Do you have an aquaclear filter?

[callistra]

I am wondering how many people have a grinding noise from the motor and how many are silent?

I bought an aquaclear 20 and it was dead silent except the sound of the water trickling. When I moved my tank I messed up and plugged it in before I filled it with water. It made an awful sound and whole it quieted down with water I could hear a grinding noise.

I bought a new filter and it grinds even louder right out of the box.

I did some online research and it seems this is not an uncommon problem. Some people have claimed to go though as many as three filters all with various degrees of grinding.

I am really kicking myself for messing up my silent one :(

So my question is, how many of your filters are truly silent and how many grind?

[LebronTheBetta]

Mine only grinds if there isn't any water in the filter itself... Besides the water getting poured out, it's pretty silent. I have the model AquaClear 30, though. I'm sorry your filter got messed up, I can only tell you what happened IME.

[paloverde]

Have you pulled out the impeller, and checked to see if it has something wound up on the shaft? Grinding noise is usually caused from something causing an imbalance while the impeller spins. Also check the housing perhaps something is in it. Running the filter without water can cause warping, water cools the moving parts, thus warped parts become imbalanced.

[callistra]

My understanding is I should just be able to pull it apart but it's not moving easily and I'm afraid I'm going to break it.. a video tutorial might be helpful.

[paloverde]

Originally Posted by callistra

My understanding is I should just be able to pull it apart but it's not moving easily and I'm afraid I'm going to break it.. a video tutorial might be helpful.

See if hagen/aquaclear site has any, or youtube, ... I'm sure youtube has one.

[Kytkattin]

I have 4 Hagen Aquaclear filters. They all run quiet, even the one for a 70 gal tank. It really does sound like a cleaning issue. Read the instruction booklet, it tells you how to take it apart so you can clean it. When it starts to make noises it either is because it needs to be cleaned or because a bubble is going through it.

[kfryman]

Totally silent, sometimes with new ones you need to try to break them in a bit. Everything I have heard is always positive from other people.

[RaptorX8]

I have fans louder than my AquaClear 20. Mine only makes horrendous noises when it hasn't primed with water. I usually have to pour some into the filter itself and run it full blast ready to push it back over so it can get all the air out.

My Marineland Penguin 200 bio-wheel does the same thing until it's primed. Then all I hear is the buzzing from the aerator.

[callistra]

Well I pulled it apart and it looks perfectly fine and totally clean/new/balanced/normal. And the new one grinds straight off even louder than the last. I know what getting the air bubbles out sounds like. That sound has gone away. The grind is in the black motor part for sure.

I guess I just need to take it back and hope I get another silent one.. wish me luck!

[paloverde]

Originally Posted by callistra

Well I pulled it apart and it looks perfectly fine and totally clean/new/balanced/normal. And the new one grinds straight off even louder than the last. I know what getting the air bubbles out sounds like. That sound has gone away. The grind is in the black motor part for sure.

I guess I just need to take it back and hope I get another silent one.. wish me luck!

If you continue to get the grinding noise, check to see if the whole filter unit is setting level on the edge of your tank..aquaclears are really good filters.