Filter Leaking - Tetratec

[aaronnorth]

Hi, i rung Tetra up and they have sent a replacement, but the filter is still leaking after replacing it
Have they sent the correct part out or is just me that has it setup wrong :?: They sent me the black, removeable part on the top where the hoses connect.
I cant see anything out of place, i have the o-ring on correctly. trouble is it just runs out, if it was dripping then i could sit it in a bucket and change it every ,morning & night :roll:
thanks for your help.

the replacement they sent

inside

the leak

 

[aaronnorth]

so far, i have checked the media baskets are in correctly, and added vaseline to the O-ring but still leaking

 

[waterdrop]

I'm no help but sorry to hear you're having such bad trouble!

Do you suspect the small o-rings where the tubes attach, or the plastic areas above that? Or the main seal?

Have you removed all the o-rings and inspected the areas with a magnifying glass for cracks?

Have you wiggled all the suspected areas whilst operating the filter to see if you can further narrow down the location of the leak?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[aaronnorth]

I'm no help but sorry to hear you're having such bad trouble!

Do you suspect the small o-rings where the tubes attach, or the plastic areas above that? Or the main seal?

Have you removed all the o-rings and inspected the areas with a magnifying glass for cracks?

Have you wiggled all the suspected areas whilst operating the filter to see if you can further narrow down the location of the leak?

~~waterdrop~~

well apparently with these filters, the hose adpater unit leaks, then the motorhead fills up and leaks down the sides which is the problem i am having, so the replacement should of fixed that! I cant get through to customer services either.
I shall do a thorough check over tommorrow as i am fed up today after 5hrs.

thanks for your help, any other tips will be used!!

 

[rabbut]

Where exactly would you say the water is coming from? Between the motor head and the filter case, or from the motor-head and pipe connector joint?

Try taking all seals off their seatings, wipe them clean with a sponge (the type you use for algae cleaning unless you have a magfloat or similar) to get any debris, Vaseline e.t.c off them. Now they are clean, look for any chapping or breaks that may have formed and make sure they are still supple (easy enough to flex about and stretchy) Next, wipe around the recesses into which the seals sit, making sure all debris is removed from these recesses and again check for any damage that may allow water past the seals. Wipe down the parts that the seals touch when the filter is assembled (so around the inside edge of the filter case, and around the two hose connector ports on top of the motor unit) and now you can finally put the sponge away

Now, get your tub of Vaseline out, and apply a liberal amount to a tissue or piece of paper kitchen towel. Wrap the Vaselined tissue/towel around the seal and gently pull the seal through to apply a nice even and thin coat of the Vaseline. Finally, for the important bit. Re-seat the seals into their recesses, ensuring the recesses and seals remain debris free. Also, ensure the seals do not twist. If they do twist, they may cause the leak, so ensuring they do not twist is very important. Also, the Vaseline needs to be applied to all areas of the seal to work properly

All the best
Rabbut

EDIT to add, there are four screws under the adaptor unit, that allow it to come apart. There are another four seals hidden under there that you may which to try the fix with also, but I warn you that these units are fiddly to re-assemble

 

[aaronnorth]

Where exactly would you say the water is coming from? Between the motor head and the filter case, or from the motor-head and pipe connector joint?

Try taking all seals off their seatings, wipe them clean with a sponge (the type you use for algae cleaning unless you have a magfloat or similar) to get any debris, Vaseline e.t.c off them. Now they are clean, look for any chapping or breaks that may have formed and make sure they are still supple (easy enough to flex about and stretchy) Next, wipe around the recesses into which the seals sit, making sure all debris is removed from these recesses and again check for any damage that may allow water past the seals. Wipe down the parts that the seals touch when the filter is assembled (so around the inside edge of the filter case, and around the two hose connector ports on top of the motor unit) and now you can finally put the sponge away

