Pump is Loud and/or Not Pumping Water

If your pump is running loud or making as noisy whirring sound, there are two possibilities:

  • The reservoir tank is low.
  • The pump is not sitting flat on the bottom of the tank on its rubber feet.

Steps for Low Tank:

1. Turn the pump off by either:

a) Using the WIFI timer app. You can label the "pump" and "light" and use the on/off button, or

b) Turn off the power button in the middle of the WIFI timer and leave off.

2.  Add up to 3.5 liters of fresh water (confirm visually at the spout to ensure you do not overflow the tank). The reservoir holds 4 liters of water, generally the pump will start to sound loud and have difficulty moving water once your tank is under 1 liter.

At this time you can add the next level of nutrients by referring to the Nutrient Feed Table. If you do not have time to add nutrients, just top up the tank with fresh water and add the nutrients later. Do NOT let the pump run dry, this could cause damage to the pump and your plants.  

3. Once the reservoir is full, turn the pump back on. This will allow it to prime and continue normal operation with the minimal sound. If you add water without turning the pump off, it may continue to sound loud and cause additional wear and tear, as it needs to reprime. 

Steps for Re-Setting the Pump Rubber Feet

If your reservoir is full and your pump is properly primed (see above), then the pump may been pulled off its footings and be rattling on the side of the reservoir. Here are the steps to fixing this:

  1. Turn off the pump and light by pressing the on/off button on the WIFI timer.
  2. Unplug both the light and pump
  3. Ensure the cords going to the wall socket and the gooseneck light arm are not pulling the pump off the bottom of the tank. Adjust the cords so there is a little slack as the pump cord comes out of the reservoir. You may be able to adjust the cords and have the pump rest back on the bottom, otherwise may need to remove the garden (see next steps). 
  4. Remove all net pots and place in a tupperwear container with a small amount of water. Plants should stay in their net pot. A towel can be useful for catching drips. If roots are stuck to the inside of the garden, start with the smaller plants first that come out easier. The larger plants may require you to gently pull the roots out by reaching your hand in. You can trim the bottom of the roots. Large plans can lie on their side. 
  5. Unclip the light from the gooseneck light arm and place the light in a safe place. 
  6. Remove the garden from the wall, again using a towel to catch the drips. Now that you have it apart, it may also be a good time to clean your garden, follow the steps here. You may also choose to clean the pump and reservoir before moving on.
  7. Re-suction the rubber feet on the pump to bottom of the reservoir. Feed cords to ensure slack to prevent pump from being pulled off, and re-assembled garden. 
  8. Ensure reservoir is full before turning on the pump and light.