Audio Desk Systeme - Vinyl Cleaner – Repair of Water Pump Failure

Well, most of us actually have this same problem - we have a daytime job. Don't look for excuses! Order a pump, get some Tangit PVC glue and gutter sealant and cut this thing open. It does not take much and it is a very rewarding project! I just received a thank you email from another user who was able to replace his failed pump.

Hello decibell,

   I just received my new Pro X model the other day. I have given my old unit to a friend that wants to try and fix the old one. Please send me the instructions for repairing the water pump.  I have talked to one of my subcontractors that supplies all of my custom Plexiglass products and he can separate and put it back together for my buddy. SO if you would please send me the instructions and parts list. 

Thank You,
Greg

I would like to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to Decibell for pioneering a repair method for our Audio Desk Systeme record cleaning machines. Many of us had resigned ourselves to considering them unrepairable and therefore worthless. Following his instructions, I was able to successfully revive mine. Thank you, Decibell! 

What I have written below should be considered an “addendum” to his work. My purpose is only to further help anyone in our community who might wish to undertake this repair on their own as I did. 

Bottom removal: 

The bottom plate serves no other purpose than to protect the bottom of the internal tank and to hold the rubber feet. It is glued to the tank bottom with PVC cement in 8 locations; one slightly inboard from each corner, and one slightly inboard from the midpoint of each side, 8 total. Each glued area is circular in shape and about the size of a 50 cent piece. 

I used a putty knife with a sharpened blade and gently tapped it into each glue point a little at a time, rotating the record cleaner as I went, until the cover finally popped off. 

Tank bottom “surgery” as described by “decibel”.

Pump replacement: 

I was unable to get the exact replacement pump but did find this one which I thought could easily be made to work. 

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Submersible-produces-Travelling-Gardening/dp/B07234X3D7 

This “Comet” pump was the same size but the discharge tube exited from the top instead of from the side of the pump body. All I had to do was to remove the piece of rubber hose from the opening at the top of the tank, cut a 1” long piece of ½” dia. clear plastic tubing found in any plumbing supply, install it on the discharge tube of the new pump such that it extended into the same hole as the old one. Then I used silicone aquarium sealant to seal around this hose connection and also to bond the pump to the side of the tank. I also put a “dollop” of silicone over the white protective cover of the wires to secure it to the top of the tank. 

When the silicone had cured (24 hrs), I ran the wiring back through the original opening and secured it to the circuit board of the control panel. I sealed this opening with plumbers putty. 

I also used plumbers putty, available in a small, plastic tub, to make a “ledge” for the panel cut out of the tank bottom. After kneading the putty to make it soft and sticky, I stuck long, flat strips of it to the inside edge of the opening such that about ¼” extended into the opening thereby creating a “ledge.” I place the removed portion of the panel carefully on this ledge making sure the orientation was the same as when removed and that the surface was flush with the tank bottom. Then, using the clear silicone aquarium sealant and adhesive, I filled the gap just slightly proud of the surface and tooled it flush using my fingertip, allowing it to cure for 24 hrs. 

After curing, I placed the record cleaner right-side-up on small blocks, filled it with water, and checked for any leakage. I then ran a few test cleaning cycles with an old LP to make sure all was well. Then I drained the tank and made sure the tank bottom was completely dry. 

Lastly, I reinstalled the bottom plate using the same silicone as above and allowed it to cure for 24 hrs. 

Bottom line: 

Many thanks again to Decibell who developed this repair technique that has allowed many of us to continue using their RCMs without the huge expense of dealing with the factory.

Fred S.

Thanks for the good feedback Fred! With the pump that you found locally repairs are even easier now! Since I posted my instructions in January 2019 I was able to email further information and pictures to a good number of folks with a failed water pump. Instead of the silicone adhesive I found that dark gray gutter glue (HomeDepot) works really well. It sticks a lot better to the PVC-U and remains somewhat flexible/soft over time (like silicone). ADS uses Tangit PVC-U glue to glue everything together. This is great glue for PVC-U, but it gets really hard and does not fill cracks well since it shrinks.