Anyone ever succeeded fixing a dead FX5?

[DaveB]

One of the many problems that came up with my move was that one of my FX5s shut down. I turned it on and the motor ran, but I didn't have enough water in it for a syphon I guess. The other one was also starting so I didn't notice it for what I'd say was 5 seconds before unplugging it. I added more water and then - nothing. Dead silence.

I cleaned it out and messed around with it, but still nothing.

I've never taken one of these apart, and while that idea doesn't worry me, I'd rather not go to the effort to dig out a long enough screwdriver for it (buried somewhere in the move) only to find it's completely dead. Has anyone ever brought a filter back from the dead like this?

 

[flipstylex]

send it back to fluval to get it fixed, better off if you have warranty

 

[DaveB]

I don't think I do. Pretty sure this is one I got from this site. Even if I do, I have no documentation.

 

[KaiserSousay]

99.9% of problems can be traced to the impellor.
It`s the only moving part in magnetically driven pumps.
Very rare for the "motor" to go bad.

 

[DaveB]

99.9% of problems can be traced to the impellor.
It`s the only moving part in magnetically driven pumps.
Very rare for the "motor" to go bad.

Well yeah. I would expect it to be that too - like perhaps it got loaded up with sand (there's always a ton of that inside my FX5s) - but even if that was the case, I would think I'd hear SOMETHING - like it at least trying to start spinning.

I just worry that something got fried in the five seconds it spun without enough water.

 

[Pharaoh]

There is a circuit card in them that can go bad. I'm not really sure what it would take to make it fail though, unless it just died. I suggest taking it apart and seeing what's going on. We tore down Mike D's FX5, cleaned it and put it back together and it worked. So its worth a shot.

 

[DaveB]

What's funny is that I just threw out the FX5 manual. I have a PDF of it, of course, which is why I did it, but I wouldn't mind having it back since it'd be good having a paper copy downstairs with me.

I'm sure I could figure it out on my own without it, though it is more complicated than most others. I am assuming I'll need to go find a long screwdriver.

 

[DaveB]

As long as we're in an FX5 thread, does anyone have a trick/timing that prevents it from splashing water out the holes up top when you disconnect the hoses? The manual says it's leak-proof maintenance, which made me laugh. I always get spillage when I disconnect them. But maybe I should turn the intake off well before the output and unplugging or something? Let it pump the water level down a bit?

 

[hbluehunter]

I had a similar problem with one of mine, i just called Hagen/Fluval and shipped it back to them.. Then a week or so later i got a new one or fixed one in the mail.. And i bought mine off John when he was selling them.. Plus it only cost me shipping..

 

[zadsham]

It is pretty easy to open the motor assembly to clean and change parts but putting it back together is a bit tricky. The impeller shaft is made of ceramic and will break if not aligned properly. Also make sure the o-ring is securely in place. As a previous post mentioned, it is either the circuit board or the impeller. The motor hardly goes bad.