Aquaclear filter not starting

[leafs]

I know that you have to have some water in it for it to start up again, but what happens if there's a power outage and I'm not home. Will the motor burn out? Is there anything that can be done to prevent this? Just curious.

Thanks

 

[StarOrbs]

The impellor could have some sand or debris in which is preventing it from turning could be one problem, I usually fill up my aquaclear all the way so it just flows it. The motor is magnetic so I don't think it can burn out unless there's no water in the filter.

 

[leafs]

The impellor could have some sand or debris in which is preventing it from turning could be one problem, I usually fill up my aquaclear all the way so it just flows it. The motor is magnetic so I don't think it can burn out unless there's no water in the filter.

When I was changing my water, the filter became empty and it wouldn't start up.That's when I started to wonder, what would happen if I wasn't home? I added water so it would start again, but what would happen if the power went out? I'm assuming that the water would drain out of the filter and it wouldn't start. Maybe I'm just too paranoid.

 

[MAM]

i actually have had this problem with my aquaclears. if you read the paperwork that comes with it, it basically says that running it dry can damage the motors. so yes, a power outage could be a problem. one drawback to aquaclears. but man are they quiet and do the job. what i do when it doesnt start back up: i empty it, take the motor off, pull out the propeller, rinse it, put it back in the casing, spin it a bit, put it all back together, fill with water until it spills out then plug it back in. i sometimes have to do it coupel times before it kicks back in. what i've started to do, if the intake is pretty clean (sometimes it gets gunked up), is just leave it running but only change out enough water that the end of the intake, with the openings, remains about an inch below the surface so i don't loose suction (dyson anyone?). that seems to work.

if you do find the motor just wont' work no matter what you do, it may have burned out. you can buy replacements.

 

[Gazoo]

I know that you have to have some water in it for it to start up again, but what happens if there's a power outage and I'm not home. Will the motor burn out? Is there anything that can be done to prevent this?

I think that there is a large potential for the motor to overheat if it runs dry for a long time. I've found that as long as you keep water in the tank higher than the impeller cover, the water in the AquaClear will not completely drain out. When the power comes back on the unit will prime itself.

edit: spell check

 

[leafs]

Thanks for your help everybody!

 

[jflowers]

There was a thread somewhere about using a computer UPS (uninteruptable Power Supply) for the filter in case of powers cuts. Not a cheap option as a cheap £80 one will only run a computer for 15 mins, would think it would run a filter longer, but not much. Power cuts here usually only last a few mins, so that would be an option here, but I know in the US and AU they have longer cuts, so may need to buy the more expensive options.

Jon

 

[sub.42]

jflowers, I think you will find that most powerfilters are not capable of 'loading' a computer UPS correctly. Filters simply do not provide the sort of load the UPS expects to see, therefore the UPS simply fails to start.

I am working on a simple unit to do that job, and it will not rely on the 'load', it will simply rely on the fact that the mains supply has failed. I hope to sort it soon, and will post my findings here.

Sub.

 

[jflowers]

Oh, thought that a filter would add more load than a comp PSU, details would be good, was going to do this myself. UPS's I have seen have seen are simply high powered batterys that supply the needed voltage/watts while the powers is out, is this just the cheap ones?

Jon

 

[sub.42]

If it was that easy..

Seems that UPS' always sense their 'load'. You cant simply allow the mains to die, and hope your pc stays on. Loads can be reactive, or inductive, and a drain of 'only' a few watts, ie the typical 5-15w of an external filter are not enough to keep it 'alive'. It simply assumes the PC is off, and shuts down! If your heater is on at the time of the outage, then you might see it stay on!

We, as fishy types, don't need the luxury of totally uninterrupted supplies. Our tanks could cope with the momentary outage that occurs when the mains goes AWOL.

My idea is based on a simple changover relay and cheap 500w pure sine invertor. The theory is the same, and it would not change even if you had a 2000w invertor, you would just have to increase the amp-hour of the battery, to cope with the additional load.

I would like to point out however that you should never attempt to construct an electrical circuit, unless you are an electrical engineer. If it is badly constructed it will simply be a fire or eletcrical shock hazard!

Sub.

 

[yhbae]

I have over 20 AquaClears of various models and so far, none of them failed to re-start after power outage. Some were purchased new, others were purchased used.

As mentioned above, I always make sure that the water level is as high as possible. More water in the tank, easier it is to re-start.

My 2c...