Tunze 6105 making alot of noise

[lostanime]

We purchased a Tunze 6105 today, and it is the loudest piece of equipment we own.

It hums very loudly (we can hear it on other side of house with TV on)

We exchanged pump with another new 6105 at our local dealer, which is doing the exact same thing.

The dealer originally sold us this pump with the promise that we would be even happier then we are with our Vortech. They are now trying to tell us that we need to let the pump break in for a few days and it will magically go from obnoxious to perfectly silent.

Our vortech, koralias, and our return pumps do not produce any audible noise. I dont understand why this new tunze is creating so much noise.

[shawnz28]

Your dealer is correct, there is likely some break in needed and will become much quiter. Check out this thread and try rogers comment

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1574726

[rvitko]

We don't fully understand why the pumps are noisy when new but we assume it has something to do with surface tension trapping air inside the pump, especially between the shaft and drive assembly. I have yet to have anyone use a pump for 2 weeks and have the noise issue persist. It does tend to work itself out with just a simple run in. Once run in the pumps are very quiet. Just be sure everything is assembled correctly, the front housing is on straight and secure, the magnets have the rubber bumpons attached and the glass is at least 1/2" thick. For thinner glass you may need to add some sort of padding between the magnet and glass. Also check that the magnet has no bubbles, blisters or defects that may be touching the glass.

[troyman]

mine took about a week then i thought it wasent working beacuse i didnt hear it anymore the noise stopped its been over year and still good

[lostanime]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14423247#post14423247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by troyman
mine took about a week then i thought it wasent working beacuse i didnt hear it anymore the noise stopped its been over year and still good

Silent for over a year now? I thought the 6105 was a newer design slated for release in Oct/Nov '08...

Ours has the 4 rubber feet installed on both internal and external mounts, and the glass seems to be 1/2" (side-wall on 180 gallon)

After 24 hours it's still audible in every single room in the house and when the controller is used to modulate between lowest and highest speed, it sounds like a neighbor might be playing techno at a high volume.

This is highly frustrating considering the brochures and press releases for this product include statements like
"Very silent run
Special plastic bearings, a titanium-alloy axle and silicone absorbers enable a very silent run without wear which applies for smaller models as well as for the powerful pump delivering 30,000 l/h. (7,925 USgal./h)."

Our LFS made Tunzes out to be the best pumps on the market regardless of price, but we've owned dozens of pumps over the last 15 years and this one is by far the loudest. :( We've never used a submersible pump that audibly hummed... both the original and the replacement physically vibrate in our hands when we pop the ball out of the bracket, and it makes a vibrating hum against the bracket if we take the magnetic bracket off the glass wall.

[rvitko]

As I said, just let it run for a while, it takes a couple weeks for things to seat and wear in and for all the air to purge out, once run in they are completely quiet.

[jc16]

i currently experiencing same porblems with 6205s been more than a month here they've been running in fresh water though would it take longer to run in? and one of the pumps makes kind of like a chattering noise why? my third 6205 is on the way i will see how they compare

[troyman]

was not talking about your same pump but mine made noise at first to and it stopped

[rvitko]

Freshwater does affect the surface tension and it may take longer in freshwater for the air bubbles to purge as air bubbles tend to be larger and have different properties in freshwater. But I can't say for sure and after one month I think it should be quiet regardless.

So the noise is not a hum but kind of a mechanical noise? Like parts hitting or banging?

[jc16]

Yes one of the pumps do sound like that ATM but I would let it run for a bit more see how it goes, I took apart the pumps yesterday seems like there is a tiny bit of wear on the edge of the propellers is that normal

[Jar*Head]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14435171#post14435171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jc16
Yes one of the pumps do sound like that ATM but I would let it run for a bit more see how it goes, I took apart the pumps yesterday seems like there is a tiny bit of wear on the edge of the propellers is that normal

Its normal IMO. Either i am lucky or my hearing has problem but all my pumps 6105, 6205 and 6305 did not make any sound..

