Maintenance

Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions.
We are also offering you some tips here to give your customers.

Maintenance of Pump:

1. Your pump must never run dry or be clogged with debris.
2. Make sure that clean water is circulating through the pump. Make sure the pump is properly installed, that the pump is submerged. If you need an open air, “in-line” pump, we might be able to help you out. Contact us if this is necessary.
3. UL requires three-wire grounded cords for outdoor use.
4. Use only 115 Volt AC 60 Cycle electrical current unless marked otherwise.
5. When using the pump for the first time be sure to turn it on and off several times to be sure that all the air is out of the discharge line. This is known as “priming the pump.”
6. In freezing weather, the pump must be removed from the water prior to freezing as frozen water will expand and break the pump, or pump components.
7. These pumps are water cooled and do not use oil.
8. If the water level drops below the impeller, the motor will overheat and burn out.
9. You may regularly rinse the pump and pump parts in a 50-50 mixture of warm water and household vinegar. If there is any build up of grime or calcium, it may require a light brushing. Keep your pump clean at all times.

CAUTION: Always disconnect the pump from the power source before cleaning and servicing.

More Pump Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Noisy Pumps

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a completely quiet pump. Much of the noise of a pump has more to do with what the pump is contained in than the pump itself. For example, pumps placed in concrete fountains are usually pretty quiet. The concrete doesn’t vibrate. However, pumps placed in copper basins, tin, and sheet metal often do rattle and shake but this is because the metal is vibrating. So it might be there is nothing that can be done in some environments.
However, here are two pointers:

1. Make sure your pump is fully submersed. It will be quieter if it is.
2. Try putting a sponge or other “cushiony” material under the pump.

My Pump is on but no water is flowing

First, check to see if the pump and tubing are connected. They sometimes become disconnected when installing or cleaning. If the connection is loose, wrap some electrician’s tape around the pump’s outflow “nipple” so that the tubing and nipple form a tight connection.

Second, check to make sure there is not a kink in the tubing. This is an often missed problem, especially if a fountain was difficult to install.

Try tapping the pump on a hard surface to see if the impeller is stuck. Sometimes an impeller gets stuck in shipping. Tapping it might loosen the impeller enough to get it to spin again.

There might be air in the line between pump and fountain. Unplug the pump and plug it back in a couple of times to remove air bubbles.

If the above are not the problem, then your pump might be dirty. Remove the impeller according to manufacturer’s instructions, clean, and replace. Generally, you will need to snap off a cover to find the impeller inside. Usually, the impeller looks like a propeller.

Pump Life

Submersible pumps require water to keep cool. If water levels are frequently low, or the pump is turned on and off too frequently, the pump’s life will be shortened. Animal hair, leaves, and other debris that enter the pump also shorten the life span. Clean the impeller according to manufacturer’s instructions. Usually all you need to do is remove the impeller, run it under a water faucet, and put it back in.

Tubing Fitting

As noted above, if tubing is too big, you can usually wrap a little bit of tape around the pump’s outlet nipple. If the tubing is too snug, You can also use a simple hose clamp to fasten tightly to the pump. Do not over tighten, however, and break the plastic.

If the tubing is too snug to fit onto the pump, you can stretch the end of the tubing by heating it in the sun or in boiling water. Be careful not to burn yourself, however. When the tubing cools down it will tighten again forming a seal.

My pump says it takes 3/8” or ½” tubing. What does that mean?

The tubing size is referring to the fountainmountain i.d. (inside diameter) of the tubing you purchase. If your pump requires 3/8” tubing, then you should buy tubing with 3/8*” inside diameter. The inside of the tubing (3/8) must fit over the outside (o.d.) of the pump outlet.

Often you can put one piece of tubing inside of another and the fit will be snug. For example, 3/8″ tubing fits inside 1/2″ tubing sometimes, depending on the thickness of the 3/8″ tubing’s walls. (In other words, you might not have to have the exact size tubing around your house if you can make one size fit inside another with minimal leakage.)