How Do You Disconnect An External Filter?

[Turbodan]

Once the filter has been running for awhile and pumping properly how do you then remove the pipes without tons of water going everywhere?
 
The valves are useless really, Anything you try to remove is just under aload of preasure and so it squirts everywhere.
 
So how are you meant to clean them etc... Thanks

 

[Shaddex]

Turn off the taps that should be near where the pipes connect to the pump, then turn off the electric to the pump.
Unscrew the pipes from the filter and then take the pipes out of the tank keeping the taps as low as you can.
Put taps in sink, and open them to remove water from the pipes.
Clean, etc etc.

 

[Turbodan]

Thanks for the reply
Heres a few pics of my setup so you can see whats going on.

Its a Juwel 180 tank with Aquis 1000 filter. You can see the pipe work on the last picture.
When you say turn the taps off and disconnect the pipes do you mean remove the valve itself with the pipes still attached to the valve? Or do you mean leave the valve attached to the filter and literally remove the green pipe from the valve.
Because surely if you remove the green pipes then the water that's in the pipes still is just going to gush out everywhere. Maybe im looking at it all wrong lol.

 

[DrRob]

Those taps should allow you to take the filter apart for maintenance. You can get double taps if you want to remove it entirely from the cupboard.

 

[betta fish]

Looking at the pic I would turn the grey taps so they are no longer inline with the green tubing i.e left or right whichever way they go, this is after you have turned the power off, this will keep the water within the pipes as it is now shut off I would then unscrew the black connectors that are underneath the taps, it may help if you have a bucket handy to place the pipes in, this will then leave you free to service the filter, my external is different to yours it's a cristal profi and has the taps joined to a main block so I just shut the valve on that, if you want to clean the pipes with a pipe cleaner you will have to remove the pipes entirely from the tank including the intake and out take, open the taps in the bucket to let the water out disconnect the pipes from the intake/out take and then use a pipe cleaner and flush them through, that is what I would do looking at the pics, good luck!  

 

[Turbodan]

Ok so turn pump off, tunr both taps off, unscrew the black connector under the taps and remove, then I should be able to remove the whole unit for cleaning?
 
When I undid the black connectors last time though a serious amount of water squirted out everywhere and made a right mess, should this have happened? Should it have been under that much preesure?
 
Or was it just because the tank had only been running for 2 mins and still had air in the system(ie. it hadn't settled down and sorted itself out).
 
Sorry for the questions but I am dreading cleaning it again lol

 

[betta fish]

If the taps were fully closed then it shouldn't squirt everywhere I take it the water was pumping out through the tubes and taps? I have had this happen to mine but only because I failed to shut a valve lol! just make sure they are under a bucket so the water doesn't go everywhere put plenty of towels around just incase lol 

 

[Turbodan]

No when the taps were closed and the black connector unscrewed and removed the water was squirting out from the outlet on the pump, as if it was under allot of preasure for some reason.
 
Maybe next time I do it this wont happen ,will have to wait and see.

 

[betta fish]

Ahh maybe there is a valve to shut on the pump then? what is that circular thing on top with the red handle? sorry I am not familar with the filter, perhaps there is an instruction manual you can download online for this particular model?

 

[Turbodan]

Yeah maybe although I cannot see one anywhere. The circle bit in the middle I was told is how you prime the filter, it basically unscrews and pulls out leaving a hole to pour water into.
 
I think I will have to have alook online for the manual and have a good read.

 

[betta fish]

Try this  

 http/www.aquaone.co.uk/documents/Aquis500-1200_instructions_lowres_new.pdf

 

[Lizzard111]

Have a look on this http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=QckS2B-Ei_s  http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg9ZeWisHao
If you struggle there's tons of videos about external filters and how to use them/clean them.
 
P.S. I'm gonna have same problem in few weeks when my first external filter will come

 

[Turbodan]

Cheers, just read it all now, think I better save it!

Some useful videos there, they make it all look easy!