[peder]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14423934#post14423934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rvitko
As I said, just let it run for a while, it takes a couple weeks for things to seat and wear in and for all the air to purge out, once run in they are completely quiet.

Hope you right!! just recive my 6105 back from Tunze:

YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 2008 REPAIR DONE BY: Mr. L. Michele UNIT TYPE NO:
06105.000Turbelle? stream 6105
0zr2Founded faults: Motorbloc defect
0zc02DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE REPLACED.
1x6105.0150Motor block

that one' run in?? never!!
;)
cost me 30 euro in freight
:mad:

[rvitko]

Peder, Mr Michele replaced your motor, the pump must have had a defect that was causing the issue. I would suspect the hole was at an angle so the drive magnet was hitting the wall. On the very first pumps this was a problem we did not expect but we have a check for this problem since last October, now the pumps are sighted in for correct alignment during assembly.

jc16, a damaged propeller would indicate the prop is hitting something, it could be the front cover unless a foreign object is inside.

[lostanime]

To follow up and keep an accurate record of what happened-

Roger's AWESOME.

We are currently running the smaller jumper (15V as opposed to 24V) to temporarily alleviate the noise (since the humming is still audible with the 24V jumper after running 2 weeks)... running the smaller jumper has quieted the pump down tremendously.

As far as a long term solution, Roger's given the heads up that larger propellers are currently in the works so that the pump will push it's rated flow with an 18V jumper, which should address all noise issues since the larger propeller will be spinning slower to push the same flow.

Looking back, I would personally recommend:


Giving these pumps a couple weeks, it seems MOST go silent without any intervention
Get hold of Roger. He is THE MAN, and from my personal experience does absolutely everything in his power to ensure customer satisfaction
Do not deal with new equipment while bringing home babies. Lack of sleep leads to grumpier posts then necessary :-)


Thanks again!

[lostanime]

As another update: We tried the 18v jumper and larger propeller, which temporarily quieted the pump down but over the next day or so the pump was as loud as it was to begin with. For perspective, we also installed a new washing machine... I sat next to the washing machine for the first cycle to confirm function and I could still hear the 6105 in another room.

Roger ran a pump to confirm break-in, which arrived yesterday. So far, this replacement pump seems to be very quiet!

Maybe the shipment with the first two pumps I tried was dropped :eek2: :lol:

[lostanime]

As a final follow-up to this issue - the pump Roger sent is still virtually silent 2 weeks later (cant be heard 2ft away from tank with other gear running)

This is an incredible improvement compared to the prior 6105s we tried from a local retailer, which we could hear while literally sitting next to a new washing machine running in another room (and left us unplugging it at night so we could sleep!), after months of trying to "break in" the pump and swapping the jumper/propeller.

Many thanks yet again to Roger for turning what started as our most frustrating experience with a pump into a happy one.

[rvitko]

Thank you, we continue to work on this problem, we have been actively experimenting with different magnets and shafts, to minimize the noise. For the time being, the only solution I have is to take a noisy pump and try handfitting various parts and running them in until I get a quiet pump. I am willing to help anyone with this problem, but some patience may be required.

[lostanime]

After leaving this pump running for approximately 1 month, it's now producing the same loud noise the original pumps produced that could be heard throughout the entire house. It was producing this noise even when pump was taken off the glass side, and when the pump was removed from bracket.

For other reasons, I've re-homed all livestock and drained the entire setup. I'm going to give the pump parts a vinegar bath and scrub them in case there's any build-up within the pump, and set it back up next month (moving tank to new stand, replacing sump, etc before setting back up to alleviate some maintenance nightmares)

I'm hoping this is somehow being caused by something in the tank. I don't know what else to do - we haven't had loud noise issues with any other pumps :(

[rvitko]

David,

Keep me posted, I am at a loss as to what could cause this, but I will do what it takes.

[lostanime]

Roger, as a followup, the pump is still a bit noisy a year later. I added a new 6205 a couple months back, and that pump is perfectly silent. I'm not sure what's up with 6105s in my tank. The mounting hardware is a bit loose, any advice on how to keep the pump from moving/falling out?

