Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[janey]

Question..
I got home today to find the Masterflex stop and had an error code 3 .
who knows how long its been off . Right now im waiting on the calibration fluid for my PH probe, before i start the CO2 Regulator. Whats happen if this keeps happening with the masterflex stopping , and CO2 running.


Here the sound coming out of the Masterflex . Tell me what you think...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10aGsRAqCcc

[slief]

Originally Posted by janey

Question..
I got home today to find the Masterflex stop and had an error code 3 .
who knows how long its been off . Right now im waiting on the calibration fluid for my PH probe, before i start the CO2 Regulator. Whats happen if this keeps happening with the masterflex stopping , and CO2 running.

According to the manual, Error 3 means: Triac Angle too large or motor overload. Check all motor connections. Check pump for obstructions. Unit must be turned off to clear error.

This can be caused by any number of things such as:
Gears binding up or dirty
Wrong Tubing
An internal issue with the motor or motor controller.

What tubing are you using? I know we had that discussion. I assume you are using the tubing that came with the pump head and not LS17 tubing? Is your tubing the clear stuff is the beige stuff? Using the wrong tubing would very likely cause this scenario. I don't recall if your head was the one with the adjustment to increase or decrease the roller pressure on the tubing but if its the Adjustable one, it could be that you have the adjustment too tight. If it's not the adjustable head and you are using the tubing that came with the head, the next thing I would do is remove the cover and check the gears.

Take a look at the manual below. While I am not sure it's for your specific model, from an error code standpoint, it is the same. Under mainentance, it will give you insight into the gears and what to look for. The other that it could be is the brushes being worn. While worn brushes would be a long shot, when I got my pump, I ordered a set of brushes and replaced them as soon as I got my pump just to be on the safe side.

First thing I would check is the tubing. Second thing I would do is remove the cover, remove the front plate from the motor and check the gears for wear. The gears are considered a maintenance item. Whether that means you should clean them or simply replace them I am not sure but they do include replacement part numbers. I would definitely inspect them though and clean them. Check the wires going to the motor to make sure they are not loose or burnt looking. Make sure everything else is plugged in well and not loose under the cover.

Another thing you could try as a last ditch thing is changing the flow direction. To do that you would reverse the pump direction and reverse your tubing that goes into and out of the pump. Changing the flow direction is not a fix but it could be a work around for a weak motor.

Here is the manual.
http://www.masterflex.com/Assets/man...-1299-0724.pdf

[tkeracer619]

Janey has a brushless drive and iirc the head is non adjustable.

Please run the unit with the pump head removed and see if you get the issue.

Nothing, the ph probe turns off the gas.

[slief]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Janey has a brushless drive and iirc the head is non adjustable.

Please run the unit with the pump head removed and see if you get the issue.

Nothing, the ph probe turns off the gas.

Yea, you are correct. I just went back and looked at her original post. 7523-70, is a brushless model and I didn't see the adjuster on the head. Cole Parmer doesn't have the manual listed anymore. The link is no longe valid.

[slief]

Here is the manual. Error 3 is Overload for this model too. I have a feeling that removing the head will eliminate the issue since there will effectively be no load on the pump. I still wonder about the tubing being used. If it's the correct tubing, then it would have to be something with the head, gears or perhaps a bad motor would be the culprit.
http://www.masterflex.nl/Downloads/0...0-70manual.pdf

[janey]

Hey Guys , I,m using the Clear tubing, On the Masterflex Easy-Load II Pump Head Model 77200-62. that came with it Masterflex 96410-15 tubing.
I'll take it apart and see whats up..

[janey]

Hmmm I reversed it . and no sound.
I,ll wait til tomorrow and see what happens.
Thank everyone.. Have a Good evening..

[tkeracer619]

It makes sound one way and not the other? This is with the head removed?

[tlc]

d2mini I have the same reactor as you just not set up yet. are you pulling or pushing the effluent ? how do you like the reborn media now that you have switched ?

[janey]

Ok The noise is comin from the pump Fan.. Seems too me when the pump was put on , they must have drop it. Cause Upon looking closely the fan bar looks a little bent.
See Vid.. Can i replace the fan bar ? I was looking into get the repair kit also, what do you think ?

