Dead air blower, how to recommission?

[Jimbouk]

Property has not been visited for a few weeks, and the electricity supply to condor asp waste treatment plant had tripped. The air pump , Charles Austin et120 had failed. Looking at my electricity consumption think it died 7 days ago, no waste has entered into the tank in this period.

 

New one should arrive today, is it purely a question of reinstalling and turning on?

 

will all the good aerobic bacteria have died? Is there an additive to get them restocked?

 

seen bio boost but that looks to be for septic tanks(anaerobic bacteria?)

 

I plan on turning on and then not using the property for a few days allowing the system to reboot, I’m concerned about the current contents discharge into the dispersal field and cause problems…. Am I overthinking thi?

 

 

Edited March 22 by Jimbouk

[ProDave]

Almost certainly it will be the diaphragms that have perished.  They can be serviced, but I replaced them in mine and the replacements only lasted a year, very disappoionting.  I had a thread on it recently and instead I chose to swap it for a very cheap Chinese piston pump to see if that was more reliable than a diaphragm pump.

 

One thing I did because I did not know how long mine had not been blowing was contrived a long air line and connected my garage compressor to blow through it in case any sludge had settled, before connecting the new pump.

[Jimbouk]

Thanks for the advice. I had already read your useful thread, needed a new pump asap so got like for like, but pondering on keeping a spare for backup…

 

i took the lid off the pump, but it had well and truly destroyed itself, masses of red dust from where it looked like the metal from the diaphragm mount had worn away the outside of the chamber…. 
 

I’ve ordered a service kit with the new one and will inspect on a more regular basis…

 

it is a bit depressing when the new plant you installed is failing before the house is finished!  
 

In this case probably my fault though from lack of maintenance..

 

Will see if I can purge the pipe with something too, sadly no compressor….. looks towards MachineMart website…  

Edited March 22 by Jimbouk

[ProDave]

I know people say these Charles Austen pumps are the best but I am not convinced.  They are basically a permanent magnet osciliating inside an coil which created a 50hz alternating magnetic field.  The diaphragm at each end, is not only what does the pumping but that is ALL that supports the armature which is all the time trying to pull itself in contact with the stator.  As soon as the diaphragm starts to age the first sign of a split and the magnetic force of the armature just tears it quickly and then the armature is stuck rubbing against the stator and hence all the red dust.  It can go from seemingly working to broken very quickly.

 

The other thing that annoys me the CE pumps I have only found the service kit as a package which included a new permanent magnet armature.  It seems impossible just to buy the diaphragms.  Other makes of similar pump do let you buy the individual parts and for less money.

 

My argument in my other thread was for the price of the service kit I could by a complete pump of a different design. It was just that I could not find anybody reporting it works in this application.   Now I know this piston pump works I am tempted to buy a second one to keep for when the first fails, which it will do at some point.  And when it does I will dismantle it and see if there is any repair prospect, I suspect there won't be.

 

I make weekly inspection (when I remember) which is basically unscrew the lid on the emptying point of the Conder and make sure I can hear it blowing bubbles.  Then I know all is well.

[Jimbouk]

Will follow with interest.

 

My pump had run for 7 years, so not too bad value.

 

Ive just bought some seachem bio boost to drop into the tank as well, hopefully it will get the bacteria restocked / revitalised quickly….

Edited March 22 by Jimbouk