Current USA eflux pump won't stay running

[Mann2021]

I have an Current USA Eflux 1050 pump approx. 1.5 yrs. old. It was running but once the pump was stopped the only way to make it run again was to spin the impeller a couple times and it would take off. The power supply voltage is correct.

I was looking for another pump and saw that saltwateraquarium.com also sells the impeller. Which made me think, so I figured out how to take them apart, cleaned it out good, had algae and a little scale....I used vinegar. Now I put it back in and it seems worse than before......it runs and stops on its own now after a few mins....then must spin it to restart it but it doesn't last. Its also not spinning full speed as the other pump.

Does anyone have experience on the symptoms I'm experiencing to advise if I possibly only need a new impeller? Not sure what happens when the impellers wear out? New pumps are $70 .....an impeller is under $20.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Anything with moving parts wear. Impeller blades get worn, the shaft gets distorted and doesnt sit as snuggly in the housing as it did when new, parts lose their balance, the impeller starts to wobble on the impeller shaft and rattle against the housing. Once it starts to rattle, wear will accelerate and you should replace any moving parts.

Regular maintenance will lengthen how long moving parts last. I break down filters, pumps etc at least every 2 months and give any moving parts a wipe down, remove any detritus that gets into the housing etc. Even with a good maintenance routine i find i need to replace moving parts every couple of years.

Manufacturers usually make a maintenance kit that contains all the parts that periodically need replacing. This commonly includes the impeller, the impeller shaft, impeller cap and any o rings. You can obtain all the parts individually if you only want to replace 1 item, but getting a maintenance kit is going to be cheaper than individually purchased components and its usually best to replace everything together.

Ive had the same issue you had, needing to flick the impeller to get it spinning, but it then got stuck again after a short period of time. It was damage/ wear on the impeller shaft and the impeller not sitting properly in the housing. It also got worse after i took it apart and reassembled it. Replacement parts fixed it.

Older products also seem to have beem built better and will last longer without needing replacement parts than newer products. Its all about the after sales nowadays.