@tkeracer619 Yeah the sound stop for a bit and came back..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UDKTBoTmBI

[slief]

Originally Posted by janey

Ok The noise is comin from the pump Fan.. Seems too me when the pump was put on , they must have drop it. Cause Upon looking closely the fan bar looks a little bent.
See Vid.. Can i replace the fan bar ? I was looking into get the repair kit also, what do you think ?

@tkeracer619 Yeah the sound stop for a bit and came back..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UDKTBoTmBI

The video is private and can't be viewed.

[janey]

Took off the Fan , I'm trying to take off the silver part but the smallest hex i have is 1.5mm.. I think i need a 1.27mm next hex below ?


look into manual. says nothing about the back part of the pump.

[janey]

Its Public now.. sorry about that..

[d2mini]

Does it still make the noise with the fan off?

BTW, your accent makes me homesick. I'm originally from NY.

[janey]

LOL Yeaup Its a Bronx, NY accent ..

Yes it still makes the sound , without the fan and as i stated before . You can see the shaft is a little bent.

Can I replace this Part. Do you think Cole-parmer has the part for it ??

[slief]

Watching the fan spin, it definitely looks like the motor shaft is bent although I don't think that is much of a concern.

If you can get the motor shaft out, you can probably take the shaft to a machine shop or electric motor rebuilder and have it trued up for a very reasonable price as it only takes a few minutes to true a shaft like that. It just depends on how bent the shaft is. If you have a dial indicator and careful hand, you may be able to true it up yourself. I've done it before with main shafts for RC Helicopters which are very sensitive to any kind of shaft imperfection. I've done that with lots of success but it all depends on how much run out there is. Another way to do it is to roll the shaft on a very flat hard surface like a granite counter top. Find the high spot and tap it with a mallet. Roll it again and repeat as necessary. It doesn't tank much to straighten a slight bend.

If none of that sounds inviting, contact Cole Parmer and see if you can get the motor shaft from them. With a bit of luck, they will have one or at least be able to provide you with a part number so you have something to search for.

[slief]

I went back and watched that video again. I can't help but wonder if it's the gears making that noise in which case, that is a maintenance item and not a big deal. The little bit of wobble in the fan and or shaft is probably not an issue. I'd pull the gears out and inspect them. Heck, with the pump running, I'd bet you could put your hand on the front of the motor and feel something in there making the clanking noise.

[tkeracer619]

Hmm yeah if it's still making the noise with the fan removed then pull the front apart and remove the gearset. Still making noise?

I don't think the shaft is a big deal yet.

Sounds like the gears or a bearing are worn. If it still makes the noise once the gears are removed then I suspect a bearing in the motor itself which shouldn't be that hard to replace. May take a motor shop with a bearing press though.

[herring_fish]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Many of the things here will cross over to other peristaltic pumps and I welcome posts showing high quality alternatives.

Originally Posted by CW from the OC

That Stenner is very interesting. I'd give it a try if I didn't recently pick up 2 Cole Parmers. Someone buy one and try it out!!!

I bought a Stenner dosing Pump Model 85M/170DM for ….wait for it …Fourteen Bucks!
This pump has a range of 1.5-514.8 Liters per Day.
From what I gather, the starting volume range from this thread is 30 ml. to 50 ml. per minute. I am thinking that this works out as follows.
ml. Minutes Hours ml/Day Liters/Day
30 60 24 43200 43.2
50 60 24 72000 72

As I figure it, there is plenty of room to go down or way up with this model. The down side is that it is not quiet. I knew that before I saw it so that was OK because it will be going into the garage. I don’t think that the 45 model would be even close to silent. It has a fan in the back of it that is not like one that goes in a computer. It also is geared. To give you an idea of the sound volume, I have added a Youtube clip.



Unfortunately, this will just sit on a shelf because I don’t have any of the rest of the system so I can’t give any other feedback.

[herring_fish]

That pump is what I need and this takes the pressure off. I find it hard to shop for all of these components with so many options. This Craig’s List find was hard to pass up even though the picture showed only one head on the unit. I will probably stay in the market for a different brand as well because I will have use for several continuous duty pumps.

Addressing two other legs of the stool, I finally got through to the guy at Aquarium Plants and he said that Yes he would sell the digital box by itself for 209 retail. I didn’t ask about corporate prices or any possible discounts.

He said that he would sell it separately or sell me a higher end CO2 regulator, one stage or two but he asked me why I would want to spend the extra cash. He felt that it was a waste of money. He went on to say that the only failures that he had ever had were from salt water backing up into the unit and that is why he uses two German check valves in a unit. …and he interjected that it was patented.

