Help! My SCWD is stuck.

kmacartney · 07/15/2007, 07:47 PM

The last thing I tried is soaking it in vinegar for 24 hours. It still will not redirect the current. I have had this thing for three good years. It just recently crapped out on me.

Any advice?

froggy4112 · 07/15/2007, 07:57 PM

i might be able to help, but im not sure what you are referring to. what is a SCWD?

kmacartney · 07/15/2007, 08:01 PM

It is a Switching Current Water Director.

http://www.3iqventures.com/

Dubbin1 · 07/15/2007, 08:05 PM

And theres another reason why I think their junk.

kmacartney · 07/15/2007, 08:08 PM

Yeah, that is why they are so cheap. But it worked great, three years for $40. I am just too cheap to replace it.

Steve 926 · 07/15/2007, 08:24 PM

There may be something stuck in the lower gear portion of the unit, or possibly in the drum area if you are not filtering the water to the unit. First try reversing the flow from one / both of the outlets. you can place a small screwdriver in one of the outlets & feel the drum. GENTLY try to move the drum back & forth to help dislodge anything caught in it. then try flushing it again.
This may help but it is possible that it has run the course of it's lifetime & needs to be replaced.
I have oversized the inlet & outlet's of mine with a drill bit, the flow is much better & the unit runs quite.

Hope this helps

Steve 926

kmacartney · 07/15/2007, 08:30 PM

I have tried those things as well. I don't filter the water before my return pump.

Hmmm, its a clever design, but I guess anything that moves can wear out.

Steve 926 · 07/15/2007, 08:58 PM

Time for an OM Squirt & "Set it and Forget it" !
I will be doing this when my Squid's retire also.
You got away cheap for the years it lasted.

Steve 926

karlmarx · 07/15/2007, 09:29 PM

try reversing the flow maybe something will get unstuck

OmarD · 07/15/2007, 09:54 PM

My "squid" has been working flawlessly for over 4 years now. (almost 5)...

Certainly have gotten my $ worth.

I clean it annually with compressed air.

Will just replace when this one wears out.

Great device.

1F2FRFBF · 07/15/2007, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dubbin1
And theres another reason why I think their junk.

Forty bucks, three years and it's junk? Friend of mine has had his for about the same time, maybe a year or so longer, and it's still going. I've had mine for about 4 months with no problems whatsoever. Best part is, it provides enough supplemental current so that you don't have that many extra powerheads to potentially puree your livestock.

Kmacartney, it just might be time for a new one. Premium Aquatics has them for about $30 (not including shipping); that's where I got mine.

That OM Squirt sounds interesting, though. Hmm...

karlmarx · 07/15/2007, 11:46 PM

Think of it this way, its better than some of the snake oils you can buy. ie Boron additive, super dooper iodine, super dooper strontium the list goes on and on.

kmacartney · 07/16/2007, 05:04 AM

Yeah, since I am so cheap I will probably just replace it. Right now I have a "T" in its place in the plumbing. But that is just not the same.

Thanks Everyone!

Growurown · 07/16/2007, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by froggy4112
i might be able to help, but im not sure what you are referring to. what is a SCWD?

why even bother pressing the enter key ??

AZDesertRat · 07/16/2007, 09:15 AM

Stick a small screwdrive in the bottom and rotate the turbine gears a little. I had one get a small grain of sand stuck in it a few years ago and after doing the vinegar soak like you it still didn't free up. Once I rotated it and soaked it some more it was like new again.
Although I had great service from the SCWD I do now have an Oceans Motions Squirt and it is fantastic. It was out of my reach $$ wise but I found someone willing to trade frags for one or I still would be using the SCWD.

Sepeku · 07/16/2007, 10:05 AM

Mine has jammed as well, it's only 4 months old.

I've reversed the flow and tried "hammering" the water by turning on/off the water to some effect.
I'd remove it, but the way I installed it made it a rather permanent fixture till I redesign the closed loop. ("oops", my bad. I didn't think it could/would jam.)

Even if I get it running again after the redesign, I'm not going to use it again.

kmacartney · 07/16/2007, 04:00 PM

Ok, so I took a small screw driver and the turbine moved fairly easily. Then I ran the hose through it and the flow from went from one outlet to another and stopped.

LobsterOfJustice · 07/16/2007, 04:21 PM

Smack it a few times.

kmacartney · 07/16/2007, 04:26 PM

I have done that also, maybe too much.

AZDesertRat · 07/16/2007, 04:32 PM

When I used to clean mine, I would soak it in straight white vinegar for an hour or two, then rotate the gears so the gate would be in the opposite position and soak some more. It seemed like by doing this a few times it really cleaned it out better. I don't know if the calcium build up under the gate does not dissolve all the way or what but it worked for me.
I did ruin one though by blowing through it with an air hose. It blew the turbine wheel off the shaft. That one became a cut away so I could see what was inside!

kmacartney · 07/16/2007, 04:34 PM

It's actually still in its vinegar bath from the day before yesterday.

bues0022 · 07/16/2007, 04:44 PM

DON"T THROW IT AWAY!!! Check this out:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/inde...=76847&hl=scwd
I did one, and working on the second. They should come this way!
btw, if you are going to just toss it, lmk and I'll pay for shipping.

kmacartney · 07/17/2007, 03:26 PM

That is cool! I think that I will try that. Thanks for the link!

