# air pump not working- need suggestions.



## mousey

I have a 5.3 wattPetcetera air pump. It has only been used this past summer altho it has been sitting in the cupboard for the past 3 years.
First it worked fine then the past few days it would work and then would stop. Then it started again.
It is a dual head one and it was only the one side that would stop and start.
I took it apart and both sides diaphrams appeared to be working. You could feel air come out of both sides, however when i put on the air hose no air came out of one side.
next i tried to put one of those vaalve thingys that lets you split the air coming out of the nozzle so you can use one pump in two tanks. That seemed to make the good side stop working.
i then got out another pump( 3 watts) and put the splitter thingy on it and it did not work either. last week I used that method successfully.
I also have a very strong pump that is too big for the size filter I am using it on so i put a clamp on that. It worked for a while and then it refused to put out air too.

So what am i doing wrong here and is my first pump dead on the one side despite it looking like it is working?
Does splittng the air flow mean that the pumps will not work in both little tanks?
Does clamping the air line cause the motor to overheat and die?
They sell all these bits and pieces so i figure they must work somehow.
Thanks for any help you can give.


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## emc7

> Does clamping the air line cause the motor to overheat and die?


 Could be. I know "back pressue" is bad for pumps (I thought it was because the diapham would tear). I do know that the "right" way to deal with too much air is to "bleed off" the excess. You use a tee and air valve (You put the line to the tank on the tee part, the line to the pump on one side, a piece of air line, then the valve on the other) or a gang valve and let the extra pressure just hiss out an open line. I think its a bit wasteful and put a bare airstone or sponge filter on any extra air I have. 

Also check airstones (try to blow through them), they do clog and need replacement.

The other way aquarists ruin air pumps is to let water come down the airline. This is most likely what happened when your pump stopped. You can avoid this by putting a one-way check valve in the line or putting the pump higher than the tank. This is essential if your power supply is erratic. 

To check the air flow, put an airline on the pump and lower the line slowly to the bottom of the tank. If it stops bubbling before you hit bottom, the flow is too low for the tank.


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## mousey

Thanks. Our hydro has flicked of and on these past few weeks, sometimes with storms and other times for no good reason. I have also had problems with my other HOB filters and I think it is for the same reason. 
yes it does seem to be a waste to have a good air line flapping in the wind, so I have thrown the tube into the goldfish tank while it was so hot in the house. 
All my air stones were brand new and yes a small amount of air comes out right at the surface of the tank but as I put the tube lower the thing dies. Well there is 3 pumps that worked well at the beginng of july all on the fritz now.
I also found that the Pennplax air stones can't be removed from the air line without shattering! maybe I got a bad batch.They cost enough(4 for $3.50) In making sure that the stones weren't the cause I replaced all my NEw ones within a week and they all shattered. OF course the newer new airstones didn't help either. Pumps are ka- poodled thanks to the hydro problems. Will have to try the valves on the new pumps.

I know the instructions all say to make sure the pumps are higher than the water levels but that seems mighty hard to do unless they get nailed to the wall....


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## emc7

Pet stores have the check valves in the $2 range (whisper brand I think) it adds up for a lot of tanks but its cheaper than replacing pumps.


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