Air pump lifespan?

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
My air pump just pooped out after ~18months of service. Seems like the diaphragms hardened up or cracked, but I haven't opened it up to investigate. It's a 3.5 watt Top Fin "Air 3000" model, with dual outputs. One output got real weak about a month ago, now they're both not putting out any air. The case on this model looks like a Eugene Danner pump.

Is this a pretty typical lifespan? I recall being able to replace diaphragms many years ago. Not sure if they're still serviceable.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
I took the Top Fin air pump apart to investigate. Turns out, the diaphragms were intact, soft and pliable yet. The intake valve for each side? Not so much. The flapper part had broken free on one side and was loose inside the cylinder. On the other side, it was stuck open. You can pull the valves out with needle-nose pliers or tweezers, I just don't know if those can be purchased or not.

I wound up purchasing a Whisper 20 from my LFS. $16.50. DFS has them for $7.99.
 

Rbishop

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 30, 2005
40,727
452
143
70
Real Name
Mr. Normal
I think it is the luck of the draw on any air pump, except maybe large whole fish room ones.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
Thanks. I've heard nothing but good in regards to Danner pumps, with Whisper coming in second. I would have mail-ordered a Danner (which look identical to the TopFin externally), but didn't want to leave my nice established sponge bubbler, bubble-less for the time it would take to get a mail-order pump. I paid crazy retail for my new Whisper 20 at my LFS, but considered it a donation. Looks ridiculously slow for him over the summer months.
 

XanAvaloni

AC Members
Nov 13, 2009
1,242
0
36
I just about refuse to use anything that requires air pump any more. Don't think I have ever gotten more than 4-6 months out of one, on top of which they make noxious noise. My office/bedroom/fishroom has to pretend to be a call center during working hours and detectable noise whether human, animal, electronic or air-moving will get me fired, so, bah humbug.

That said the turtle-shaped whisper (forget model number and can't lay hands on it right now under the rubble) lasted the longest. Best wishes to yours. :)
 

67chevelle

Basset Hound
Jul 30, 2008
2,286
2
38
I recall being able to replace diaphragms many years ago. Not sure if they're still serviceable.
I reemerge that too. I actually kind of liked being able to do it.

I have a whisper pump, not sure of the model number, that has been running airstones in a gold fish tank for around 4 years now. Works just as good now as when I bought it. They must have changed something with the diaphragms over the years. In the good ol' days they only lasted a few months if I remember correctly.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
LOL! Unbelievable. My new LFS purchased Whisper 20 worked great for about two days. Bought it on Friday, powered the tank down on Sunday for a water change. Powered back up after the water change and noticed little/no bubbles. What the heck? Pump is humming along, but not much airflow/pressure. Again, scrapped the tubing, yanked the air stone in the sponge filter, replaced all, hooked back up, still minimal bubbles??? You can blow through the tubing and airstone with little effort.

It's going back to the LFS today.. All he carries is Whisper air pumps. Yay.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
The LFS owner replaced the Whisper 20 for me that day. Not without a little LFS stink-eye of course. "Do you use check a check valve?" I actually do, but told him I yanked the check valve for troubleshooting. "Oh... that's probably the problem.." He pulled the defunct Whisper as apart as he could to check for moisture, etc. Dry as a bone. His diagnosis was internal air leakage.

Anyhoo, the new Whisper 20 pumps better than the first one did.
 

atreis

AC Members
Nov 24, 2013
88
0
0
SW Ohio
I've used the same Whisper air pump on the replacement water reservoir (automated water change system) for ... 12 years now? Something like that ... I've had others die in months.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store