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Viewed: 732 -- Replies: 11 | ||||||||
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| Posted | ANYONE KNOW HOW TO REPAIR HY FLO PUMPS? |
| 08-11-2006 14:43 by Taffhamster |
I've just acquired a Medcalf Bros Hy Flo pump. (Main motivation for buying – silent aquarium aeration, but the fact that it's a beautiful item is a bonus!) Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be pumping out much air. Ideally, I'm looking for someone in the London / Croydon area who knows how to repair these pumps for an affordable fee, but any advice will be appreciated. I've tested it as received (it looks to be in good condition but it needs cleaning and re-oiling as well as anything else). The history, as far as I know, is that it was used to aerate a tank for five years then lay around unused for a further ten. |
| 08-11-2006 17:45 by nige |
arnt these pumps for medical use? |
| 08-11-2006 18:03 by Taffhamster |
Er, not as far as I'm aware! This particular model, or something very similar, was advertised in Practical Fishkeeping some years ago, but I think the manufacturers went out of business. They may also have made pumps used in medicine, I honestly don't know, but I bought mine with the intention of using it to power an airstone with minimal noise. |
| 08-11-2006 18:54 by AndreaC |
Nice to get a pump to pump an airstone with minimum noise, no matter how silent they say they are there always noisy 
Have you tried asking a local reatailer? if they cant they normaly know of someone who can. |
| 08-11-2006 21:04 by Taffhamster |
Thanks, Andrea. My problem is that the only pumps available these days are the noisy diaphragm type – I've already tried several and they've all buzzed rather loudly! The Hy Flo is a piston type and much quieter but, unfortunately, the manufacturer seems to have gone out of business. This is why I had to get it second hand, and why I can't send it back for repairs or get it dealt with by a local aquatic store. I'm basically just looking for an engineer or hobbyist who may know how to sort out the problem with my existing pump. I could ask a retailer if they know any repairmen, though. Thanks again for your interest. |
| 08-11-2006 23:17 by nige |
ok, if its a piston type then there is probably some sort of seal, if you take the cover off then you will see what *kinda* looks like a single cylinder angine, remove the cylinder (thats the sort of round shaped bit with fins) and check for rings around the piston if theres no rings, then grease it all up with some light grease and put it back togeter if there are rings round the piston then still grease them up also check down the conecting rod for bearings and grese these, any moving parts, grease them, and see what it does m8. |
| 09-11-2006 09:57 by AndreaC |
What is the quitest pump to buy. Mine are always noisy and it does get on yr wick abit lol.
Hope you can clean it. Nige seems to know and that sounds real good. Good luck. |
| 09-11-2006 11:58 by Taffhamster |
Wish I wasn't such a technophobe, but thanks so much for that, Nige!
Andrea, it's hard to say which is the quietest pump to buy. Here's my 'league table' so far of the ones I've tried. I'm currently running two airstones off an Eheim 3704 which I originally felt was noisier than I'd expected (I think it's a bigger pump than I need for the purpose). I then tried an Interpet Aqua 4 which was louder. Next came the Hydor Ario, which you actually place in the water, suckered to the bottom of your tank and all-but buried under your gravel. This claims to be silent and vibration free but it was the loudest of the lot. I've got a couple of small interpet Airvolutions, which aren't noisy but aren't particularly quiet either (considering that one of the selling points is their soundproofing). In the end, I went back to the Eheim, which I've hung off a hook on the wall to reduce vibrations. Either it's broken itself in or my brain has learned to tune it out, but for some reason it's more bearable now, especially when the TV is on to drown it out a bit more! I've also got a small Sera pump (not sure which model) to run my BiOrb, and that's relatively bearable. Hope this helps and thanks again for your responses! |
| 10-11-2006 09:57 by Phill Austen |
If you use Nige's reccomendation of grease, I promise you the pump will not work! I believe that a very light oil was used on the crank and conrod bearings and the pivot for the cylinder, but I think the piston was self lubricating. grease would simply be too viscous. If the sound of the air pump in a room troubles you, you can locate it somewhere else and use a long airline to pipe the air into your tank. All pumps make more noise when you restrict the output from them. I find that wrapping the pump in that acrylic "wool" wadding is a great help in silencing. |
| 10-11-2006 15:26 by nige |
i have a chinese piston pump for the koi pond, a light silicone type grease shouldnt be too viscous, also lithium grease should be ok aswell anyways m8 use some meduim/light machine oil on bearings and pust some silicone grease on the gudgeon pin and if it has "piston rings" (mine has got some sort of hard wearing rubber) then pus some of the lithium grease round there (not too much, just wipe them with a rag containing it) and see how it goes, it also may be worth renewing the gaskets, use gasket paper (or if you cant find it then the paper used for file seperators in filing cabinets works well)
should have been more clear, sorry m8 |
| 15-11-2006 05:33 by jfsebastian1 |
Hi guys, Please take a look at : this< and this for further info. lol JF 'Keeps on forgetting his password' Sebastian |
| 15-11-2006 17:50 by Taffhamster |
Many thanks for all your suggestions. The latest on it is that I'm hoping a fishkeeping friend and a mechanic I know will be able to sort it out between them. If anyone else reads this and can help, though, please do post. Thanks again for taking the time to reply, everyone! |
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