# HELP. Canister ran dry, now it won't work.



## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Hey all, hope someone can help me here...

I had a temporary tank set up, with a canister filter... there wasn't the usual head above the filter, and there was a brief power failure. When power came back, seems like the head above the filter didn't allow the canister to keep the vaccum. As a result the filter ran dry (for an unknown time) and overheated.

Right now, the filter does not work. When plugged, the filter motor does make a noise as if trying to move the impeller, but it doesn't move. I don't smell the typical "burned out" pump... 

What could have been damaged with the failure?
The impeller? the pump? the magnet? i have to replace the damaged part(s)......... but of course i need to know what could be damaged before i order the replacement parts.

This filter will go into my main tank soon.... and it has to be working.

Regards, and thanks in advance......


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Does not sound good. :-(


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Probably need to replace the entire housing. What filter?


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Seems like it is not completeky broken..... it made a few spins today.

i took the impeller out, it does not look physically damaged, although the magnet does have some very light scratching. But when i plug it (in dry) for brief secs SOMETIMES the impeller turns... now i have to make it always turn. I will hook it up in one of my other tanks and see if it works when under a full syphon and back pressure.

Its a JEBO 839, the one with 5 baskets and 400 GPH. They DO sell the replacement impeller, for less than $20 (incl shipping). So if it is the impeller its not so bad....... but i'm still not sure.

Most people dont rate the JEBO things too much... but so far i have been pretty pleased. It does look kinda fragile, but its pretty silent and mine has never leaked or broken anything. Also it recovers pretty well from energy interruptions/getting unplugged. Flow is a lot less than 400 GPH but i think most canisters have a considerably lower flow than their rating.....


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

If you have another filter similar enough to use the same impeller, trade off and check both ways:
Does the known good impeller work in the problem filter?
Does the impeller from the problem filter work when it is placed in a good filter?


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## Riiz (Jul 19, 2008)

Or buy another Jebo or Sunsun, arent they supposed to be cheap knock-offs in the first place?


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## jestep (Nov 14, 2009)

It's most likely the pump motor and not the impeller. Unless the impeller is physically damaged, it probably isn't the problem.

When it ran dry, the internal components on the motor overheated, and are now damaged. This is further apparent by the fact that the impeller spun a few times, and then stopped again. Many times you won't smell a burning pump, or everything that could burn off already did so. The only fix is to replace the motor.


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## Shad0w (Nov 13, 2006)

you motor pronanly burn due to overhead as jestep suggested. It is normal occurance when filter run dry, it was not designed to run dry.


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

In my experience, the magnet on the impellar can get weak and then it won't spin up no more. My can doesn't burp real well and combined with a small leak it has run dry a few times. A new magnet and it works fine.


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