Powerhead just gets hot, nothing else happens

[Tankless in Dubai]

I plug in my new powerhead and I can feel the casing getting warmer very very quickly but there is no noise, no vibration, and no water movement.

I mail ordered it from the USA so returning it is not really easy to do.

Any simple suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

You must return it. The PH is defective and needs to be replaced.

 

[taikonaut]

What brand is the powerhead? Sometimes, you need to make sure the impeller spin freely (unplug it first). If it does, and it still does not spin when you plug it in, you may need to "jump start" it by a tooth pick or some other object...

Oh, one dumb question is that your powerhead is rated for the voltage and frequence in Dubai, right?

 

[Anonymous]

There is no reason you should have to "jump start" a brand new PH. Obviously you should check for a blockage. But this should not happen out of the box. If this thing is getting hot as well,you're treading on heat issues as well as tank crashing meltdowns.

 

[taikonaut]

>... There is no reason you should have to "jump start" a brand new PH....

Ideally, you are right. But unfortunately, many thing just don't work right out of the box due to poor QA and manufacturing defeats.

>... If this thing is getting hot as well,you're treading on heat issues ...

The powerhead will put about the same amount of heat into the water no matter if it is spinning or not. However, since the moving water is what cool the powerhead and prevent it from "meltdown," it is best to make sure it does not running dry or not spinning for prolong amount of time.

 

[Anonymous]

If something brand new does not work out of the box, I AM RETURNING IT!

Some pumps create excessive heat normally and others do when there is a problem. Power heads should get warm...not hot. If they are getting hot, that heat is being transferred to you tank. That is now a heat issue. I've had powerheads that jammed or were defective and they got extremely hot to the touch. They also made the temp rise. The ones that no longer moved water hit the trash can(and they weren't "just out of the box").

I also had powersweeps and even when working properly they generated a lot of heat. They too went to the dump(plus they didn't sweep well).

 

[taikonaut]

Maybe you have more disposible income than me, since I keep thing around even if they are totally broke. Obviously, my wife is not happy about this type of personality, since she complaint everytime when she went to the garage...

 

[Anonymous]

It's not disposible income, it's called a warranty. If my car is under warranty and I need to jump start it to drive it I should get my head checked. A lemon is a lemon is a lemon.......

 

[Mikef1]

just curious what power head is it?