Aqua Clear problems?

[Taelen]

Hey all,

I have had two AC 70 HoB's burn out on me in the last 3 months. Both occurences were after I unplugged the unit to do a pwc. Then within 30 minutes or so the filter just stopped working. It feels really warm to the touch.

The only thing that has changed is I have started using a power bar with a built in timer for my lights. The power bar has 3 receptacles for the timer and 3 with continuous power. On the back, I noticed it says not recommended for use with aquariums. Not sure why that would matter.

I will likely need another filter but I cannot get out to the lfs until tomorrow afternoon, hopefully everyone will be ok. I will be plugging this new one directly into the wall just in case.

 

[FastFly67]

after you refilled your tank, did you prime the filter before turning it back on?

 

[timwag2001]

i'm thinkind the same thing as fastfly. if you get air trapped in there the pump has a hard time working which will could explain it getting hot.

is it noisy after you plug it back in?

 

[JasonC]

I'm actually going to go the other way on this and say that its likely to be the power bar. I know that electric power control devices (everything from dimmers to power splitters, etc) can modify the wave form of the electricity. Certain modifications can be very detrimental to electronic equipment, because the gear is expecting one type of wave and is receiving another. In my industry, I see this the most with motors that people are trying to run off of dimmed power... most dimmers square off the top and bottom of what should be a proper sine wave... motors rely on the smooth curve that a proper sine wave provides to spin properly. without that smooth curve, the most common problem is the same that you are experiencing... burnout.

Since the impeller in your filter is a type of motor, the burnout would cause me to look at what is feeding it power first. I would definitely make sure that your next filter is plugged directly into the wall... an unmodified power source.

 

[jim692]

I think Jason is on the right track, here.
The problem may be only when you start the filter motor because that's when it's power draw is highest and with the sine wave squared off it can't get started. Power is still going to the unit, but the magnets can't turn the impeller and all you get is an overheat.
I would change the power strip along with whatever else you do. They didn't put that warning there for no reason. Probably a repetitive issue. You didn't mention it but does the strip also have a built in surge suppressor?

 

[JasonC]

Thanks for 2nd'ing the hunch Jim, actually, excellent thought on the surge supressor... that would be exactly the type of culprit I would think would be doing it... *especially* if the supressor is set at, say, a 115v shelf and the power is coming in at 120v... voila, squared off sine wave... even if there is no surge.

 

[Taelen]

Great information, thanks guys. This confirms my conclusions.

To answer, no there is no surge supression built into these. I will be going directly into the wall next time. Also, I assume that "priming" the pump means to add water to it after filling the tank, if so I always do that.

The silly thing is, the same manufacturer of the power bar makes an "aquarium" model that the lfs sells for a ridiculous price, while the one I have I bought at Home Depot. We're talking 40$ vs. $15. Is it a gimmick or is there really something different with the pricier one?

 

[jim692]

Nope, The devil is in the details as they say. It's cheaper to make the Home Depot version, and it's all most people will need for lights. Don't think I would use it with much without a suppressor. Is it a GFCI strip? For the tank those are a must. Water and electricity are a shocking mix after all.

 

[missileman]

As an electrician I would have to agree with JasonC as the surge suppressor being a possible culpret.

 

[BillD]

Many people have complained of AC filters not restarting after being shut off or after a power failure. It could be the impellor needs cleaning or the shaft has come out or is worn.
I am curious as to the term "burned out". Did the coil melt so you can't get the impellor out or does the impeller not spin at all, even with some help?

 

[Taelen]

@BillI have not gutted the unit yet, I was just going to exchange it as it's still under warranty. I guess I could take a look. When I say burnt out, what I mean is it completely stopped pumping and that the motor was quite warm to the touch.But from what I'm reading, I see a conflict, is a suppressor a good or bad thing with an aquarium? I would imagine as Jim said that it would be good to have one in case of water getting into/onto it.

 

[JasonC]

Supressors take care of voltage spikes. Its not a bad thing, as long as it is not messing up the waveform of normal 120v power. I have one on my filter, and have no problems... but I checked to make sure I was buying a higher quality one that would not affect my power supply til it was actually needed.

What you are talking about with the water is GFCI... Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (IIRC). Basically, the same thing as the outlets in your bathroom that have the test and reset buttons on there... that way if you accidentally toss your hairdryer into the bathtub while someone is in it, it senses the short circuit and shuts off power from coming out of the outlet. Same thing for a power strip... for instance, your unbreakable submersable heater forms a crack or breaks a seal... water flows into the heating coil causing a short, the GFCI switches off... saving gear, maybe your house, and definitely your fishies.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm guessing the "aquarium" version includes a GFCI since it is specifically designed for aquarium use.

But you can buy a plug-in GFCI for about $10. Just get that and plug a cheap power strip into the GFCI.

 

[timwag2001]

the gfci just trips the circuit in case of an emergency (too much power going through the outlet to somewhere it shouldnt)
from what they're saying, i think that the "cheap" power strip is the problem.

is it jewels that you're talking about when your talking about the waves?

 

[Taelen]

Many people have complained of AC filters not restarting after being shut off or after a power failure. It could be the impellor needs cleaning or the shaft has come out or is worn.
I am curious as to the term "burned out". Did the coil melt so you can't get the impellor out or does the impeller not spin at all, even with some help?

Forgot to update this guys, thought I'd mention that I did clean the impeller and the unit now works. I did the same with my smaller unit as well. So before you rush out to replace them, give them a clean first. =)

 

[new2betas]

Forgot to update this guys, thought I'd mention that I did clean the impeller and the unit now works. I did the same with my smaller unit as well. So before you rush out to replace them, give them a clean first. =)

Oh, this makes me feel real stupid. I threw out a Aqua Clear that "died" on me also. It is the only filter that has ever done that to me and I had primed the filter also. My next question is this...when you have two aquariums running in close proximity to each other or other appliances how can you aviod not using extension cords or plug adapters when you need more than two plugs. All of my tanks need at least 3 plugs (lights, heater, filter) and some need more because I use a pump with airstone. So, how do you avoid using extra devices for power?

 

[meegosh]

Oh, this makes me feel real stupid. I threw out a Aqua Clear that "died" on me also. It is the only filter that has ever done that to me and I had primed the filter also. My next question is this...when you have two aquariums running in close proximity to each other or other appliances how can you aviod not using extension cords or plug adapters when you need more than two plugs. All of my tanks need at least 3 plugs (lights, heater, filter) and some need more because I use a pump with airstone. So, how do you avoid using extra devices for power?

I'm not really sure what you are asking. For me, I have a 30g on top and 10g below... I use one digital timer with an adapter to go from 1 outlet to 3. I plug both lights into that timer, saves on buying two timers ($10 for a timer vs $2 for an adapter). I had a GFCI outlet put in where my tanks are since it is in the dining room. From there I run it into two power strips, heater and filter from each go into their own stips. I did it this way because my 10g filter always needs primed when the power flickers. This way I can just turn off the 10g equipment and prime it, then turn it back on, leaving the 30g alone.