my filtering unit is loud....it is grinding??? i have broken it down and put it back after cleaning it but?

Question

still not working....grinding...any ideas??? how much are replacements?? what brand do you recommend and what is their life expectancy???

Answer 1

It could be one of two things.

One. You have a small piece of gravel or sand stuck inside the motor. Take your filter apart again and use a cotton swab to gently clean out the well that the impeller sits in.

Two. If you let the motor run dry the plastic in the well may have melted a bit, and is now rubbing against the magnet. If this is the case you need to replace your filter.

oops there were three things. Check the little plastic prong's on the impeller shaft, to make sure that one of them isn't bent out of shape.

If none of these help I suggest getting a new filter. The lifespan of most filters that are sold today is only about five years. And a new one is relatively inexpensive in the long run.

Good luck
E.

Answer 2

It depends on how long you've had it. If it's new, you can take it back because it's probably defective. If it's a few years old, it's probably reached the end of its life. If it's somewhere in between, you might try contacting the manufacturer to see about replacement parts.
If you do decide to get a new filter, Aquaclears are my favourites. They run from 30 to 60 dollars (cdn) depending on tank size, and do a very good job cleaning the water. The other thing I like about them is you don't have to buy those horrid cartriges, so you can replace carbon more often without risking upsetting the biological bacteria in the floss. Aquaclear sells carbon pouches to go in there, but you can save money by buying carbon in bulk, depending on how much you use and how often you change it. They also sell pouches of specialty stuff, like ammonia remover and bioballs. I ended up buying one of the bioball pouches and have found it nice for seeding new tanks (I leave it in the filter of one of my established tank for a week or two then put it in the filter of a new tank- speeds up the cycle)
When you swich the filter, keep the filter media from the old filter and put it in the new one along with some new media to prevent ammonia spikes. After a few weeks, you can take it out and throw it away!
Hope this helps,

Liszie

Answer 3

Usually this is caused by something binding at the impeller. I would check it closely when out of the filter for anything binding it or anything too loss and allowing it to move around. Replace ment impellers are available if yours is worn and would be much cheaper than replacing the entire filter.

I have had filters quit after a few months and also have some that are still running well after 15+ years. It's really hard to say what the life expectancy would be but personally if I don;t get a few years out of one I feel ripped off.

MM

Answer 4

Sounds like the impeller is loose or broken. You can get replacement parts at most aquarium shops. If you are happy with the filter you have thats what I would try. If you are not really happy with the filter look around and see what there is out there. There are a lot of different ones, but for the most part it depends on what type of filter you want for your tank.

Good Luck