Ok...hob/sand Filter Issues.

[NonstickRon]

Ok. I had the bright idea to wrap filter floss around my water intake of my penguin hob filter today at work. I think it worked well on my work tank with the penguin 100 to keep the sand out of my filter. So...I come home and decide to do it to my 200. Decided to clean this one during my water change. So I take apart the filter, float the biowheel and the 2 cartridges and extra sponge I have in it in a bucket of tank water and bring the housing unit over to the sink...plug it in and spray the heck out of it. Take the impeller out, spray it out some more...try to wipe the impeller slot out with some q-tips, put the impeller back, spray soem more. All in all, a lot of grit came out. BUT, I put it back together and its still making a pretty bad racket....

Is it possible that 2 weeks of sand in the filter has ruined my impeller? Is it the impeller that makes the noise? Should I replace the impellers? I don't know what else to do.

 

[blodhi74]

Replace it.
I might have lost the balance with grinding with the sand.

 

[Ficious]

i had a problem where my filter would shut off all the sudden in random times of the day. i just did what you said you did and everything was ok. try to listen and feel where the sound comes from when its plugged in, then take it apart and try again. sounds like somethings loose.

to fix mine, all i do is lift up the intake tubeabout half an inch..then drop it back in. i have the penguin 200 filter.


also, this is probably a dumb thing to say but do make sure you fill the filter up with water when you first turn it on. lol i know you pry know that but thats the only time ive heard mine make a rough sound

 

[NonstickRon]

Yeah...the magnet has scoring from the sand...grooves that go all the way around.

 

[NonstickRon]

Called every petshop in town. Nobody has a replacement impeller.

 

[NonstickRon]

Is there anything safe to grease it up with? Silicon jelly?

 

[OldMan47]

I would smooth the scratches as much as you can and let the filter limp along until you can get a replacement impeller assembly. The replacements are available from internet stores or on e-bay for not much money.

 

[NonstickRon]

Interestingly enough, looking at filters I noticed the higher end Eheim's come with vaseline for lubrication.
http/www.aquariumguys.com/eheimwetdry.html

Also, Rainbow Lifeguard makes a silicon lubricant for theirs.
http/www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage..._lubricant.html

 

[NonstickRon]

Ok, so this morning my biowheel was still wet but not spinning when I woke up. I pulled off the filter floss sheath I had made for the intake and the water preassure dramatically improved and the wheel started to spin normally. So much for that idea. I think it had somethign to do with how murky flourite sand can make the water, cause I'd never seen it as clear as it was with that floss on the intake, not since I switched to the flourite.

Came to work and the filter here is still performing nicely with its rigged up filter floss. Work tank has playsand.