DIY bio pellet help (what do ya think, complete?)

Yes... the vinegar dissolves away the deposits inside it. My return pump (I have two, just so I can clean one in vinegar for a day), improves immensely every ~6 months with the vinegar bath.

 

Just take it apart. you only need a vinegar bath if it is all scaled up. If the magnet is clean, then no. But the heat of the magnet actually helps carbonate to build up/come out of solution. Using it for salt mixing could have dirtied it up.. But not... that isn't close to 1000 gph. More like ~200

 

So open it up and check it out, I there is build up run it in vinegar water, if not then there is just something wrong with my pump?

 

There really is nothing that can be wrong. It's just a block and a impeller. If the impeller isn't turning or putting out, that is really it.

Dirty gummed up impeller
Scaled up magnet
Bad bearings
Some sort of obstruction or restricted piping.
Broke impeller
Obstructed/dirty casing/volute

 

I hear you power, but I put a MAG7 on my little modded reactor and it didn't work. Some pumps REALLY don't like being restricted.

 

So just to get away from "like". All pumps have a pump curve of what they will flow for a given amount of back pressure.. usually expressed in feet of head. And all pumps are designed for their purpose of low pressure/high flow, or high pressure/low flow... or any combination there of.

Mags work fine for most applications and supply adequate amounts head. The quiet one 4000 is in the same class. They will provide "X" amount of flow for a given back pressure... expressed in feet of head.

A 1000gph pump is a rating given for "0" head. Put some plumbing on there, small lines, some filter media... and no, you will not be getting 1000 gph. Maybe 700 gph. But right now, what he is getting out of a pump rated for 1000gph is no where close to the adequate amount of flow he needs of 2-300 gph for that sort of reactor. Even 400 gph if I'm really off... maybe.

I don't mean to get all nerdy... just trying to keep it real. ;D

 

I appreciate the help. Sorry this is a cluster but I just want to get this done correctly. I know everything is there for it to work correctly I am just not seeing it.
I will check on the pump when I get home and see what is going on. Hopefully the pump is just dirty and all it needs is a cleaning.

Right now the pump is run out of the sump with about a foot of 3/4" PVC to an elbow, ball valve and then another foot of 3/4" PVC. It the has a barbed fitting for 1/2" id flexible hose. Then the reactor which is back to 1/2" PVC. Then the output is 1/2" flexible to the skimmer where it's plumbed to.
Any problem with that?

 

i bet the problem it the 1/2" line

 

Barbed fittings can really neck down inside. You have a 1/2" ID hose, but the barb is like 1/4" ID.

1/2" stuff should be fine, it is what most reactors have. It's what mine had. But I used that pex quick connect stuff... at least it was 1/2" inside everywhere.

The plumbing you mention is no problem. the barb might be a good restriction. If there is anyway you can keep it 1/2" all the way that would be good.

I'm not sure how you did your fitting to the reactor, but if you can change them to 3/4 you would have zero problems flow wise. Yes it's 1/2" in the reactor... but to there you would be good.

Not trying to send you back to the hardware store... but that quick connect stuff is nice. ;D

 

quick connect is AMAZING.