HagenKB

FX5 stopped after power failure

We had a power failure yesterday and now the Fluval FX5 is not running, any tips to look for?

We had a power failure yesterday and now the Fluval FX5 is not running, any tips to look for?
There are a number of possibilities that could be causing the problem. The first is that when the power came back on, it did not come at full power all at once, but grew in strength gradually. We have seen this phenomenon cause the impeller not to have enough initial movement to start to spin through a full circle. Impeller systems like the ones use in the Fluvals and AquaClears require the maximum current flow when they start, and then they will continue to run even though the current drops and fluctuates in voltage over time. It is the initial "pop" at full power that gets them to rotate through the first 360 degree rotation in the first place. To check for this, unplug the machine and replug it to allow the system to get full voltage to start the rotation when power is reapplied.

A second possibility would be that the opposite occurred. Instead of a gradual increase in voltage, there was a power surge strong enough to take out the electronics in the motor and fry them. A power surge is not a common cause of problems for the Fluval FX5, but when power is removed and then suddenly replaced with a powerful, uncontrolled spike, this may be a potential problem.

Third on the list of things to check is that the impeller has not been wedged by foreign particles in the impeller well. If there was some debris in the impeller well that was rattling around while it was operating, when the water flow stropped and gravity took control, the final placement of a particle could be such that the impeller fan or impeller magnetic body was jammed such that it cannot rotate anymore. Disassembly of the motor and cleaning of the impeller should help in a case like this.

While the impeller is disassembled from the motor, you should also check on the status of the top impeller bushing - the one closest to the impeller fan. Over time the top bushing can wear, and the telltale result is rubbing of the impeller fan on the impeller cover of the filter chamber, since the bushing can get thinner over time due to wear. When this occurs, it will allow the top of the fan to move into contact with the cover and score it. Since the bushing itself cannot be replaced, when this occurs, the entire impeller assembly must be replaced. Check the filter chamber area for signs of scoring.

Hope these considerations help in the solution of the problem, or at least give you some idea of where to look to properly troubleshoot the problem.

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