Quick Fix: Air Diaphragm Pump Not Activating or Making Sound.

Is your Smoky Lake Air Diaphragm Pump silent after hooking up the air compressor? No “ka-chunk ka-chunk” sound, and no pumping? This video walks you through a simple fix that will get you up and running quickly.

Symptom: The pump doesn’t activate after connecting your air compressor. You may hear a hissing sound, but there is no “ka-chunk ka-chunk” sound indicating that the pump is actuating.

Cause: The actuator switches inside the pump may have shifted out of place, preventing operation.

Solution: Remove the black cap at the back of the pump with an adjustable wrench and ensure the actuator switches are in opposite positions—one to the left, one to the right.

Why Would This Occur?: The switches can occasionally shift to the same side during shipping or if the pump was tilted/laid on its side.

At the end of the above video, Jim also shares simple maintenance tips to keep your pump running smoothly—like lubricating the switches with air tool oil. While you have the cap off of the pump, this is a good maintenance task to address at the same time. For more information on that, please see our Air Tool Oil article.