glad there is no carpet or finished walls back there), but at least the hack job is still 10% functional. The 5 gallon bucket was silently mocking me my from the floor of the service room, so I was not about to give it the satisfaction of my defeat. I tossed a towel over the hapless pump and turned down the water pressure and waited it out. Mission accomplished...barely.
There is a trip to the LFS in my immediate future to purchase the replacement pump.
