Powerhead maintenance

[Paul B]

I think almost all of us use powerheads and they are built very well and last a long time, but sometimes we throw them out before their time. I don't remember how old my powerheads are but I think they are all at least 20 or maybe 25 years old. I have no recolection of buying them, but I'm old.
This one ran my DIY skimmer and it was placed behind the rockwork so I never pay attention to it. I had to shut it off last week to change around some wires and it didn't re start. This is how most powerheads fail.
The steel shaft on older powerheads are chrome plated and they do not last forever. Newer powerheads use ceramic but even those have problems. The hole the shaft sits in in the base of the powerhead is a hole with no special treatment to the plastic in that area so eventually the hole enlarges causing the magnet that revolves to hit the sides of the enclosure. The hole through the center of the magnet also enlarges over time causing the same problem.
These things don't last forever especially in salt water.
Usually they are very easy and almost free to repair.
All of my powerheads have a piece of shrink tubing over the shaft.
It costs about a nickel and takes seconds to install. You can get heat shrink at Radio Shack. I just slip it on the steel or ceramic shaft and it takes up the space that was worn away from the center of the magnet and the "bearing" holes in the housing. This does not look like it will last but the design of powerheads allows water to enter and lubricate the shaft so the plastic shrink tubing lasts for years. And when it wears out, I just install another one.
I have never bought a powerhead since these were first installed and they all have had the shrink tubing repair many years ago.
You can see the white shrink tubing here.

 

[aceface]

Thank you for sharing, although I don't have any powerheads that are more than 5 years old, I'll keep this in mind when mine begin to fail.

 

[Paul B]

I can't believe one of my powerheads croaked. Right after I wrote that I never changed a powerhead. What a piece of junk, it is only about 20 years old. I wonder if I still have the receipt. It started tripping the GFI then it completely died with no power going to the coils at all. I may have to autopsy it.
It was made by Christopher Columbus Powerhead company and came in a wooden box.

 

[tenMann2]

I can't believe one of my powerheads croaked. Right after I wrote that I never changed a powerhead. What a piece of junk, it is only about 20 years old. I wonder if I still have the receipt. It started tripping the GFI then it completely died with no power going to the coils at all. I may have to autopsy it.
It was made by Christopher Columbus Powerhead company and came in a wooden box.

If it was me, I'd send it to the manufacture to get it replaced under warranty. 20 years is nothing, you should of have got another 20 out of it, no question.

 

[masterswimmer]

Now if it were mine, I'd send it to the Smithsonian to see if it can be declared a national shrine.

The new one will be there Thursday

R

 

[ed4]

If it was me, I'd send it to the manufacture to get it replaced under warranty. 20 years is nothing, you should of have got another 20 out of it, no question.

:p

 

[Paul B]

Actually I think it was closer to 30 years because I have no recolection of ever buying a powerhead. I have 5 like this, I hope the others last longer. Some I can't even get to.

The new one will be there Thursday

Yes I ordered a new one from "Salt Water Critters" and it better last at least 30 years or I want a complete refund with a trip to Tahiti included.

 

[masterswimmer]

Yes I ordered a new one from "Salt Water Critters" and it better last at least 30 years or I want a complete refund with a trip to Tahiti included.

That's one tall order! I hope to be around in 30 years myself. :beer: Cheers buddy.

Russ

 

[Paul B]

If the thing works out well I may get another one, just so people don't think I like to keep antiques.

 

[FlexLuthor]

hey can u put up a tutorial?
cause i have no clue where to put everything?

 

[Paul B]

hey can u put up a tutorial?
cause i have no clue where to put everything?

A tutorial of what?

Taking the powerhead apart?
If thats it, just twist off the part that twists off and remove the part where the water comes out, then pull out the impeller, there are no more parts except for the shaft inside the impeller magnet.
Usually the thing is just full of crud inside and the magnet is hitting it when it spins but after enough years the holes in the ends where the shaft fits into gets egg shaped and you have to fill that with hot melt glue or some other substance to get the shaft to stay in the center of the hole. The shrink tubing can also be used.
I put it on the impeller shaft because that also wears and has too much play so the impeller hits the side of the enclosure.

 

[LatinP]

Actually I think it was closer to 30 years because I have no recolection of ever buying a powerhead. I have 5 like this, I hope the others last longer. Some I can't even get to.

Fair warning they don't make em like they used to.

 

[masterswimmer]

Fair warning they don't make em like they used to.

Sad, but true

Russ

 

[Paul B]

OMG, you mean it won't last 30 years? Oh No, what am I to do?
Well it's OK, I won't last 30 years either.:shocked1:

 

[masterswimmer]

OMG, you mean it won't last 30 years? Oh No, what am I to do?
Well it's OK, I won't last 30 years either.:shocked1:

Just keep your shrink wrap handy

swimmer

 

[Paul B]

Russ, this thing better not croak on me. I am expecting many years of seeing that thing spin.
I don't want to have to start building my own powerheads.
Just yesterday I aquired a 1 3/4 horse power outboard engine for my dinghy. I guess I could use that. A little noisy though.

 

[masterswimmer]

Russ, this thing better not croak on me. I am expecting many years of seeing that thing spin.
I don't want to have to start building my own powerheads.
Just yesterday I aquired a 1 3/4 horse power outboard engine for my dinghy. I guess I could use that. A little noisy though.

You should be good for a long time.
The 1-3/4hp outboard scares me though. I'd be afraid of excessive salt creep. :banghead:


Yeah, that's what I'd be afraid of :lol:

Russ

 

[Paul B]

Getting back to powerheads, this one is on my (tiny) goldfish pond and most morings I would have to bang the thing against the side of the pond to get it started, kind of what my wife does to me.
Anyway I found that the stainles steel shaft was so worn that it was a tapir. It thinned to a point and the end of the shaft was stuck in the egg shaped hole in the end of the powerhead housing.
Simple repair. I just took a common rubber washer used for repairing faucets, these come in many sizes. I got one that fit tightly in the hole for the armature and I used hot melt glue to affix a "new" shaft (from another dead powerhead) into the center of the washer. Glue gun "glue" is not really glue, but melted plastic. It makes a lousy glue but it is great to fill spaces and it is non toxic.
I pushed the washer with new shaft into the housing and I had to grind off a little of the armature and a little of the other end cap to fit the new shaft with the washer.
Now the thing works like new and the entire repair was 5 cents.
I don't like throwing things out, because I love fixing things