Aqua clear filters fail to re-start after outage

[gwand]

I have three AC 50 filters on three of eight tanks. I just had a power outage. My generator kicked in about 30 seconds after the outage started. The three AC filters failed to auto start when the generator kicked in. My other five filters started working immediately, including two cheapo filters that came as part of a Tetra aquarium kit I use for ADFs and neocaridina. Frustrating! I’m out of town frequently and can’t afford to keep these AquaClears. I can’t trust them.

 

[GaryE]

It's a flaw. They run forever, but all good things have flaws...

 

[Magnum Man]

mine are only for back up now... I've not run one for over a year, they won't restart, with how I do water changes

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

My power went out twice yesterday, my Marineland HOBs started right up.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am way down from my total running at the same time, but I still have 16 running which includes one or more of every model. Or whole house back up generator comes on 20 seconds after a power loss.

Currently, I have 8 of the 16 AC filters which likely will not restart after a power loss or even just a blink. However. I have become quite lax about cleaning out the motor, i.e. the impeller and shaft plus the well in which they sit. This tends to make a difference in terms of their restarting. The big model 110 has never failed to restart, but I have only had it running for 10+ years. I bought it used.

Also, I live with my brother who is aware of the potential issue with the ACs. I showed him how to restart them easily. If I am not here and he is, he will check them if there is a power blink or complete loss.

I really like the AquaClears. But I am also not able to do central filtration on many of my tanks. I run central air and Poret foam in tanks where I can. When I need to run carbon or crushed coral on any of those those tanks I do it using one of my spare aquaclears. I have a couple still running for over 20 years one of which I got used.

I find their versatility in terms of media combined with how several models share the same parts. I standardized my power filters by using mostly ACs. My canisters are all Eheim Pro 2s and the oldest has been running continuously for over 20 years. It also acted as my CO2 diffuser, my CO2 line ended inside the prefilter foam on the intake for the filter. It did this for almost the first decade I had it.

My feeling is that the trend of consolidation in the hobby equipment industry which set off companies working hard to make many of their products for lower cost. They made the plastic housing thinner. The motors are a bit less powerful but kept their appearance and model names. I think that may ex[pain why the more recently manufactured ACs tend to have a higher incidence of failure to restart than the older ones. I could be wrong.

I have not purchased a new or used Aquaclear in some time, over 10 years or longer. It was the used 110 above.

One thing I did was in some tanks where I had ACs I also ran an air powered filter. Air pumps are pretty reliable in terms of restarting.

 

[gwand]

I just ordered three Seachem Tidal 50s to add to the tanks with the ACs. Take no chances.

 

[Magnum Man]

I have 2 of those currently... both in a tank with pretty fine sand... the extra control, and the fact that the draw tube strainer, mounts directly to the bottom of the filter box , which greatly limits the amount of sand that finds it's way inside... that and it restarts, when I do water changes

 

[Colin_T]

Make sure the water level in the aquarium is above the motor on the AquaClear filter. If the tank water level is below the motor, all the water will drain out of the filter and they don't restart without a jug of water added to the filter case.

 

[gwand]

Yes. I always top off all my tanks with RO/DI before I leave on my many frequent trips away.

 

[fishorama]

I only have Aqua Clears I use right now. No matter how brief a power outage, maybe a couple don't restart siphoning. Sometimes just adding water to the filter box gets them going again as Colin said. It seems to be when the filter is angled too far toward the tank & mostly empties the box. But that is much better than angled away from the tank & water may go on the floor behind the tank That was a problem 1 time & why it took a while for me to love them again after that time it happened, lol. It was on a very low tank & we couldn't tell for a while.

But I do love ACs! They almost never need more than a new impeller (only twice over 30 years!). The good old sponges never wear out nor do the motors, fingers crossed. Nothing lasts forever but ACs are close!

 

[gwand]

My Seachem Tidal HOB filters arrived. I just finished setting them up. Now each of my tanks except the tanks for a pair of ADFs and neocaridina have two HOB filters, one of them being a Tidal. Each tank also has an air powered sponge filter. From a statistical point of view, I am at failsafe. Only the most unusual circumstances would leave one of my tanks, unfiltered and oxygenated while I am out of town. This hobby is getting expensive.

 

[Back in the fold]

You aren’t maintaining your impellers and the well they go in correctly . Those parts attract dirt and hairs of algae and whatnot that freeze them up . When you do your filter maintenance you MUST clean these things extra well . Get yourself some good tweezers and brushes that fit the impeller well and clean them frequently . Spin the impeller in your hand when you have it out and satisfy yourself that it is running free from side to side AND up and down .

 

[gwand]

I

You aren’t maintaining your impellers and the well they go in correctly . Those parts attract dirt and hairs of algae and whatnot that freeze them up . When you do your filter maintenance you MUST clean these things extra well . Get yourself some good tweezers and brushes that fit the impeller well and clean them frequently . Spin the impeller in your hand when you have it out and satisfy yourself that it is running free from side to side AND up and down .

I do all that every two weeks. There is a restart defect in AquaClear filter motors for models smaller than the 110. My 110 never fails to restart. When the 50s fail to restart all I have to do is give a nudge to the impeller blade with a long toothpick. It starts right up. But I am away from home about 1 week every month. My tanks can’t go without filtering if I am away.

 

[Magnum Man]

I have had a brand new Aquaclear 70, fail to start when new, with out futzing... that particular one works better after a year than it did when new... I would guess the new ones are not what they once were

 

[Back in the fold]

Welp , all I can say further is I still think you’re not cleaning them correctly or else Aqua-Clear quality has gone down . I haven’t run one in a long time but I never had one fail in any way whatsoever . Or . . . . you could be a jinx .