Aquarium Canister Filter Troubleshooting

How to Troubleshoot and Preempt Canister Filter Problems
 aquarium canister filter troubleshooting" align="right"/> </span> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <span style="font-size: 24px;">Help! My Filter Is Leaking</span><br/> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Canister filters are more prone to leaking than any other type of filter. If your filter is leaking, you need to first find out where the filter is leaking from. Occasionally a leak occurs because a filter body, motorhead ( <em>top section with pump</em>) or hose connector is cracked. But by far the most common location for a leak is the main filter o-ring.<br/><br/> We carry a wide variety of replacement canister filter o-rings in our <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Aquarium_Filter_Replacement_Parts_s/820.htm">Aquarium Filter Replacement Parts</a> section. Even if your filter is not leaking, having an extra main o-ring on hand is a good idea. Having to shut down your filter while you wait for an o-ring to arrive can be costly. The main o-ring goes by many different names. AquaTop calls it the Barrel Head O-Ring. Fluval calls it the Motor Seal Ring and Hydor calls it the Motorhead O-Ring. We carry parts for AquaTop, Fluval, Hydor (<em>Professional</em>), JBJ (<em>EFU Reaction</em>), Lifegard, Marineland, Nu-Clear and Penn-Plax Canister Filters. See: Aquarium Filter Replacement Parts.<br/><br/> Canister filters also have other o-rings where leaks can occur. Some common places with o-rings include the quick disconnect valves and the priming button. If you can identify where a leak is coming from, swapping out the o-ring should fix the problem. <br/><br/> It’s also a good practice to replace your o-ring as preventative maintenance. Spending a few dollars today on a new o-ring is a lot cheaper than having your carpet cleaned or hardwood floors re-finished because of a filter leak. O-rings should be replaced every year or at least every other year. New o-rings should be lubricated with silicone lubricant before installing. You can also extend the life of your o-rings by applying <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Pentair_Aquatics_Silicone_O_Ring_Lubricant_p/rrl00462.htm">Lifegard Aquatics Silicone O-Ring Lubricant</a> every time you open up your filter for maintenance. </div> <br/><span style="font-size: 24px;"> Help! My Filter Isn’t Pumping Any Water</span><br/> <div style="text-align: justify;"> If your filter isn’t pumping water the first thing to check is whether or not the impeller in the motor ( <em>pump</em>) is moving. After turning off the filter, closing any valves, and disconnecting the hoses (<em>using the quick disconnect if there is one</em>), open up the filter and locate the filter impeller. This is usually in the top of the filter motor head. Once you have located the impeller, remove it and inspect it. If the impeller is broken, worn or swollen then replace the impeller. Make sure to also check the impeller shaft and impeller cover. If either of these is broken then they should be replaced.<br/><br/> Once you have confirmed that the impeller is intact, <em>very</em> briefly turn the filter on with the motor head removed. If you can see that the impeller starts to turn then you know the motor is working. If the motor still does not turn then your main motor head is bad and needs to be replaced. We carry replacement motors, impellers, impeller covers and impeller shafts (<em>also called motorheads or pumps</em>) in the <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Aquarium_Filter_Replacement_Parts_s/820.htm">Aquarium Filter Replacement Parts</a> section.<br/><br/> Once you know the filter motor works, reassemble the filter but leave the filter hoses disconnected. The next step is to check to make sure that the filter hoses are primed. Put a bucket below the aquarium and place the filter hoses in the bucket. Open the quick disconnect valves from the hoses. Water should freely flow through the hoses and into the bucket. If water does not flow through the hoses, the hoses either are still obstructed or need to be primed. <br/><br/> If you’re certain the hose line are clear, but the water is not flowing, you’ll need to prime ( <em>to prime is to fill the hose lines with water</em>) the filter. Many filters have a built in priming button. If the filter does have a prime button, reconnect the hoses and use the prime feature. If not, open the valve on the hose and suck on the valve to start a siphon (<em>better dirty aquarium water than gasoline!</em>). Let the water pour into the bucket to confirm that the siphon is complete. Once both lines are primed, close the valves, re-connect them to the filter, open the valves and plug in the filter. </div> <br/><span style="font-size: 24px;">Help! My Filter is Pumping Very Slowly</span><br/> <p style="text-align: justify;"> If your filter is pumping water slowly, then there is either a problem with the impeller, an obstruction in the filter hoses or dirty filter pads. <br/> <br/> <em>Filter Pads</em><br/> If your filter pads and media are clogged there will be less water flow. The more detritus in the filter the harder the pump must work to push water through the media and the less water returned to the tank. <br/><br/> How often a filter pad should be cleaned and replaced is a function of your particular filter, the size of your aquarium and your bio-load. You definitely want to clean your filter pads at least monthly. Information on how often you change your filter pads and other media will be in your canister filter manual. We carry replacement media in the <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Aquarium_Filter_Replacement_Parts_s/1447.htm">Aquarium Filter Replacement Media section</a>.<br/> <br/> <em>Impeller Problems</em><br/> Impeller problems are not always obvious. If the shaft or glue joint is broken, then the impeller will not turn and there will be zero water movement. If there is some water flow, the problem could be a build-up of material on the impeller. Clean it with <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RIS50003">Citric Acid Pump Cleaner</a> and see if that helps. Other problems could be some of the impeller blades have broken off or that the impeller or impeller magnet has swelled (<em>this can happen if the pump runs dry</em>). If there are broken blades or a swelled magnet you’ll need to replace the impeller.<br/> <br/> <em>Filter Hose Problems</em><br/> If the impeller appears to be clean and intact, the problem is likely an obstruction in the hoses. Start by removing the filter hoses and cleaning or replacing them. You can clean the hoses using an <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RBO48498">OASE Spiral Brush</a> or a <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Two_Little_Fishies_MagFox_Hose_Cleaning_Brush_p/rtl50760.htm">Two Little Fishies MagFox Magnetic Hose Cleaning Brush</a>. The Mag Fox is excellent for extra long clear hoses. Because tubing is relatively cheap it may be easier to simply replace the hoses. We carry replacement hose in the <a href="https://www.marineandreef.com/Aquarium_Filter_Replacement_Parts_s/820.htm">Aquarium Filter Replacement Parts</a> section. </p> </div><!-- .vcb-article --> <textarea style="display:none;" id="articleBody_323" readonly="true"></textarea> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <!-- #content_area --> </section> </div> <!-- .row --> </div> <!-- .container --> <article class="footer-extra-top"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="title col-xs-12"> <h3>Please contact us with any questions you have.</h3> </div> <div class="contact col-xs-12 col-md-4"> <svg class="icon"><use xlink:href="#svg-Email"/></svg> <div class="contact__wrapper"> <a href="mailto:sales@marineandreef.com?Subject=Contact%20Us"><p>sales@marineandreef.com</p></a><br>We answer all Emails through 3 PM the same day (M-F). </div> </div> <div class="number col-xs-12 col-md-4"> <svg class="icon"><use xlink:href="#svg-Phone2"/></svg> <div class="number__wrapper"> <a href="/help_answer.asp?ID=17#46"><p class="number__free">480-491-5283</p></a> <!--<a href="/help_answer.asp?ID=17#46"><p class="number__international">International 1-480-491-5283</p></a>--> </div> </div> <div class="hours col-xs-12 col-md-4"> <svg class="icon"><use xlink:href="#svg-Clock"/></svg> <div class="hours__wrapper"> <p class="hours_time">Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 11:00 am & 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm MT. 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