Fluval C4 Not Working

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CanadianWaters

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
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I've had my Fluval C4 for a number if months now and been great but I woke up today and it's just stopped working. Everything is plugged into the same power strip and everything else is working but the C4? I can feel the impeller part vibrating and it's warm but waters not coming up the intake tube. It's primed and everything. What can I do?
 
Push your finger down on the impeller tube and see if you can nudge it to start spinning, happens to my ac20..
 
Yes they do clog up

Every now and then, I have to take off the intake tube and poke an ice pick down there to get the impeller to turn properly when I turn the unit off for feeding and try to re-start it and nothing happens.

After a few months, you really need to take off the motor and clean the impeller and other surface areas off with a Q-Tip or equivalent just like the instructions say.
This is normal maintenance for both Fluval C and AquaClears .... and frankly, for most HOB's.
 
I've had my Fluval C4 for a number if months now and been great but I woke up today and it's just stopped working. Everything is plugged into the same power strip and everything else is working but the C4? I can feel the impeller part vibrating and it's warm but waters not coming up the intake tube. It's primed and everything. What can I do?
Take the filter out of the tank. Drain it and remove the motor. Give it a good clean, then plug it in briefly and see if it works. Have you got sand substrate??. Could be a tiny particle of sand.....
 
Well I gave it a good clean and it's running like new! Thanks! Should I clean it like this every few months then?
 
Well I gave it a good clean and it's running like new! Thanks! Should I clean it like this every few months then?
Yeah it would be no harm. After you give it a good clean, give it a thin coat of vaseline. It will replace the slime coat that naturally occurs over time.....
 
Yeah whenever my C3 doesn't restart after a PWC I know it's due for a cleaning, usually every 2-3 months. It is noisy at first, but after a day or two it's quiet again.

I've tried using vaseline before, and it ended up at the bottom of the motor in a greasy clump. It smelled bad, and was a pain to clean up. I probably put too much vaseline on (I did it when the filter was new and sounded like a sewing machine), so it was my fault. I've heard of many people using the vaseline trick without issue.

I just wait for the slime to lube it. Once the filter has been running for awhile it doesn't take long to quiet back down.
 
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