I finally saved up enough and bought an AquaClear 110 hang on power filter. I previously had pretty good luck with the "50" and "70" models, except of course with their brittle plastic which cracks so easily. Anyway, when i received the 110, i easily set it up and plugged it in. Well did i get a surprise, it was so loud i thought it would explode.
I removed it and dissassembled it to see what was the problem. There were no signs of missing or flawed parts. At least no obvious signs. And i am familiar with the Aquaclear design with experience going way back over the years. I tried reassembling and running the unit several times without luck. The loud noise continued.
I had noticed right from the beginning that the impellor unit fit very deeply into the motor housing. So deep that the impellor appeared like it might rub on the housing. But i figured Hagen would not release a unit so badly designed and that i must be wrong. Well, after many tries it appeared that was indeed the case. The impellor was rubbing on the top of its motor housing.
I contacted Hagen/Canada and they refused to have anything to do with it. They would not even apologize let alone send me a replacement part. So much for this giant corporation. I'll no longer buy from them.
But this is an expensive product, so i had to find a way to tackle the problem myself. If the impellor unit was to long for the motor shaft, i reasoned that a spacer or washer dropped into the shaft might hold the impellor up higher and it would not rub. I tried this and it worked. No rub, no noise. But i am now faced with the insecurity of waiting for the impellor shaft to wear through my makeshift spacer and self destruct.
Shame on Hagen for not standing behind their product. I wonder how many faulty units were released on the unsuspecting public.
I removed it and dissassembled it to see what was the problem. There were no signs of missing or flawed parts. At least no obvious signs. And i am familiar with the Aquaclear design with experience going way back over the years. I tried reassembling and running the unit several times without luck. The loud noise continued.
I had noticed right from the beginning that the impellor unit fit very deeply into the motor housing. So deep that the impellor appeared like it might rub on the housing. But i figured Hagen would not release a unit so badly designed and that i must be wrong. Well, after many tries it appeared that was indeed the case. The impellor was rubbing on the top of its motor housing.
I contacted Hagen/Canada and they refused to have anything to do with it. They would not even apologize let alone send me a replacement part. So much for this giant corporation. I'll no longer buy from them.
But this is an expensive product, so i had to find a way to tackle the problem myself. If the impellor unit was to long for the motor shaft, i reasoned that a spacer or washer dropped into the shaft might hold the impellor up higher and it would not rub. I tried this and it worked. No rub, no noise. But i am now faced with the insecurity of waiting for the impellor shaft to wear through my makeshift spacer and self destruct.
Shame on Hagen for not standing behind their product. I wonder how many faulty units were released on the unsuspecting public.
