The unit won't just start and I suspect some kind of electrical problem (transistor or fuse damage)

I am an electrical engineer and I do not fully understand your question. If the unit is designed to operate on 50/60 Hz, it cannot be damaged by operating it at either of those line frequencies. Mnay products today will operate at either line frequency.However, if you used an adjustable voltage power transformer (a.k.a. "Variac"), you may have "under-voltaged" or "over-voltaged" the device. If there is a circuit breaker, try resetting it. Otherwise, there may be a circuit board-mounted fuse internally that is now electrically "open." That can be tested with an Ohmmeter for continuity. (Finding a replacement may prove difficult.)

Operating a line-powered device above or below its input limitations can permanently damage internal power supply functions and, perhaps, other circuitry as well.

Solid state components can fail "open" or "shorted." If they fail "open" they will not draw appreciable current to "burn" them in any obvious way.

Check the fuse inside the unit, it is located where power cables hook up.

cheak main power unit see if u can get one from radio shack start there do u leave it on 24 7 fan puts on a heavey load on power trasformers blows them easy

The fuse is located inside the control panel. It is soldered to the circuit board, not mounted in a typical fuse holder. You will need a Philips screwdriver to disassemble the unit. You will need a soldering iron & solder to remove the fuse and replace it. You may want to a multi-meter to check the fuse. If the unit just stopped working, it could be a number of other issues than the fuse. The starter capacitor for the motor could be dead or some other issue. You must take precautions against electrical shock. You may need a technician to safely perform some repairs.

Yes, and no.
It can damage the pump if it causes the pump to run out of fluid.
No, just a leaking hose should never damage the pump otherwise.

You power down, take the fuse out, and put the leads of a DVM across it (or have your local prefilter supply place use their DVM.) If the thing blew and therefore reads OL (open line, as opposed to a closed circuit) then you need a new good one. You can't always see metal deposits and a break in the fuse wire.

No, not that I'm aware of. But, the problem itself, may be in the electrical receptacle. A loose wire, a bad connection or interior damage could all cause the circuit breaker to trip. Or it may simply be the case, of line that air purifier is plugged into, is simply overloaded, because of other electrical appliances are on the same circuit of tripped the circuit breaker. Most air purifiers have their on circuit breaker or fuse built-in to the unit. And that, will usually trip before the circuit breaker in the breaker panel of your home.

Here's how you test that theory: Plug the unit into another outlet, that is on an entirely different circuit than the original one and turn it ON. If this trips a different circuit breaker, then you know it's an internal problem with the unit. If it doesn't trip the circuit breaker, the problem is with the original receptacle or the line that feeds that receptacle and it's circuit breaker.

Hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

First, are you sure that outlet that the unit is plugged into really works? The other situation would be a blown fuse on the back of the unit. Also, make sure that the filter on the back of the unit is seated properly and making contact with the safety switch. Check all three things. It could be any of them.

Blowing a new fuse would indicate that there is some component of the machine which was damaged. The fuse is a safety device which keeps electricity from flowing through defective wiring.

You can visually inspect the machine to see if there are any wires, connections, or components that appear to be damaged, burned, loose, or broken. The plates need to be perfect, without cracks, burned spots, loose mucilage, broken screens, etc. The contact fingers should be screwed firmly in place, and they should press firmly against the screen part of the plate.

If you can detect and then repair any of the above defects, and if the machine still blows the fuse, you can assume that the problem is deeper in the machine and it needs professional help! Unfortunately, Vollara (formerly EcoQuest) no longer makes or repairs the Flair. You can contact Vollara customer service 800-989-2299 to locate a dealer in your area; they may have another machine or know where you could get one. They may also know of someone who could repair it for you.

Hi pierce_marle,

Unless you have a lot more electronics background than I suspect, you probably aren't going to want to get too deep into the electronics components, and because I don't know your personal level of skill with electrical repairs, I'm not recommending that you do so.

It sounds like you've done all the easy stuff. If you have a multi-meter, you could start checking the wiring going to the plates for continuity (checking for broken/damaged wiring, evidence of short-circuits such as blackened spots, etc.)

Beyond that, you might want to see if you can get a similar (same model and plate/motor configuration) on eBay to use for cannibalization/spare parts - - probably the cheapest way to swap-out a chassis of electronics and wiring that I'm aware of.

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Jon