Whisper air pump making loud vibrating noise, way to fix?

[Punkrulz]

Hey guys, I have a whisper air pump that I use for my bubble wand in my tank. Lately it seems to have lost it's "whisper" and makes a louder vibrating noise while it's in operation. This is my larger of the pumps, as the initial one I bought for the tank is a smaller one and fails to do anything.

Is there a way I can fix it, or do I have to replace it?

 

[DesignsOnYou]

Is it making that noise because it's rattling on top of what it's sitting on? If so, you could probably just put in on a towel or something that would still let it get air flow but absorb some of the rattling sound. If it's an internal noise, you could try putting it in your stand to muffle some of the sound, but as far as taking it apart and fixing it, I have no idea. It shouldn't hurt to try if you're so inclined, but I would wait for someone on here to provide suggestions, as sometimes things like that have parts that can shock the heck out of you if you don't know what you're doing and touch them. Sorry I can't be more help, having never taken one apart myself. But, if it's any consolation, the bubble wand isn't necessary for anything and is almost purely aesthetic.

 

[TMony]

They are very easy to take apart. (I have two Whisper 100's)
You should unplug it first "of course" and take out the screws on the bottom to take the cover off. Check the rubber bladder(s) to see if it is torn. It is very common for the Whispers to tear the rubber bladder after a few months. I actually had one tear after the first three days of use. You can get replacement parts fairly easily.

I emailed Tetra and they sent me a replacement kit for the bladder since the pump was so new. I think I am going to try out the Rena's next go round.

 

[Punkrulz]

Thanks guys. I know it's not what it's sitting on because it will still be equally as loud if I am holding it in my hand. I will definitely try to take it apart and see what I can find, as I don't have the finances to replace it. I still don't get why the smaller one (That was rated up to 15g), is having such a hard time pushing any bubbles out of my small bubble wand... but whatever.

I will post back (or PM you TMony) if I have any questions. I hope a bladder tear is easy to see, otherwise I may not be proficient enough to see what the problem is.

 

[TMony]

I will gladly help any way I can.

 

[Whiskers]

i've never torn one apart, so my curiousity is peaked. TMony, what material is used for the diaphram ? is there a way to use super glue to fix a tare or maybe tissue paper and clear nail polish, or some type of contact cement ?

 

[falcon1620]

The Wisper air pumps from Tetra have a 1-5 year warranty, if you e-mail them or call them they will send you a replacement kit with the parts you will need and some instructions on how to fix the pump, this should clear up any of the problems. Also there is a metal arm in there that can come unattached to the pump housing and "floats" in there, you can often slip this back into the bracket that holds it on and put a dab of glue on it to keep it from slipping out again if that is the problem. The metal arm will only be attacked at one end of the pump. You will be able to see if this is the case in some Tetra models.

As always, be sure to unplug the unit before working on it, and also ensure that you do not leave the air line below the tank level as you may end up siphoning off some of your water right onto the floor *crazysmil

If you want to you can "compare" the 2 similar models and see if you find anything out of place.
Good luck.

here is some contact info for you
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Call us at 1-800-423-6458, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT. Or send an e-mail, and we’ll respond within 24 hours.

 

[TMony]

i've never torn one apart, so my curiousity is peaked. TMony, what material is used for the diaphram ? is there a way to use super glue to fix a tare or maybe tissue paper and clear nail polish, or some type of contact cement ?

The diaphrams are made of rubber. I have never tried to fix one, but I don't believe nail polish would hold up because they are continually vibrating to create the air flow.

Tetra does warrant their pumps, but that DOES NOT include any rubber components (ie: bladders)

Whiskers . . .Go ahead and open up your pump and take a look. They are very easy to work with and you can't really hurt anything. I think you will be surprised how simple they are.

 

[unwritten law]

any ideas on how to make one quieter due to the fact that its just vibrating against what it is sitting on?

 

[DesignsOnYou]

Unwritten - If it's just what it is sitting on, I would suggest putting it on something like maybe one of those rubber grippy mats that are with the shelf liner paper at walmart. This would still allow air flow but would cut down on vibration noise.

 

[unwritten law]

Unwritten - If it's just what it is sitting on, I would suggest putting it on something like maybe one of those rubber grippy mats that are with the shelf liner paper at walmart. This would still allow air flow but would cut down on vibration noise.

I think I have some that you use in like kitchen cabinets... That's a pretty good idea, Ill try it out soon...

 

[TMony]

That should work well, just make sure it doesn't block your air flow under the pump.

 

[unwritten law]

The mats have like holes in them and the pump already has a lift on it. Right now its the noisiest thing in my set up and with another tank running this weekend I'm afraid of it being too loud.... might just have to take it out.

 

[TMony]

That's a good idea, hope it helps the noise problem.

 

[brian1973]

any ideas on how to make one quieter due to the fact that its just vibrating against what it is sitting on?

mousepad..

 

[unwritten law]

mousepad..

hahaha.. some one is thinking outside the box.... I dont think I have one I can use though...

 

[TMony]

Punkrulz . . . any luck?

 

[drew101]

When I had my 35 gallon I put a washcloth under it. The wash cloth takes alot of noise out of it.

 

[Punkrulz]

Sorry TMoney, just now was the first chance I had to take a look at it. I also didn't realize that there have been so many posts in my thread since my last one.

I took the unit apart; didn't notice anything out of place with it. I did have an incredibly difficult time with one of the screws, but that's about it. I reassembled the unit. I powered it on, and didn't hear the noise. I did discover what it was though.

Right now, I have 2 air pumps. The first air pump is too weak to push any air through my bubble wand... so it doesn't get used. The second air pump (has 2 exhausts) is actually too strong for the bubble wand. Since I only need one exhaust, I put a bleeder on one of the tubes going to the bubble wand. The second exhaust used to have a bleeder on a tube also, but the tube went nowhere.

I learned that if I put too much pressure on one of the exhausts, it makes a really loud vibrating noise. If the exhausts are facing to your left, then it's the one closest to me. I block it with my finger and it gets really loud. I block the other one with my finger, and have no problems. I put the bubble wand on the exhaust closest to the wall, and put the "tube to nowhere" on the one closest to me. I think I used to have it bled closed, which could have ruptured something inside that exhaust (though it pushes out equal air). Instead of listening to air being high pitched through that tube, I bled it enough so I don't get the vibration, and wound up putting the tube into the fish tank in one of my decorations. I'm not so sure if I like how it is... I can definitely hear the bubbles since it's just a tube. Not sure if the fish will like it either being in one of their homes. I'll experiment.