Need help to fix my equipment.
Model & use
ISV-200, ~1 year old, bought locally in Brazil (imported). I use it mainly for yogurt at ≤40 °C.
What happened
After cleaning the lower pump area, I reassembled it and likely applied axial force to the rotor/shaft because the guard was misaligned. At one point I also inverted the unit while wet, then let it dry fully. I didn’t open the top electronics housing.
Symptoms
Circulates and heats normally (flow seems strong), but there is a loud mechanical noise that sounds like it comes from the head/motor.
Tests I did
Noise persists in brief tests without the stainless skirt, without the lower plastic guard, with rotor only (propeller removed), and even when I rotate the rotor by hand with power off.
My suspicion
Likely motor/shaft/bearing noise or thrust washers/bushings/shaft out of spec — possibly stressed/bent during reassembly.
Questions
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Is there a safe/approved, food-safe lubricant I can apply via the shaft to reduce the noise?
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If not, is it acceptable to remove the rotor/impeller and run heater-only while I circulate water with an external pump?
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Given I run it at ≤40 °C, is it safe to keep using while it’s noisy? Is the worst case scenario just breaking for good?