I told him that I would feel safer with a dual stage unit because so much money is on the line with a reef tank.
I also talked to the guy at GEO and he felt that a dual chamber reactor was not my best use of money.

These are just opinions from the manufacturers of the products that we are looking at but I thought that I would pass them on.

[slief]

Originally Posted by herring_fish

I bought a Stenner dosing Pump Model 85M/170DM for ….wait for it …Fourteen Bucks!
This pump has a range of 1.5-514.8 Liters per Day.
From what I gather, the starting volume range from this thread is 30 ml. to 50 ml. per minute. I am thinking that this works out as follows.
ml. Minutes Hours ml/Day Liters/Day
30 60 24 43200 43.2
50 60 24 72000 72

As I figure it, there is plenty of room to go down or way up with this model. The down side is that it is not quiet. I knew that before I saw it so that was OK because it will be going into the garage. I don’t think that the 45 model would be even close to silent. It has a fan in the back of it that is not like one that goes in a computer. It also is geared. To give you an idea of the sound volume, I have added a Youtube clip.



Unfortunately, this will just sit on a shelf because I don’t have any of the rest of the system so I can’t give any other feedback.

Your video is private & can't be viewed.

[herring_fish]

OK Try that. Sorry

[janey]

Hello Everyone..
Ready for some pics and vids... Again Thank you All.
For Educational Purpose.. LOLOLOL

I took the pump apart , and Found that Gears are ok.. But when i took of the other connection i found shredded metal.. and well the noise i been hearing is comin from the magnet that turns , seems like something within got shredded.. ?/

Maybe i should just get a new pump or should i have it serviced.. Or better yet can i get the parts for it and do it myself. I got this Far..









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjwGh2ArBpw
part1
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=oiKJ1_pmz7g

part 2

[slief]

Originally Posted by janey

Hello Everyone..
Ready for some pics and vids... Again Thank you All.
For Educational Purpose.. LOLOLOL

I took the pump apart , and Found that Gears are ok.. But when i took of the other connection i found shredded metal.. and well the noise i been hearing is comin from the magnet that turns , seems like something within got shredded.. ?/

Maybe i should just get a new pump or should i have it serviced.. Or better yet can i get the parts for it and do it myself. I got this Far..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjwGh2ArBpw
part1
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=oiKJ1_pmz7g

part 2

Yikes.. That looks like a mess. Can you tell where the metal shavings came from? It's hard to tell from the pictures. You might want to contact Cole Parmer. They offer flat rate repair service on their pumps but I don't know if they are repairing this model anymore because of it's age.

From the looks of it, the needle bearings in the back of the unit look OK but the ball bearing in the front of the unit looks to have come apart. I'm assuming those needle bearings are in the rear of the pump motor. You may be able to match that ball bearing to a new one if you have the inner sleeve or race for the bearing assembly. You'd probably have to mail or bring the bearing parts to a bearing houe to match it up. If I had to guess, the bearing failed and the coil or rotor assembly was wobbling around in the motor body which likely resulted in those shavings you see. If none of the coils/windings were damaged and the only damage is some shaved aluminum from the motor covers, then replacing the damaged bearing may fix it.

By the way, your videos are private (again)..

[slief]

Originally Posted by janey

Hello Everyone..
Ready for some pics and vids... Again Thank you All.
For Educational Purpose.. LOLOLOL

I took the pump apart , and Found that Gears are ok.. But when i took of the other connection i found shredded metal.. and well the noise i been hearing is comin from the magnet that turns , seems like something within got shredded.. ?/

Maybe i should just get a new pump or should i have it serviced.. Or better yet can i get the parts for it and do it myself.
part1
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=oiKJ1_pmz7g

part 2

The model of the pump is E-67909.. Only issue is that model number crosses to a number of different pumps including brused pumps. The part number which I can't locate any info on is 90-986.

I found this motor on ebay. It's not totally the same but you can likely use the bearings from it assuming your bearings weren't pressed in. Worse case, you buy it, take it apart and see if you can use it for parts. If not, put it back together and sell it. Before doing that, I would contact CP and tell them you have a CP pump that is making noise and see what they say about fixing it.

Here is the pump motor I am taking about. It's a brushed motor but you aren't using the rotor. Just the bearings so it might be a good sacraficial lamb.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/E-67909-90VD...item4d134e74c5