So some of you might remember a little while ago i brought a fx5 second hand off ebay but i didnt come with any of the pipes, well i've just received all the parts i needed to get the filter running but now i think i have ruined the motor.

So i set the filter up in my tank and was testing it and noticed it made a vibarting noise which sounded like it was coming from the impeller and i could also hear the water sloshing round inside the filter, i wasnt expecting it to make much noise so i pulled the impeller unit off the side of the filter and remove then replaced the impeller hoping to solve the noise problem. I turned the impeller on about 3 or 4 times when it wasnt attached to the canister each only for 1 or 2 seconds and now the impeller wont turn on at all, have i ruined the motor in the filter?? any advice on how i can get the filter up and running?

hi did you fill the cannister with water before you switched it on, if not you my have fried the motor

the fisrt time i switched it on it had water in the canister but i was trying to slove the noise problem and i had removed the motor/impeller unit from the the cansiter and switched it on whilst it dry, id it that easy to fry the motor??? it was only running for about 2 seconds

I know them fx5s have a automatic prime program built in is it that causing it maybe ?

the impeller has a ceramic coating that must be wet for in to have sufficient lubrication. weather or not a few seconds will destroy the coating I don't know, but I do know its advised not to turn the motor on at all without water to lubricate it. so most likely you have burnt it out. A new impeller is £35. but that's not to say it is the impeller that's damaged. it could be the motor or chip also.

the water sound (like a washing machine)when you turned it on sounds like it wasn't full of water. if you had topped it full of water It probably would have worked fine without any sound.

i just tested it again with water in it and it worked, now i just have to work out what is making the vibrating sound