Hob filter stopped working

[npbarca]

So I was doing a water change today and my month old bio wheel filter just stopped working after I added the water. Just randomly stopped. I took it apart and cleaned out the impeller, multiple times and it won't start. I'm pretty pissed right now. Any help would be appreciated

 

[cichlidaddicted]

What brand is it? Does the motor come off like on the aquaclears?

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[npbarca]

Its a penguin Marineland. I just set it up about a month ago. I took out the impeller and cleaned it, but you cant remove anything else. Thank god I had another one for my other tank with no fish in it, so I swapped the media.

 

[cichlidaddicted]

Since the impeller is driven magnetically (I think on this model) there is really no moving parts. If your sure there isnt something jamming the impeller and that its getting power I would assume its a defect. They are very very simple devices it basically just a coil that generates a magnetic field when plugged in. My only guess is that the coil isn't getting power. Does it get warm when you plug it in?

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[npbarca]

Yes it gets warm, and the impeller is clear but it just wont run. It was running fine until the water change.

 

[cichlidaddicted]

Did the water level drop so the filter had to work harder sucking it out of the tank? It really makes no sense does it make any noise at all. Can the impeller spin freely by hand? If so its gotta be an electrical problem with the motor

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[jonclark96]

Do you have sand substrate? Sounds like you may have a grain of sand down in the motor. Try taking a q tip and cleaning out where the impeller seats in the motor.

 

[npbarca]

That seems to be the problem. Thanks Jon.

 

[jonclark96]

Glad I could help!

 

[npbarca]

I think what happened is when I poured in the water, the sand was stirred up and a bunch was sucked up the intake.

 

[jonclark96]

Yup. It's not hard to do. I fill my tanks using a python, so I aim the water towards a rock or piece of driftwood to try and reduce kicking up the sand. You can also take a plate and place it in the tank where you pour the water into the tank to minimize the disturbance. Another option is to just let the sand settle out prior to turning the filters back on.

Another result of getting sand in the impeller is that the impeller will get worn down and will get noisy over time.

 

[CichlidAddict]

I think what happened is when I poured in the water, the sand was stirred up and a bunch was sucked up the intake.

You should turn off the HOBs when you are refilling the tank. Another reason sand can get into the filter is cichlids like to pick up sand and spray around. This is why I prefer fine gravel substrate over sand.