[rvitko]

A new clamp and drive unit will be out and hopefully in stock in 2-3 weeks, these will make a dramatic difference. Bump this thread or send me a PM at the end of the month.

[lostanime]

Bump :)

[rvitko]

Clamps should be here wednesday, drive units with the new prop and titanium shaft won't be here until end of the month.

[lostanime]

Are the new brackets something I should go through my local vendor to acquire, order directly through the Tunze website, or...?

Thanks yet again for helping me for so long with these pumps!

[rvitko]

Sending PM

[lostanime]

Thanks yet again Roger.

Tunze pumps are not by any measure cheap, but with their incredible track record for reliability, robust features, and 5-star support... I can't afford not to go with Tunze. You have a customer for life.

[lostanime]

I tried the new clamp and it didn't impact the noise at all. The clamp grips the pump much tighter so the pump wont fall out of the clamp... but unfortunately the blue rubber pieces don't seem to hold very well, and the whole thing just falls apart every time I try to change the direction the pump is oriented. I'm a bit nervous that shreddings from an algae sheet will eventually get stuck on it, and a fish will tug and cause it all to come falling apart when I'm not watching.

I'm probably going to just try to sell the 6105 and buy another new 6205 with the old clamps (if any of the local fish stores still have them) and throttle the flow down. I don't know why I can't get 6105s to stay quiet on my tank when other pumps (including 6205) are silent, but I'm beginning to feel we've exhausted our options and you've certainly gone above and beyond in every aspect with supporting these products. Tunze is VERY lucky to have you representing them.

[rvitko]

David,

Don't give up just yet. Can you please check something on the silence clamp? It should have a black plastic stick inside two of the rubber pieces, these are locking inserts that push out and support the rubber to firm up the attachment, these may be missing. I would be happy to try again, I don't think we exhausted every option and I believe we can solve this. I last looked at this pump over a year ago, for one, I have a lot more experience with them now and am better able to spot problems, second something may have worn out or just needs to be replaced, a new quieter drive unit will come out in about a month and the drive units we make today are much quieter than what we made a year ago.

[lostanime]

Roger, with the way you've tirelessly gone so far above and beyond, I'm more then happy to keep trying to get this worked out if you want to keep at it. You've done so much, I just feel bad coming back to you again with troubles with this pump.

I don't see a black plastic stick inside any of the rubber pieces, but here a few pictures in case I'm not understanding what I'm looking for!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=535&pictureid=17483
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=535&pictureid=17482

[rvitko]

They are not there they look like a solid black plastic coffee stirrer, little round pegs that insert inside the two diagonal feet so it is more solid. I know this was a last minute correction to the design so it is possible these didn't have them yet. Could you send me the pump?

Tunze USA
305 Victor St
Austin, TX 78753

[lostanime]

Sorry about the delay, no prob. Will you also need the power supply?

[rvitko]

I would like to test it as well, it is unlikely the culprit, but I would like to verify the output voltage.

[ghstrider]

Roger, I went with your advice and purchased a set of 2 6105s and a 7096 controller. I bought these from another reefer who purchased them at the end of last year. Im wondering if this noise issue is something I will have to deal with or something that is rare. Also, will these pumps need to have parts swapped for the titanium shafts and magnet rubber parts like Ive read on this thread? I just want to ensure that I have the best pumps running in my setup from the moment I put them in.

Thanks in advance
Eddy


oh and sorry for the hijack lostanime...

[rvitko]

Almost universally our products are continually being changed, if we find something that can be done better, we do it. So you will be like a dog chasing your tail if you try to keep up with every small tweak and change. I would say for as long as I have been doing this, no product is exactly the same for more than 6 months, some small part changes either in material or design because it makes it quieter, builds up less calcium or uses less power or just looks better. The noise issue is not universal, it has to do primarily with your sensitivity to noise and the thickness of the glass. I would only upgrade things as you need new parts when things wear out or if there is a need from a specific problem.