07/15/2007, 07:47 PM	#1
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	Help! My SCWD is stuck. The last thing I tried is soaking it in vinegar for 24 hours. It still will not redirect the current. I have had this thing for three good years. It just recently crapped out on me. Any advice? __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/15/2007, 08:01 PM	#3
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	It is a Switching Current Water Director. http://www.3iqventures.com/ __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/15/2007, 08:08 PM	#5
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	Yeah, that is why they are so cheap. But it worked great, three years for $40. I am just too cheap to replace it. __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/15/2007, 08:24 PM	#6
Steve 926 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NJ. Posts: 555	There may be something stuck in the lower gear portion of the unit, or possibly in the drum area if you are not filtering the water to the unit. First try reversing the flow from one / both of the outlets. you can place a small screwdriver in one of the outlets & feel the drum. GENTLY try to move the drum back & forth to help dislodge anything caught in it. then try flushing it again. This may help but it is possible that it has run the course of it's lifetime & needs to be replaced. I have oversized the inlet & outlet's of mine with a drill bit, the flow is much better & the unit runs quite. Hope this helps Steve 926 __________________ Experience is something you don't get, until just after you need it . Current Tank Info: Small in nature (50gal. Reef) Large in Heart. Re-occurring dream of a 300 gal.

07/15/2007, 08:30 PM	#7
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	I have tried those things as well. I don't filter the water before my return pump. Hmmm, its a clever design, but I guess anything that moves can wear out. __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/15/2007, 07:57 PM	#2
froggy4112 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Central Florida Posts: 131	i might be able to help, but im not sure what you are referring to. what is a SCWD?

07/15/2007, 08:05 PM	#4
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	And theres another reason why I think their junk.

07/15/2007, 08:58 PM	#8
Steve 926 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NJ. Posts: 555	Time for an OM Squirt & "Set it and Forget it" ! I will be doing this when my Squid's retire also. You got away cheap for the years it lasted. Steve 926 __________________ Experience is something you don't get, until just after you need it . Current Tank Info: Small in nature (50gal. Reef) Large in Heart. Re-occurring dream of a 300 gal.

07/15/2007, 09:29 PM	#9
karlmarx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 476	try reversing the flow maybe something will get unstuck

07/15/2007, 09:54 PM	#10
OmarD Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Silverdale, WA Posts: 179	My "squid" has been working flawlessly for over 4 years now. (almost 5)... Certainly have gotten my $ worth. I clean it annually with compressed air. Will just replace when this one wears out. Great device. __________________ AG "125" AquaC EV 180, "SCWD", 80 lbs lr, CoralSeaLife "Moonlite" Hood, PFO 250W HQI Mini-Pendant (XM HQI 10000k bulb) Current Tank Info: AG "125" AquaC EV 180, "SCWD", 80 lbs lr, CoralSeaLife "Moonlite" Hood, PFO 250W HQI Mini-Pendant (XM HQI 10000k bulb

07/15/2007, 11:46 PM	#12
karlmarx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 476	Think of it this way, its better than some of the snake oils you can buy. ie Boron additive, super dooper iodine, super dooper strontium the list goes on and on.

07/16/2007, 05:04 AM	#13
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	Yeah, since I am so cheap I will probably just replace it. Right now I have a "T" in its place in the plumbing. But that is just not the same. Thanks Everyone! __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/16/2007, 09:15 AM	#15
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Stick a small screwdrive in the bottom and rotate the turbine gears a little. I had one get a small grain of sand stuck in it a few years ago and after doing the vinegar soak like you it still didn't free up. Once I rotated it and soaked it some more it was like new again. Although I had great service from the SCWD I do now have an Oceans Motions Squirt and it is fantastic. It was out of my reach $$ wise but I found someone willing to trade frags for one or I still would be using the SCWD.

07/16/2007, 10:05 AM	#16
Sepeku Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 356	Mine has jammed as well, it's only 4 months old. I've reversed the flow and tried "hammering" the water by turning on/off the water to some effect. I'd remove it, but the way I installed it made it a rather permanent fixture till I redesign the closed loop. ("oops", my bad. I didn't think it could/would jam.) Even if I get it running again after the redesign, I'm not going to use it again.

07/16/2007, 04:00 PM	#17
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	Ok, so I took a small screw driver and the turbine moved fairly easily. Then I ran the hose through it and the flow from went from one outlet to another and stopped. __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/16/2007, 04:21 PM	#18
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Smack it a few times. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

07/16/2007, 04:26 PM	#19
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	I have done that also, maybe too much. __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/16/2007, 04:32 PM	#20
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	When I used to clean mine, I would soak it in straight white vinegar for an hour or two, then rotate the gears so the gate would be in the opposite position and soak some more. It seemed like by doing this a few times it really cleaned it out better. I don't know if the calcium build up under the gate does not dissolve all the way or what but it worked for me. I did ruin one though by blowing through it with an air hose. It blew the turbine wheel off the shaft. That one became a cut away so I could see what was inside!

07/16/2007, 04:34 PM	#21
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	It's actually still in its vinegar bath from the day before yesterday. __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods

07/16/2007, 04:44 PM	#22
bues0022 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 2,230	DON"T THROW IT AWAY!!! Check this out: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/inde...=76847&hl=scwd I did one, and working on the second. They should come this way! btw, if you are going to just toss it, lmk and I'll pay for shipping.

07/17/2007, 03:26 PM	#23
kmacartney Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, OH Posts: 1,444	That is cool! I think that I will try that. Thanks for the link! __________________ <--That's my boy! To see my tank, click the...Oh wait! Where did it go? Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 20 gallon sump/refugium, 6X54W T5, ASM G2, Mag 9.5 return, 2X Gulf Stream II Maxi-Jet Mods