Now, get your tub of Vaseline out, and apply a liberal amount to a tissue or piece of paper kitchen towel. Wrap the Vaselined tissue/towel around the seal and gently pull the seal through to apply a nice even and thin coat of the Vaseline. Finally, for the important bit. Re-seat the seals into their recesses, ensuring the recesses and seals remain debris free. Also, ensure the seals do not twist. If they do twist, they may cause the leak, so ensuring they do not twist is very important. Also, the Vaseline needs to be applied to all areas of the seal to work properly

All the best
Rabbut

EDIT to add, there are four screws under the adaptor unit, that allow it to come apart. There are another four seals hidden under there that you may which to try the fix with also, but I warn you that these units are fiddly to re-assemble

Thanks Rabbut.
The leak, i think, is coming from the connection between the motor head/ cannister. This is what Tetra say:

Tetra have identified a problem with this range of filters. The hose adaptor unit ball valve spindles can leak water, which then fills up the compartments within the top of the filter and then overflows down the sides of the canister. This leads the customer to think that the main canister seal is leaking, when in fact it is most unlikely.

Tetra have modified the adaptor unit and are fitting it to all new production stock

thanks, i added a bit more vaseline than you suggested above, although i doubt too much could of done any harm

 

[Rooster]

Warrantee ? if not, another brand may be in order !

If you are unsure of how its assembled, nip into "Wharf aquatics" at Pinxton.... Im sure they will sort it.

 

[aaronnorth]

Warrantee ? if not, another brand may be in order !

If you are unsure of how its assembled, nip into "Wharf aquatics" at Pinxton.... Im sure they will sort it.

no warantee, TT are evry good about when you can get through, it only took me 10mins with no questions asked last time. I ring up, and then dead on 30seconds i get cut off everytime for some reason.
They are open (7am-5pm) and the time difference is only 1hr ahead of UK??

Thanks.

 

[Rooster]

can you see which bit is the problem ?

 

[aaronnorth]

can you see which bit is the problem ?

the connection between the motor head/ cannister
Usually it would be the O-ring as i have had that problem before when it was slightly out of place, but like i posted above Tetratec say the motorhead gets filled with water, then that is the part which is leaking,

 

[rabbut]

Right, from that description of the known fault Tetratec give, it's the large chunky o-ring inside the adapter unit. Keep trying to get through to Tetratec and speak to someone, as taking that unit apart will invalidate the warrant (not that I'm sure they'll be able to tell mind you...).

All the best
Rabbut

 

[aaronnorth]

Right, from that description of the known fault Tetratec give, it's the large chunky o-ring inside the adapter unit. Keep trying to get through to Tetratec and speak to someone, as taking that unit apart will invalidate the warrant (not that I'm sure they'll be able to tell mind you...).

All the best
Rabbut

thanks, i rung the UK helpline, and they said they cant do anything as far as spares go, but they said if they have already replaced the hose adapter, they might just send you a new filter.

 

[rabbut]

At least you have spoken to someone now. Keep trying to get through to the spares section to get your issue sorted They are usually good when you get through to someone apparently, though I've never had to call them myself

 

[aaronnorth]

EDIT to add, there are four screws under the adaptor unit, that allow it to come apart. There are another four seals hidden under there that you may which to try the fix with also, but I warn you that these units are fiddly to re-assemble

I dont know about putting it back together, i couldnt get the dam thing off lol.

I lubricated the o-ring around the motor head, and the small taps. It fixed the original leak but then another decided to form on the left side
How did you get yours off rabbut? I got ascrewdriver under there but i didnt want to push too hard incase i broke the plastic!

 

[flynn_boy]

I had exactly the same problem a few months ago with my tt ex700. I did all the usual things around replacing the O-ring and greasing it up but nothing worked. Believe you me, i know what your going thru

I went onto tt website and filled out the on line form and a couple of days later got a call fm someone in Germany.

They agreed to send me out a new motor head and once that was fitted the leaked stopped. I never really understood why or how the motorhead could be faulty but once replaced it solved the problem.

If i were you id get back onto tetratec and insist on a new motor head for sure.

Good luck anyway.