erics wrote:RG - That is true for the Ulka pumps but he has a Fluid-O-Tec (FOT) and the diode is in the connector to the pump's terminals.

I was using the right finger, but in the wrong nostril. Thanks, Eric.

Thank you everyone for the replies!

I got a similar piece of PVC pipe to what Nutty recommended. I got a pretty good seal and tried a few times to push water through but had no luck. The sound the machine makes is a consistent low buzz. I ended up removing power from the pump and still heard the same sound, so maybe it's coming from some other mechanism? The behavior is the same with or without power, so maybe the pump is broken.



Erics - Could you give me more information about replacing the diode? I tried looking up the FOT website but I'm not really sure what I'm looking at. Would I be best off replacing the whole pump? If so, can you tell what type I need? I'm brand new at this and basically all information is still new information. Thanks for any help or links!

If you call Fluid-o-Tech they're very helpful and can supply the parts you need. A Google search brings up their site and they have two U.S. locations.

. . . so maybe the pump is broken.

Well, maybe, but not likely. The electrical you need to look at are on the underside of the connector you removed. The Fluid-O-Tech point of contact is:

Shawn Thompson
Fluid-o-Tech International, Inc.
161 Atwater Street
Plantsville, CT 06479
(860) 276-9270

They can sell you the entire connector with wiring already assembled. You want one with the wiring towards the suction side of the pump.

abgoldstein wrote:Thank you everyone for the replies!

I got a similar piece of PVC pipe to what Nutty recommended. I got a pretty good seal and tried a few times to push water through but had no luck. The sound the machine makes is a consistent low buzz. I ended up removing power from the pump and still heard the same sound, so maybe it's coming from some other mechanism? The behavior is the same with or without power, so maybe the pump is broken.

sounds like the situation is worse. consistent low buzz isn't isn't what I would describe a vibe pump without water sounds like. From my experience it's obnoxoiusly loud on the Livietta, but once it starts pumping under water it quiets significantly. And under load it's actually quite quiet.

Anyway, sounds like your pump is indeed broken or clogged. Not sure how serviceable vibe pumps are. it would make sense to take the thing out and test it directly to confirm the pump is the culprit and not some other clogged component, before buying a new one.

Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm out of town now, but once I get back to my machine I'll check the component and get in touch with FOT. I'll report back soon.