Varios 4S pump question

frank-lloyd-reefer · Oct 26, 2022

Hi all,

I turned off my Varios 4S when doing some maintenance, and when I went to turn it back on it wouldn't start. Didn't surprise me, cleaning it was literally next up on my task list. Got all of the calcium deposits off, etc., put the thing back together and it wouldn't budge. It tried but couldn't do it. To me it looks like the impeller shield/plate is too sticky. I've seen a few videos online that mention the importance of a freely spinning shield. I did put it in a vinegar solution overnight but that did absolutely nothing.

I made this video for customer support, but I'm a little skeptical about hearing anything more than "send it in and let me look." It's been in use for seven months. Reef Octo's maintenance video really plays up the you-don't-even-need-tools aspect of the Varios maintenance. But I would love to be able to take that plate off and see what the deal is.

To make matters worse they are out of stock on replacement impellers for the 4-S! Is there something I'm missing? Is sending it in really my only option? If so that sorta equals new pump for me. In addition to the Varios I'm also running a Sicce 9, a Sicce 3 and a Neptune Cor-20. As it stands, the Varios is coming in dead last in the successful maintenance category.

TX_Punisher · Oct 27, 2022

This is a skimmer pump? Not that it matters.

if it’s 7 months old shouldn’t it be under warrantee?

mine stopped last week. My controller was flashing two red lights. swapped out the power supply and voila, pump fired back up.

is your controller showing anything odd?

homer1475 · Oct 27, 2022

While i do not own the 4s I do own a varios 4. Does tre 4s have the float switch on the controller?

frank-lloyd-reefer · Oct 27, 2022

Support replied and said the impeller is definitely frozen. It's the skimmer-pump version which comes with a different impeller.

Yeah the 4-S has the float switch. They've got the 2S impellers in stock but not the 4S.

Definitely under warranty but a replacement being out of stock everywhere is pretty disconcerting. I'm even having difficulty finding the same pump in stock anywhere reputable. Aquacave has it so I'll probably cart myself up there tomorrow. Wouldn't be the first time I had to repurchase due to nonexistent stock. Just gives me some time to get the original back in order so I can keep it for a spare in a pinch.

Thanks for the replies!